Surgery, Chemo then Radiation?

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thready
thready Member Posts: 474
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I just got back from the Oncologists office today and she said that after the new year I would need to have a radiology consult. Brief background, I had colonoscopy 9/3/09, surgery for left hemicolectomy 9/14/09. Tumor outside of bowel and 1 out of 20 lymph nodes had CA present. No CA in lymph vessels and all margins were clear. So this makes me a IIIB. CT scans after surgery were clear.

Today the onc said that the consult was just to see if they needed to do radiation to "sterilize" the area in the abdomen. I thought I was just doing clean up chemo, bad enough, but radiation also?
Has anyone heard of this. I would have thought they would have wanted to do radiation before or during the first treatments of chemo. I am headed for round 5 of folfox on 12/23/09 (Merry Christmas to me)
Any help greatly appreciated.

Jan

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  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    #2
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    Jan :)
    I did radiation prior to surgery to shrink the tumor to allow the resection. At times I was doing radiation and chemo at the same time for about a week each time...took 25x radiation treatments over 5 weeks. It messed me up but good. And I'll just save the details.

    But, radiation after surgery - how 'bout checking in with our pals at UTSW on this one. I hate radiation and it is so permanent! Once the beam touches that area of your body, you can never do radiation there again - so I would think there "better be a good reason" just to do radiation to "sterilize" things! Now, if all doctors agree (2nd opinion too) then that makes me feel better.

    But my old cancer guy wanted to radiate my lungs for the 2 tumors that we just pulled out of my lung - and I told him point blank "with all of the damage radiation did below my belt, do you really think that I would sign up and let you radiate my lung?" He said radiate it all - I said GOODBYE and HELLO to UTSW.

    Anyway, this seems drastic to me unless there is a good medical reason beside going sterile. Believe me radiation will "sterilize" things alright - it ruins everything in its path - I just hate it.

    And I don't want you to go through it, unless it would be necessary - don't want you to suffer needlessly - it's tough stuff.

    -Craig
  • thready
    thready Member Posts: 474
    #3
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    Sundanceh said:

    Jan :)
    I did radiation prior to surgery to shrink the tumor to allow the resection. At times I was doing radiation and chemo at the same time for about a week each time...took 25x radiation treatments over 5 weeks. It messed me up but good. And I'll just save the details.

    But, radiation after surgery - how 'bout checking in with our pals at UTSW on this one. I hate radiation and it is so permanent! Once the beam touches that area of your body, you can never do radiation there again - so I would think there "better be a good reason" just to do radiation to "sterilize" things! Now, if all doctors agree (2nd opinion too) then that makes me feel better.

    But my old cancer guy wanted to radiate my lungs for the 2 tumors that we just pulled out of my lung - and I told him point blank "with all of the damage radiation did below my belt, do you really think that I would sign up and let you radiate my lung?" He said radiate it all - I said GOODBYE and HELLO to UTSW.

    Anyway, this seems drastic to me unless there is a good medical reason beside going sterile. Believe me radiation will "sterilize" things alright - it ruins everything in its path - I just hate it.

    And I don't want you to go through it, unless it would be necessary - don't want you to suffer needlessly - it's tough stuff.

    -Craig

    UTSW here I come
    Craig,
    After I calmed down a bit, I thought, hey just a minute, I can get a second opinion again!!! My onc is moving to a brand new "Oncology facility" and I really hated that I was thinking what I was thinking, but they need to pay for it some how. I know she would not do anything like that, but my little suspicious mind went there anyway. So I have dismissed that thought but I will be calling UTSW about this one!!!

    Oh holy mackrel I am a mess now. She said it would just be a consult, I am hoping that she is just trying to cover___well you know, she seems very careful.

    Why is it when I need to rant, cry, have a fit or what ever I am doing now-no one is around except for the cats, and they really don't care! Ok, I am breathing easier, I am in control-for the moment, hubby just called he is on his way home and he said same as you, off we go to UTSW.

    Thanks Craig
    Jan
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    #4
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    thready said:

    UTSW here I come
    Craig,
    After I calmed down a bit, I thought, hey just a minute, I can get a second opinion again!!! My onc is moving to a brand new "Oncology facility" and I really hated that I was thinking what I was thinking, but they need to pay for it some how. I know she would not do anything like that, but my little suspicious mind went there anyway. So I have dismissed that thought but I will be calling UTSW about this one!!!

    Oh holy mackrel I am a mess now. She said it would just be a consult, I am hoping that she is just trying to cover___well you know, she seems very careful.

    Why is it when I need to rant, cry, have a fit or what ever I am doing now-no one is around except for the cats, and they really don't care! Ok, I am breathing easier, I am in control-for the moment, hubby just called he is on his way home and he said same as you, off we go to UTSW.

    Thanks Craig
    Jan

    Good Ol' Dave
    Hey, Jan

    Great minds think alike don't they? :)

    I sure would like to know what they tell you if you want to let me know afterwards.

    Speaking of UTSW, I am down there tomorrow for clinic with my thoracic surgeon - and guess what? Channel 11 KTVT is going to be down there filming a story about me, my surgeon, and DaVinci!

    I'm going to be on TV very soon...and in the Ft.Worth Star Telegram too - lady just interviewed me yesterday and story will print next week.

    I'll be on the UTSW website too - and UTSW will also do a video interview and post to YouTube. It's all very exciting.

    I opened a post about it - it starts Craig and DaVinci - you'll see it, still on the 1st page. Check it out if you want to read it.

    Take care - look forward to meeting you when we can set it up.

    -Craig
  • karguy
    karguy Member Posts: 1,020 Member
    #5
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    Radiation
    I did chemo ,and radiation before the surgery to shrink the large tumor,but I was told that radiation can only be done once before surgery.I agree that you should get another opinion,because radiation does truly sterilize everything.
  • NWGirl
    NWGirl Member Posts: 122 Member
    #6
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    Radiation post surgery and post chemo
    I had surgery first - but when they did the pathology on the tumor and lymph nodes removed, they found that 27 of 38 nodes removed had cancer. So I had FOLFOX first (can't remember how many treatments), then 30 radiation treatments while on the 5FU pump 24/7.

    I had LOTS of diagnostic tests pre-surgery to try to determine if the cancer was in my lymph nodes - CT's, PET, rectal ultra sound, MRI with a rectal probe - all showed no lymph node involvement; though my surgeon always felt it was in 1-2 nodes. We couldn't get any tests to back up her hunch, and my doctors wouldn't put me through radiation just based on a hunch. So off to surgery I went.

    Doctors make their treatment decisions based on the information they have. It's not always perfect. Radiation wasn't fun - but I got through it and statistically, it greatly improves my chances of survival - and of helping to prevent a local reccurrence.

    I had a follow up appt. with my Radiation doc today and we talked about rectal cancer and how difficult it is for the surgeon to get in there and remove potentially affected areas. Unlike the colon - where he said "everything's just kind of hanging around in there" - the area around the rectum is really packed in tightly with stuff that needs to stay there. It's a much harder area for the surgeon to get to. Radiation is a big insurance policy.

    By all means get a second opinion. There's certainly nothing wrong with that. Once radiation is done - it can't be undone; for the better or worse. Its been 1 1/2 years since I finished radiation. The only long term effects are it put me into early menopause and it does shrink your vagina (sorry to be so graphic) - so I'm still working through that both physically and mentally.
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #7
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    NWGirl said:

    Radiation post surgery and post chemo
    I had surgery first - but when they did the pathology on the tumor and lymph nodes removed, they found that 27 of 38 nodes removed had cancer. So I had FOLFOX first (can't remember how many treatments), then 30 radiation treatments while on the 5FU pump 24/7.

    I had LOTS of diagnostic tests pre-surgery to try to determine if the cancer was in my lymph nodes - CT's, PET, rectal ultra sound, MRI with a rectal probe - all showed no lymph node involvement; though my surgeon always felt it was in 1-2 nodes. We couldn't get any tests to back up her hunch, and my doctors wouldn't put me through radiation just based on a hunch. So off to surgery I went.

    Doctors make their treatment decisions based on the information they have. It's not always perfect. Radiation wasn't fun - but I got through it and statistically, it greatly improves my chances of survival - and of helping to prevent a local reccurrence.

    I had a follow up appt. with my Radiation doc today and we talked about rectal cancer and how difficult it is for the surgeon to get in there and remove potentially affected areas. Unlike the colon - where he said "everything's just kind of hanging around in there" - the area around the rectum is really packed in tightly with stuff that needs to stay there. It's a much harder area for the surgeon to get to. Radiation is a big insurance policy.

    By all means get a second opinion. There's certainly nothing wrong with that. Once radiation is done - it can't be undone; for the better or worse. Its been 1 1/2 years since I finished radiation. The only long term effects are it put me into early menopause and it does shrink your vagina (sorry to be so graphic) - so I'm still working through that both physically and mentally.

    Jan
    Like most others Ihad chemo and radiation together prior to colostomy. After brief recovery from op-and still recovering 3 months later, I was started on second round of chemo as mop up, no radiation. Like others said, rad is usually done before surgery to hopefully shrink tumor and halt spread. Secind/third opiniion definitely required here. Good luck with your treatment////Steve

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