Rectal Cancer
Comments
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Hi, very similar to my
Hi, very similar to my situation. What options were you given? What's your plan?0 -
Welcome and yes, you'll find
Welcome and yes, you'll find a lot of good input on this board as well as the colon club forum. I just had my surgery for a T3, Nx,M0 yesterday.
This thread shows the soul searching on APR vs other options: http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11804
Just a limited perspective with a lot of links to research so you can make your own decisions. What I chose may not be the best for anyone but me, but at least you can see the decsion processes and some research by a few folk agonizing ;-) over the treatment/surgical options.
The last few posts get a bit passionate and off topic, so best read in order from beginning.
A ton of other posts on this board and colonclub on quality of life and surgical options.
I wish you the best!0 -
Thank you for the link.Idschreffler said:Welcome and yes, you'll find
Welcome and yes, you'll find a lot of good input on this board as well as the colon club forum. I just had my surgery for a T3, Nx,M0 yesterday.
This thread shows the soul searching on APR vs other options: http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11804
Just a limited perspective with a lot of links to research so you can make your own decisions. What I chose may not be the best for anyone but me, but at least you can see the decsion processes and some research by a few folk agonizing ;-) over the treatment/surgical options.
The last few posts get a bit passionate and off topic, so best read in order from beginning.
A ton of other posts on this board and colonclub on quality of life and surgical options.
I wish you the best!
Thank you for the link.I hope your surgery went well. Everyone has to make there own decisions based on what they expect out of life and they're life situation.
That is why this board is so powerful. Again I hope your surgery went well and thanks again. Laura PS Both of my parents died of cancer so this whole process nothing new to me. The good news is that with the information age we are so much more informed and the medical community has to give us info that my parents didn't get. My mom died in 1988 even before I had my first computer.,but the sad truth is they are still using the same drugs from 22 years ago.0 -
Welcome,462it.your case is
Welcome,462it.your case is similar to my husband's.He was diagnosed last May,and he finished all the treatments in this April.My husband's diagnosis was T3,N0,M0,but after preoperative chemo and radiation,he was downstaged to T2,N0,M0.All his treatments went very smoothly and I got great support from this board.Your cancer is at stage 1,you have almost 100% chance to beat this up and leave this behind as a bad memory.My husband's primary doctor told my husband that he found the cancer at an early stage,usually after treatments,the result will be good.Good luck to you with all the treatments and be cancer free soon.Take care.0 -
Welcome
...and sorry you have to be here but a good place to be.
I didn't do any research (well, maybe just a little), just trusted my surgeon and the team. I wouldn't recommend that, of course--the more information, the better. A second and third opinion can be helpful too. I had a T2 tumor, very low in the rectum. Initially, my surgeon talked about radiation, chemo, followed by APR and colostomy. I was devastated, trying to process all this. I simply followed orders, asked questions, and trusted my surgeon and rest of the team. My surgeon said it was an "ideal tumor in an unideal location." I found out that staging isn't so necessarily straight forward. It was difficult for them to tell if it was a T1 or T2 tumor through ultrasound, MRI, but my surgeon thought that it was a T2 just by the way it felt. The team decided that, based on the information we had, my surgeon could do a transanal excision (sept. 2009). There were positive margins (laterally, not depth-wise), which is not a good thing. My surgeon said that if I went to 5 different doctors, I would get 5 different opinions. Again, I trusted my surgeon (he has a good reputation) and he did a re-excision about a month later with clear margins (oct. 2009). However, he could only cut so far without damaging the anal sphincter so how clear is clear, in my opinion, is questionable. I then had 6 weeks (30 treatments) of radiation treatment along with oral Xeloda (chemo). I was told that there was approximately 80% chance of cure. Did I make the right decision? I don't know. If I have no recurrence, of course I'd feel like I made the right decision. If a recurrence happens, would I kick myself for not asking for and pushing for APR/colostomy? Whatever the outcome, the decision was made. Now I am followed very closely by my surgeon. The good thing about transanal excision is quick recovery and no colostomy. The bad thing is that there is no way to know for sure if the lymph nodes are involved.
I wish the best for you. Please feel free to PM me if you want.
Holding you in the Light for healing.
~Audrey0 -
Welcome
Sorry to hear of your diagnosis but glad that you were able to find us. We have a lot of knowledgeable people here that can give you their experience. Not sure what an APR is. You are going to have a journey ahead of you, but you will get through it. Keep us informed as to how you are doing.
Kim0 -
KimAnnabelle41415 said:Welcome
Sorry to hear of your diagnosis but glad that you were able to find us. We have a lot of knowledgeable people here that can give you their experience. Not sure what an APR is. You are going to have a journey ahead of you, but you will get through it. Keep us informed as to how you are doing.
Kim
APR is "abdominoperitoneal resection," where the rectum is removed followed by a colostomy. It's often done for low rectal tumors.
~Aud0 -
Not completely sure my exact stats...
But, 2cm tumor in the first rectal fold. Squamous cell carcinoma. Pre-surgical rads and chemo COMPLETELY eliminated the tumor (squamous cell is VERY radio sensitive). Questionable local lymph node involvement.
Based on my age (49) and life expectancy, my surgeon suggested to go ahead with the J-pouch procedure, even tho there was nothing to be seen of the tumor at the site. I did, rectum and sigmoid colon removed, as well as a total hysterectomy, and descending colon made into a 'new' rectum.
It took some work, but I am celebrating 5 years clear from cancer this year. I needed to find the foods that worked and didn't with my 'new plumbing'. But, at this point, I would be willing to put my bowel's performance up against anyones, even people with all of their parts.
My first surgeon said I had a 50% chance of a permanent colostomy. I did my homework, called around to local GI surgeons, and asked where they sent their low bowel resection patients. After 3 telling me the same name, I called. After exam, etc, he gave me a 3% chance of a temporary colostomy, and I didn't even have that...was using my new plumbing the night after surgery.
Feel free to ask any and all questions of us here, there are many that can help.
Welcome to the semi-colons!
Hugs, Kathi0 -
ThanksAud said:Kim
APR is "abdominoperitoneal resection," where the rectum is removed followed by a colostomy. It's often done for low rectal tumors.
~Aud
I had my rectum removed followed by an ileostomy, but had a reversal. Never heard of that. My cancer was very low too, but surgeon was able to do temporary.
Kim0 -
T2N0M0 is what I was, too,
T2N0M0 is what I was, too, but my cancer was 5 cm above the anal verge. 1 cm is, of course, much more iffy, for avoiding a permanent colostomy. I sure hope you can avoid it, but if it should turn out that your surgeon doesn't think you can avoid it, well, you don't want to paint yourself into a corner. You're fortunate to have a surgeon who can give you options.0 -
Thanks for all the replys.PGLGreg said:T2N0M0 is what I was, too,
T2N0M0 is what I was, too, but my cancer was 5 cm above the anal verge. 1 cm is, of course, much more iffy, for avoiding a permanent colostomy. I sure hope you can avoid it, but if it should turn out that your surgeon doesn't think you can avoid it, well, you don't want to paint yourself into a corner. You're fortunate to have a surgeon who can give you options.
Thanks for all the replys. Should start rad and chemo on Wednesday. Small Insurance issue so may not start untill next monday. Ready to get this show on the road I hate limbo land.I am a get on with it person. Again thanks for all the support I feel like a baby compared to all you guys.0 -
Another newbie462lt said:Thanks for all the replys.
Thanks for all the replys. Should start rad and chemo on Wednesday. Small Insurance issue so may not start untill next monday. Ready to get this show on the road I hate limbo land.I am a get on with it person. Again thanks for all the support I feel like a baby compared to all you guys.
462lt - I'm new here too - just diagnosed a few weeks ago. Rectal, 7cm up. T3N2M0. Hope to get started with chemo and rad soon and get this show on the road. Still digesting what to expect in terms of side effects, etc.0 -
Hi Monty,MontyG said:Another newbie
462lt - I'm new here too - just diagnosed a few weeks ago. Rectal, 7cm up. T3N2M0. Hope to get started with chemo and rad soon and get this show on the road. Still digesting what to expect in terms of side effects, etc.
Welcome to the
Hi Monty,
Welcome to the forum. I think you will find it very helpful; I know I do. What chemo will you be on?0 -
462It
Hi 462It,
Do you have rectal or anal cancer? I am a anal cancer survivor Stage II NOMO. The cancer was right at the anal verge. I was treated with the standard treatment (Nigro), of 2 96 hour drip cycles of 5FU, with an infustion of mytomicin on 1st chemo day, along with 30 radiation zaps. I completed treatment on 6-30-09 and show NED to date. With your cancer being 1 cm from the anal verge, and from what I understand the anal canal is 4 inches long, I was just wondering why it is considered rectal cancer. I know that the tx is different for rectal. With anal cancer the tx used to be immediate colostomy, which this was decades ago. Lori0 -
AnnecanAnneCan said:Hi Monty,
Welcome to the
Hi Monty,
Welcome to the forum. I think you will find it very helpful; I know I do. What chemo will you be on?
I met with the oncologist for the first time today......She is planning to treat me with xeloda. I really don't know the difference. I really don't know the difference at this point. I guess I need to do a lot more research. Does anyone have experience with this medication?0 -
I haven't been on xeloda butMontyG said:Annecan
I met with the oncologist for the first time today......She is planning to treat me with xeloda. I really don't know the difference. I really don't know the difference at this point. I guess I need to do a lot more research. Does anyone have experience with this medication?
I haven't been on xeloda but many on this forum have. If you want to find out their experiences you might want to start a new thread; this question might get missed here. I wish you all the best with your treatment + hope you will find this forum helpful.0 -
I agree, Lori!z said:462It
Hi 462It,
Do you have rectal or anal cancer? I am a anal cancer survivor Stage II NOMO. The cancer was right at the anal verge. I was treated with the standard treatment (Nigro), of 2 96 hour drip cycles of 5FU, with an infustion of mytomicin on 1st chemo day, along with 30 radiation zaps. I completed treatment on 6-30-09 and show NED to date. With your cancer being 1 cm from the anal verge, and from what I understand the anal canal is 4 inches long, I was just wondering why it is considered rectal cancer. I know that the tx is different for rectal. With anal cancer the tx used to be immediate colostomy, which this was decades ago. Lori
I think it depends a bit on the type of cancer...as well as where it is....
As I metioned, mine was squamous cell carcinoma, which is usually anal cancer. But, it was in the rectum. I Confused the heck out of my treating docs...which way to treat? So, the 'first strike' was chemo/rads, as is done for the type of cancer, the 'second strike' was surgery to remove my rectum, as is done many times for rectal surgery.
I prevailed by finding the best team I could find. With low colorectal/anal cancer, you really need to find a team that specializes in this...my sister was dx'ed with anal...and hers was just a bit down from mine...totally different treatment...
I'm so glad that you are dancing with NED!!!
Hugs, Kathi0
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