Need some reassurance
My mom was diagnosed with stage 2 Anal cancer in January of 2015 and treated with chemo and radiation. she's been ned since June 2015. She went for a checkup last week and her radiologist was concerned about a spot im the same area,but said could be scar tissue and told her to follow up with her surgeon. She did and he said the spot didn't look good. The surgeon briefly said if cancer surgery would be necessary and a colostomy bag. She said she has felt fine, she had a full checkup in August (cat scan, bone scan, exam) and all was good. She goes for biopsy tomorrow
Comments
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swood9008swood9008 said:Martha you have no idea how
Martha you have no idea how relived I was to see your comment come up, a little sigh of reliefe ❤️. you were so helpful, informative and comforting my first days on here.
You are so kind. Thank you! And to answer your question below, I am doing well. Tomorrow I will be 8 1/2 years out of treatment. Thank you for asking!
Martha
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swood9008
I am so sorry to hear this. I was so hoping that the news would be better. I'm glad your mom has a great attitude about what might lie ahead. I'm sure if she has APR surgery with a colostomy, she will handle it like a champ. Please keep us posted on what happens next for her. May God bless and you too.
Martha
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Swood
Wow, your mom sounds amazing. The idea of APR and colostomy sounds daunting but she is taking it in stride. I'm really sorry the spot wasn't scar tissue. I know you will be with your mom every step of the way. Sending positive thoughts and prayers to you and your mom.
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She almost feels better about
She almost feels better about the apr she feels the cancer will really be gone, with radiation it was a waiting game. thank you so much. i don't know what I would do without this site. The surgeon did mention he doesn't think it's the same kind (squamous cell) not sure if you have any input on that?
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swood9008......swood9008 said:She almost feels better about
She almost feels better about the apr she feels the cancer will really be gone, with radiation it was a waiting game. thank you so much. i don't know what I would do without this site. The surgeon did mention he doesn't think it's the same kind (squamous cell) not sure if you have any input on that?
Hi,
I am sorry to hear that your mom has this new challenge to face. Her positive attitude will work wonders for her as she moves forward! I was dx with Stage 3b anal cancer in 2011 and had ostomy surgery at that time. The initial thought was that my ostomy could be reversed about 6 months after treatment, but then due to radiation damage the potential for a successful reversal was too risky, so it is permanent. Many people don't realize that there are several different ways to perform this surgery, yet when no intention of reversal, APR is usually the norm. The basic difference is that I still have my anus and rectum, they are just "out of commission" so to speak.
If your mom does need the APR surgery, expect a period of adjustment and healing, but we will all be here for both you and her throughout. It is not the way for all, but be encouraged to know that for many, myself included, life with "a bag" as people say, has had little negative effect on my life at all. Once into a regular routine, it becomes a natural part of grooming. I am physically active, travel, and enjoy life chasing after my energetic grandchildren!
I will keep her in my thoughts and prayers as she moves forward, please keep us posted.
katheryn
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swood9008swood9008 said:She almost feels better about
She almost feels better about the apr she feels the cancer will really be gone, with radiation it was a waiting game. thank you so much. i don't know what I would do without this site. The surgeon did mention he doesn't think it's the same kind (squamous cell) not sure if you have any input on that?
That is strange that your mom's surgeon feels that the cancer cells are of a different type than the anal cancer. Anal cancer is typically squamous cell, but in a small percentage of people, adenocarcinoma is found instead. However, adenocarcinoma anal cancer typically involves only the glands that surround the anal canal and not the anal canal itself. If you get more information about this from her doctor, please share when you can.
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swood9008swood9008 said:Ok thabknyou, I believe it
Ok thabknyou, I believe it was squamoud the first time. I'm having a little panic attack doing research and reading about anorectal malanoma. I will keep you posted
Oh yes, melanoma is another one that can strike the area, but very rare. I didn't even think about that one. Thanks for keeping us updated. Best wishes to your mom and you!
Martha
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swood9008swood9008 said:She almost feels better about
She almost feels better about the apr she feels the cancer will really be gone, with radiation it was a waiting game. thank you so much. i don't know what I would do without this site. The surgeon did mention he doesn't think it's the same kind (squamous cell) not sure if you have any input on that?
If the confusion persists, it might be helpful to get a pathology slide review from another institution. This is a simple procedure....the path slides get sent to a large center or one of the NCI cancer centers and they send back a detailled report. The patient does not go with the slides.
Some breast cancers can change from hormone negative to hormone positive over time, but they are still breast tissue.
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