Did you get the biopsy results yet? If they are still calling it a polyp rather than a tumor, it still sounds like stage I even if it is malignant. Tney called me right away once my results came back positive, and I was in the office the next day discussing options.

The shape of your stool would be caused by the shape of the organ directly preceding it, so, that is from your hemorrhoids. You would not have "star shaped" stools from a tumor further up the colon. I had a tumor and internal hemmorroids, right next to each other but it was found with just...

Hi, Mum has now been told she is too frail to have her colon tumour removed. At present she is feeling no symptoms apart from being quite tired. She did ask what stage her tumour was, but no one will answer this question, she asked how long she has left but obviously this is a difficult question to...

Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it. It made me more optimistic. I'll keep encouraging her and do my best to support her. I'm glad that helped. I know this is all so difficult to wrap your mind around. I got very depressed after I found out I did not get a complete response until my Oncol...

Cancer cells range in their response to treatment depending on how they are programmed for cell death. Cells that are programmed for cell death will die when exposed to chemo. Cells that are not programmed for cell death can actually grow during chemo and or radiation. A tumor can be a combination o...

I'm so sorry you're going through this. Did they mention what kind of radiation they might do? I had a lymph node that lit up on my original PET that was near my spine and out of the surgical area so it got left behind. My post treatment MRIs have shown it as all clear, but before I knew that, I tal...

You poor thing! Chemo sucks! But I never threw up, not even once. Regardless, I remember after my third or fourth infusion feeling this incredible sense of dread about the next one. I just couldn't imagine going through it all again even without throwing up. It really does help to litterally take on...

As per your question, genetic testing wouldn't change your initial standard treatment so there is no rush. You can wait until May and talk to your Oncologist about it. My Oncologist recommended it to me mostly to see if family members need to be checked. For example, my ex has a genetic mutation tha...

I didn't start chemo for about 4 months after surgery because my APR wound wasn't healing. They never said anything to me about that affecting my prognosis, so I never worried about it. If there are any circulating cells, zap them when you can. As far as the effectiveness of adjuvant chemo, the ben...

I have been on this site for almost 4 years and I have not seen any watch and wait that are NED for over 5 years. It's a fairly new approach. The people who tried it and died. like Ezra Caldwell, aren't here to weigh in their opinions. http://ezracaldwell.com (His cancer blog is no longer active, un...

I didn't start chemo for about 4 months after surgery because my APR wound wasn't healing. They never said anything to me about that affecting my prognosis, so I never worried about it. If there are any circulating cells, zap them when you can. As far as the effectiveness of adjuvant chemo, the bene...

Yes, that was me post surgery. I was totally depressed and also in incredible pain. Also, the rectal cancer can be so painful that you don't want to eat (nothing going in means nothing going out). I was barely eating before diagnosis because pooping hurt so bad. I also had terrible diarrhea for abou...

Hey Everyone, First off I would like to wish you all the very best of luck in whatever your situation may be. I'm a 28 year old male in what I'd like to think as pretty decent health, I've have had health anxiety issues in the past and probably still do but here's my situation. About 6 months ago I...

You shouldn't be worried, but you should get a colonoscopy and from a colorectal surgeon, not a GI. GIs handle the entire digestive track, but colorectal surgeons specialize in the colon and rectum. They do a lot more colonoscopies My daughter, 19, has had similar symptoms, and I took her to my col...

I'm so glad for your mom. My treatment was pure hell and I was skin and bones after surgery and had to crawl up the stairs because I was so weak. I don't miss those days. Now I am nice and fat and back to dieting. My Oncologist mentioned my weight gain, and I told him that to my kids, I looked healt...