rectal cancer

Patteee
Patteee Member Posts: 945
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
My dear co-worker found out her son-in-law has rectal cancer last week. age 42

She doesn't feel like the daughter knows the questions to ask or is listening to the answers. I thought maybe you guys could help :)

First the colonoscopy was several weeks ago, daughter says an MMRI with dye he is now allergic to that he now has to be sedated before another MRI was done a week ago. I am guessing she is confused, sounds like a CT was done, he is allergic to the dye. Does this sound more likely?

No other testing has been done. He saw the surgeon last Friday. He staged the cancer at 3- I can't imagine staging was done without more testing?

He was told 6 weeks of chemotherapy, has a meeting with the oncologist this week. Daughter says he will start chemo that day, that it will take an hour and he will have no side effects. I can't imagine it will happen that fast? He has never even met the oncologist and doesn't have a port in yet.

He was also told that a small fraction lower and he would have lost his rectum- now will just have a bag and be rehooked at a later date. This to me was probably glossed over a whole lot- I mean I think the hope is that, but how likely considering "a small fraction lower" comment.

He thinks his chemo will be for an hour and he will go right back to work. I think an hour is kinda short? I am thinking this first appointment with the oncologist will be for an hour. I have never heard of chemo for colorectal only taking an hour?

Also, no mention of radiation. Is this possible?

Thanks

Comments

  • lesvanb
    lesvanb Member Posts: 905
    #2
    What stage is he? for example Stage 1 would be just surgery. Howw ver, as I understand anything beyond Stage 2 could have neoadjuvant chem/radiation; certainly for Stage 3 or 4 (I am stage 4) neoadjuvant chemo and radiation are recommended. Then there is adjuvant chemo like FOLFOX after surgery not always for Stage 2 but recommended for Sage 3 and 4.

    I didn't have a port for neodjuvant chemo. I took Xeloda and had a weekly infusion of oxali at 1/2 the adjuvant dose given every 2 weeks. Infusion took a 2-4 hours but I had calcium/mag before and after. 6 weeks was the course; 28 radiation tx. I was not able to work much during radiation/neoadjuvant chemo but could during adjuvant chemo.

    Sounds like he had a CT and was allergic to the dye.

    My friend had the "small fraction lower" bit and is doing fine after hook-up after having a bag though of course there are still accidents. He's 3 years out from dx. But all us rectal cancer survivors struggle with that after such a huge surgery which amputates a large part of the colon and then can interfere with muscle control of the rectum.

    i hope this helps!

    Leslie
  • 462lt
    462lt Member Posts: 117
    #3
    Usual treatment for rectal cancer is radition and chemo then surgery. My chemo consisted of Xeloda pills every day M-F for 6 week and Oxilatplin on weeks 1,2,4,5 which was by infusion and took at least 3 hours (i didn't have a port)on fridays.in conjunction with radition for 28 days. I had an ultrsound to stage tumor I'm not sure if ct can be used to stage depth of the tumor. If I was mom I would ask a few more questions. Laura
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #4
    early rectal cancer treatment
    Hi Pattee,

    I understand your frustration with some of the info you're hearing. The standard for rectal cancer is usually six weeks of chemorads- a combo of chemotherapy and radiation. The chemo given for the daily six week radiation time seems to normally be 5FU (most people I know were hooked up to the chemo pump 24/7 for the 5FU during this time). Some I guess now are taking Xeloda pills instead of having the 5FU pump attached to them the whole time. My onc (who's different than the onc I now have) did something more unusual- instead of the 5FU pump or Xeloda during radiation, I was given weekly chemo infusions for the six weeks of cisplatin (changed to carboplatin after 4 wks due to neuropathy). Every other onc and doctor I've been to since expressed surprise at why my then-onc chose cisplatin/carboplatin. I suppose I can't complain since my rectal tumor completely disappeared when checked at the followup colonoscopy approx 2 wks after I finished.

    I do think she is confused- they would have to go and meet w/ the onc first before starting treatment. If they are actually getting something similar to what I got for chemo during radiation, the infusion time actually was about an hour or hour and a half. This is definitely different than the Folfox. Folfox isn't done while getting radiation and definitely lasts more than six weeks, so that can't be it.

    I guess you'll know more after they have their appt and you hear what happened.

    Send them our way!!!

    Hugs,
    Lisa
  • PGLGreg
    PGLGreg Member Posts: 731
    #5
    For rectal cancer, the
    For rectal cancer, the standard is radiation, usually before surgery, but I had mine after.

    The part about a small fraction lower and he would have lost his rectum (and anus, I suppose) makes sense. The exact height of the tumor above the anus is important in deciding whether a permanent colostomy is needed. My tumor was 5cm above, and I did not need a colostomy.

    Chemo for an hour? Could be. My chemo (after surgery) was only an injection of 5FU and leucovorin, and it only took about 15 minutes. From reading others' experiences, though, I think mine took less time than is typical. I went to work every day after chemo and radiation, and from the chemo, had only a touch of nausea. I was only stage 2 -- if he's stage 3, the chemo will probably be more severe.

    --Greg
  • Fight for my love
    Fight for my love Member Posts: 1,522 Member
    #6
    I remember the surgeon who
    I remember the surgeon who was one of the best doctor in our area told us that for rectal cancer,chemo and radiation before surgery was standard treatment,the surgeon also said that chemo and radiation before surgery helps prevention of reoccurance a lot from statstics point.I hope he can find a professional medical team.If he and his family don't feel very comfortable with what is going on with the doctors,looking for a second opinion is very necessary.

    By the way,being alergic to the dye is possible.But an accurate diagnosis is very important.
  • Kenny H.
    Kenny H. Member Posts: 502 Member
    #7
    Fight for my love said:

    I remember the surgeon who
    I remember the surgeon who was one of the best doctor in our area told us that for rectal cancer,chemo and radiation before surgery was standard treatment,the surgeon also said that chemo and radiation before surgery helps prevention of reoccurance a lot from statstics point.I hope he can find a professional medical team.If he and his family don't feel very comfortable with what is going on with the doctors,looking for a second opinion is very necessary.

    By the way,being alergic to the dye is possible.But an accurate diagnosis is very important.

    Mine was 6weeks of Xeloda
    Mine was 6weeks of Xeloda and Rad. Shrunk the tumor but still had to have rectum removed & a perm colostomy bag. Been 2 weeks since surgery now, plan on more chemo and rad coming up.

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