Damn, radiation again

JanJan63
JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Well, I got a week of telling everybody I was NED and feeling happy. I went to my oncologist today and she wants me to have the lung spots radiated. In case it is cancer even thought they haven't grown. She's concerned that if they do start growing and are cancerous they could start spilling cancer cells in my body. So I'm getting some sort of radaiation that just targets the spots and she says it's not as bad as the first radiation. I'm glad she's beng proactive but I'm really disappointed. Also, she told me today that I had/have recatl cancer, not colon cancer. My surgeon said it's colon cancer. How do they decide the dfference? The tumour was 8 cms in, about the length of a finger. Is that how it's decided? Ugh, I hate not knowing things.

Jan 

Comments

  • Lovekitties
    Lovekitties Member Posts: 3,364 Member
    #2
    Sorry for your news

    Rectal cancer has a different cellular makeup than colon cancer, yet it is often lumped into "colorectal" cancer (which also has a number of different cellular makeups) because the treatments don't differ much.  Many rectal cancer patients will have radiation before surgery to help shrink the tumor in the hope of saving the need for a perm colostomy.  Chemo treatments seem to be the same "flavors".

    The location of the tumor is more often used in the "naming" rather than size.  The colon is generally the large intestine, while the rectum is the part at the end where stool is held until released thru the anus.

    Is there any possibility of doing a biopsy of any of the lung spots before moving on the radiation?  Ask your oncologist about "lifetime max" of radiation as relates to the procedure she is recommending.  There is a "max" on the number of rads a patient can have, though it is not often discussed.

    Wishing you the best,

    Marie who loves kitties

  • Jen1988
    Jen1988 Member Posts: 36
    #3
    I am sorry you may have to go

    I am sorry you may have to go through radiation process again. If there is a way to find out whether the spot is cancerous so you don't need to have treatment that is not needed. Hope everything goes well.

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #4
    Jen1988 said:

    I am sorry you may have to go

    I am sorry you may have to go through radiation process again. If there is a way to find out whether the spot is cancerous so you don't need to have treatment that is not needed. Hope everything goes well.

    Thanks you guys. I'm

    Thanks you guys. I'm disappointed but I'll be glad to get rid of them.

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,427 Member
    #5
    Sorry Jan

    Thoughts and best wishes for you.  

     

    Not sure how the official diagnosis is done, it may be the location or what the biopsy showed (I am guessing perhaps both)?  (Mine was about the same length, and it was clearly in the ascending colon)

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,796 Member
    #6
    Not what anyone wants to hear

    I'm sorry that you have to have more treatment. 

    I hope the radiation is good to you, and especially, that it knocks whatever is going on in the lungs, to the curb. 

    Sue - Trubrit

  • annalexandria
    annalexandria Member Posts: 2,571 Member
    #7
    Well, shoot Jan...

    I know this wasn't what you wanted to hear.

    Have you considered getting a 2nd opinion?  I was a little surprised when my main onc and the guy I saw for my 2nd opinion (both of whom are kind of bigwigs in the field) differed on the topic of getting radiation done.  This was with lymph nodes, not lung spots, so I don't know if it's relevant to your case, but I would just want to make sure I was on the right track.  

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #8
    annalexandria said:

    Well, shoot Jan...

    I know this wasn't what you wanted to hear.

    Have you considered getting a 2nd opinion?  I was a little surprised when my main onc and the guy I saw for my 2nd opinion (both of whom are kind of bigwigs in the field) differed on the topic of getting radiation done.  This was with lymph nodes, not lung spots, so I don't know if it's relevant to your case, but I would just want to make sure I was on the right track.  

    Hmm, I hadn't thought of

    Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. I guess I was thinking it would be nice to not hae to worry about them anymore at all. Thanks for the idea!

  • beaumontdave
    beaumontdave Member Posts: 1,280 Member
    #9
    Sorry you have to treat the

    Sorry you have to treat the spots, but better safe then sorry is this arena's mantra. Hopefully it's pinpoint accurate and easy on your system. I was told, by my wife's radiologist oncs, that lifetime maxes were actually for ten year intervals, and if it's a different type, radiation totals may be calculated differently. I like knowing stuff , but I hate asking the doctors questions, the answers seem so vague and open-ended that my mind presumes the worst. These days, I just want to know what's next, and then put it out of my head until then. I even have to feel fairly solid to come to the blog here. Hope you get passed this stuff quickly, and back on that horse...........Dave

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #10
    beaumontdave said:

    Sorry you have to treat the

    Sorry you have to treat the spots, but better safe then sorry is this arena's mantra. Hopefully it's pinpoint accurate and easy on your system. I was told, by my wife's radiologist oncs, that lifetime maxes were actually for ten year intervals, and if it's a different type, radiation totals may be calculated differently. I like knowing stuff , but I hate asking the doctors questions, the answers seem so vague and open-ended that my mind presumes the worst. These days, I just want to know what's next, and then put it out of my head until then. I even have to feel fairly solid to come to the blog here. Hope you get passed this stuff quickly, and back on that horse...........Dave

    Thanks Dave. Basically, where

    Thanks Dave. Basically, where I'm at now is that maybe it's a good idea to just blast them and not have to have CT scans over and over and have less to worry about. I just want off this roller coaster ride...

    Jan

  • Easyflip
    Easyflip Member Posts: 588 Member
    #11
    So sorry for the news

    but I heard this type of radiation is not too bad. Just a zap zap and you're done. Hopefully your last treatment for a long time.

    Easyflip/Richard

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #12
    Easyflip said:

    So sorry for the news

    but I heard this type of radiation is not too bad. Just a zap zap and you're done. Hopefully your last treatment for a long time.

    Easyflip/Richard

    Thank you Richard!

    Thank you Richard!

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