Colon Recurrence

83popsong
83popsong Member Posts: 28
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hello - Brief history: Dx'ed Stage 4 Late February '06, colon tumor and multiple liver mets. FOLFOX + Erbitux through July '06. Colon resection and RF Ablation to two liver mets in August '06. Continued FOLFOX + Erbitux through mid-January '07. NED through August '07. Dx'ed with recurrent colon tumor 9/07.

MY question is that the recurrent colon tumor appears to be the result of not taking a large enough margin during the colon was resection (tumor basically grew at the scar tissue). The colon surgery was done laproscopically. Is this a common type of recurrence?

Thanks much for any info.

--Eben

Comments

  • maggi
    maggi Member Posts: 31
    Hi Eben, I had stage 3 colon cancer in 2000 and had surgery laproscopically done with about 12 inches of colon removed. On my fifth year colonoscopy after surgery there was a recurrence so they did a colectomy. Colon cancer runs in my family so I had some genetic testing done and was found to have HNPCCwith A mutation of the MSH2 gene.It will be two years NED next month. I don't know if colon cancer runs in your family but if it does the testing is easy just a blood test. Good luck and take care. Maggi
  • Limey
    Limey Member Posts: 446 Member
    Hi Eben, I had stage II and the resection had really good clear margins over 3" on each side and 7 of 7 lymph nodes neg. my tumor keeps reoccuring either outside the colon right at the resection or inside at the resection. I have litterally begged to have that section taken again and for me that is not an option.
    be well
    Mark.
  • hopefulone
    hopefulone Member Posts: 1,043 Member
    Hi Eben. So sorry to hear that it's reoccurred, but I know your a fighter and you'll whip it. My husband's surgery was also laproscopic. No reoccurrance so far. Keep the faith and God Bless
    Diane
  • vinny3
    vinny3 Member Posts: 928 Member
    I tried to do some searching on that question as I also had a recurrance next to the site of my initial surgery. In my case, I had rectal cancer, preop chemo/radiation and then just an excision of the scar. However, after reviewing the surgery report I think the surgeon did not take out a large enough section and in fact I was not a good candidate for that type of surgery (however I was fully informed but just glossed over the article that might have told me that information as I wanted to believe it would work).
    In any case I can not find any articles that list how common recurrance is at the anastomotic site (where the colon is hooked back together) except some really old ones. The ones on laparoscopic surgery vs open surgery seem to indicate that there is no difference in recurrance rates.

    It is a good question and perhaps others will have a better answer. Our thoughts and prayers are with you in this continued fight with, and ultimate victory over the beast.

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