Thank you, Jacques for the detailed guidance. I sure that I am not the only one who will benefit from your post.
There are many certified surgeons who look well-qualified.
I remain open to suggestions.
C

I would encourage you to seek another opinion even if you are satisfied with the treatment so far. The more minds at work on the problem the better.
I was pleasantly surprised to find my insurance even pays for this.
Good luck.

Congratulations on the good news!
I think most of us can relate to how stressful the waiting can be.
But if we take things one moment at a time we can almost always find something to feel good about.
May all you future test results be stress free

I have recently completed chemo/radiation for a rectal adenocarcinoma. I am scheduled for an endoscopy in the middle of September where I find out how successful the treatments were. While I'm praying for a "complete response" I want to make contact with a surgeon in advance in case that i...

Coyote here with an update: I just completed 6 weeks of radiation & Xeloda. There are some great posts in this forum to help prepare you for the side effects on this therapy. I wish I had read more of them! I worked with my naturopath not only to help keep me strong throughout the treatments but...

I interviewed for the trial and have decided to pursue chemo/radiation with a traditional oncologist. He says that if more treatment is needed after the chemo/radiation, we can consider chemotherapy before surgery. The trial does not pay for anything, they bill insurance like my regular Oncologist, ...

Thanks for your reply. I have only used naturopathic treatments to-date and I believe they have slowed progression and helped me be symptom-free for over a year. However, the tumor is not stable, so I am starting to consider other options. The key therapies for me have been the ketogenic diet and th...

Yes, both groups get the same treatment, just in a different order. That is one of the things that makes this trial appealing. No placeabo group.
Unfortunately for me, surgery means a permanent colostomy and while I admire all the brave people who live with those, I do not want to go there.

Hello. I am new to the group but have already learned a lot from your posts. Thanks for the generous sharing of info, opinions and experiences. I am debating on whether to apply for this trial or to just try to find a Dr. who will prescribe a course chemo/radiation while allowing me to continue to w...