It has begun.

Exspi
Exspi Member Posts: 2
edited November 2017 in Colorectal Cancer #1

Hello All,

my mother of 66 years old went for a colonscopy last Friday after having blood in her stool. The doc found two tumours in her colon. One aprocimately 4cm in diameter and the other one is smaller. She has been sent for CT scan and blood work to get a better picture of the situation. Results from the biopsy are not available yet.However the doctor is confident that it was cancer based on his experience. He feels that the tumor has been there for about a year. Surgery is scheduled for late November

for now we await the results to see at what stage it is at. we find out soon.

i have some questions. Assuming the doctor is right and it has been there for about a year, how bad is the situation? I mean is finding it a year later too late for this type of C? How aggressive is colon C typically? i'm trying to prepare that this could be stage 4 Given that they found 2 tumours in her colon And that they think it has been there for about a year.

does anyone mind sharing how advanced/early it was when initially detected for them and what stage that corresponded to?

my mom feels fine and shows no ther symptoms.

thanks for any input! It would really help.

 

Strength and courage to all,

j.

Comments

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    #2
    Colonoscopy

    It's a good thing your mom got in when she did.  My doctor told me that mine had been there about 6 years.  CRC is usually slow growing (but some can be aggressive) so therefore no symptoms are felt or experienced.  My symptoms were also rectal bleeding in the stool and doctor thought initially it was hemrrhoids and therefore no big push to get me in.  Your mom will have to get the biopsy back, and then get the results from the CT scan to determine what the steps are moving forward.  I'm sorry to hear of your mother's diagnosis.  Please keep us informed as we are a great group of people with a lot of knowledge and can help you and your mom get through this.  This group is always in my prayers and so therefore your mom as well.  If you have time, read through my "About Me" page and that will describe how my diagnosis was found and my journey. Wishing you and your mother the best.

    Kim

  • Mikenh
    Mikenh Member Posts: 777
    #3
    I think that things vary

    I think that things vary widely from person to person. I originally had problems in my late 40s where my stool changed to being thinner or difficult but I lived with it and was diagnosed in my late 50s. I don't know if it was the original cancer and then it started to accelerate or if it was something different. My initial scans indicated IIIB but the local lymph nodes were labeled suspicious and they're out to pathology so I could be downstaged to II if they are not cancerous.

    I think that I had a total of three or maybe four scans that indicated no spread. I can't recall for sure but I'm pretty sure that they checked the liver and I think that they checked the lungs. One thing in having cancer is that you get staged as a II or III - you worry that you're become a IV in the times in-between treatments. I definitely had that anxiety. You can get scans for it but the issue is that results could change your course and schedule of treatment which may not necessarily be desired. Sometimes scans turn up something suspicious and it's hard to tell if it's cancer or something else that isn't a problem. They usually do another scan down the road to see whether it's growing, the same or gone. You're probably in treatment by the time that happens though.

    That surgery is scheduled several weeks from discovery is an indication that the doctor thinks that it's slow-growing. I've seen cases, particularly when the tumor is very large, where surgery is done the same day or a day or two later.

    I'm sorry that you have to be here because cancer is no picnic but it sounds like you have a plan of action to attack it.

     

     

  • Exspi
    Exspi Member Posts: 2
    #4
    Thank you for such kind and

    Thank you for such kind and helpful words. I guess it‘s to wait and see, dealing with the feeling of having no power. 

     

    Will keep updated, fingers crossed.

  • BRHMichigan
    BRHMichigan Member Posts: 368
    #5
    Welcome to the discussion board

    As always, we are sorry you are here; but I think you'll find it's some of the best support available.  Try to remain as positive as possible under the circumstances.  Let's hope and pray for a low stage.  Regardless, just be ready to fight this thing.  It's overwhelming at first, but it's all about conquering one hurdle at a time. 

    We are here for you!  --Beth

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