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Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:55 pm
by Snophie
Joined the club yesterday. I was an idiot and bled for over a year yup over a year because I was so scared to go to doc and this is what I have now done to myself. I want to kick myself in the head but need to move on and just deal with what it is now. The truth is I knew the news would be bad but the doc and his staff really didn't suspect it. They thought bleed from ulcer and polyps. I wish they had been right. It's odd how you are healthy one day and sick the next. It seems so surreal.

The tumor was 5 cm in sigmoid colon and I can't remember if doc said that was big or not. Is that considered large? If yes, does that mean my chances of it being an advanced stage are greater? Does that also indicate it spread? The scariest thing now is the staging and spreading. Waiting until Tues to find out is torture. I know you all know how that feels. Hubby said doc said tumor was "soft" which doc thought was more positive than hard but didn't hear him say it. Is that a good sign?

Thanks to all who respond.

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 7:13 am
by beth568
Well, first of all, don't kick yourself for waiting...what's done is done. You're on the right path now.

Second, tumor size isn't necessarily indicative of whether anything has spread, or is likely to spread - there are many factors that can affect that. You'll have to get scan results to determine that.

A 5 cm tumor is good-sized, but not huge. Mine was 4 cm and my surgeon characterized it as "medium-sized." Certainly something much larger could obstruct your colon, but you're not likely near that point yet.

It's a long road through this treatment, but we've all done it, and there's lots of support here. Good luck as you get started, and remember to breathe and take one step at a time. You'll get through it.

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 8:26 am
by SkiFletch
Agree with Beth. Tumor size means very little in terms of disease progression. We have folks on this board who had 8cm tumors that were only stage II while Beth's tumor half the size is stage III. About the only thing you can say about a 5cm tumor is that it's not stage 0. These next weeks are gonna be tough and you're getting a crash course in scanxiety right now. Regardless, we're looking forward to sharing with you on your journey.

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 8:30 am
by horizon
I know *EXACTLY* what you are feeling. I had bleeding for about 6 weeks that I tried to fix with diet changes because I was convinced I had hemorrhoids. Turns out I had a 5 cm tumor in the sigmoid colon. You just have to wait for the test results to see what your situation is.

It is a terrifying time. I remember it well. Things can seem overwhelming. I had the surgery to remove it this summer and am going through chemo. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done but you CAN fight through it.

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 8:35 am
by nicola smith
My tumour was 6cm and in the sigmoid. Surgery found 3 positive nodes out of 154. I am stage 3b.

I had been bleeding on and off for two-three years and everyone blamed it on UC that was not being controlled. Over the third year, stools were getting smaller and sometimes appeared with a groove resulting from passing by the tumour. I also experienced massive incontinence. There's a long story about why I wasn't diagnosed with CC earlier.

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 9:00 am
by RixInPhx
x2 on all the above replies.
At this point, size doesn't mean much; it must be evaluated with many other tests.

WHO are you seeing?
Probably a GI doc, who you would have seen for rectal bleeding.
You need to get an Oncologist on board, and an Oncology Surgeon; both from within your insurance's network, and both of whom you interview and feel comfortable with.
And ideally, all the docs should be within the same hospital, one which has a very good cancer center.

Tumors are generally round and flat, thus the name 'cancer' (from the greek ofr 'crab', being somewhat crab-shaped: round and flat with tendrils that spread out).
But some are solid, round/shperoid, others are oblong, etc.
So the one dimension, 5 cm, doesn't give a very good idea of its overall shape.
5 cm = 2 inches.
Yours could be a 2-inch sphere, the size of a billiard ball.
Or 2-inches round, but only 1-cm thick (3/8").
Or any possible configuration/shape in between.

Please don't agonize any further about what the size might mean.
If it has spread, that will be determined with further testing.
Bottom line is that it is IMMINENTLY TREATABLE, with chemo, radiation, and surgery.

You will need several tests during the next few weeks, including colonoscopy (is that what you've had thus far?). possible laproscopic biopsy/surgery, blood tests, and CT scans and possibly PET scan.
See our 'Terminolgy' thread to familiarize yourself with terminology.

Spend your internet time learning a little bit about those tests and procedures.

Check with your insurance company relative to copays (in and out of network), and other expenses.
You will probably have out-of-pocket totals THIS YEAR (now thru 12/31/11) that 'max-out' at the $5,000 or so typical maximum patient cost, so get your finances in order.
That maximum annual will re-commence 1/1/12.

Sorry you qualify to join our club, but you've come to the right place.
There are also other websites, especially Colon Cancer Alliance and American Cancer Society.

Peace, Rick

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:42 am
by Craig J
My tumor was 8 cm "at greatest dimension" according to my pathology report. My surgeon told me it was about the size of a medium apple....probably squished though. My surgeon and my oncologist said it was large.

Here's the great parts though.........it didn't spread to any of the 50 lymph nodes they removed, it wasn't preasent in my vascular structures (blood vessels) nor in my perinueral system (nervous system)!! It was moderately differentiated by 2 pathologists (which is a better sign than poorly differentiated) and it's gone, gone, gone and I'm currently getting chemotherapy in a pill form to make double sure it stays gone.

Just keep moving forward in the diagnosis, treatment and recovery process and everything will work out for you. There's no doubt it's scary and the only people who will truly understand are those that have had cancer. But you have MANY positive things working for you so keep learning and treating yourself. Come back here often to learn.

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 2:00 pm
by Disordered
Snophie,

Mine was 3.5 cm in the sigmoid colon. I had bleeding for about a year. I had surgery last June; 14 cm of colon was removed. I was stage 1, so no further treatment was needed. Today it's as if it never happened (knock on wood). I was 57.

Pat

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 2:01 pm
by tallyho
I had a tumor described as "huge" or "very large" (12 cm, I believe) and I was stage I. The size of the tumor does not indicate anything about the stage in colon cancer - that's not true in other types of cancer, but in colon cancer it's not a factor in staging. My GI doc particularly was pleasantly surprised that I wasn't a higher stage, but that was because of the length of time I had symptoms rather than the size of the tumor.

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 2:16 pm
by SkiFletch
Well, I guess that's proof right there huh tallyho :). You were 12cm stage I and I was 5cm and stage IV. "Size matters not. Judge me by my size do you?" 8)

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 6:28 pm
by justin case
Try noy to be to anxious about the tumor as I was. I nearly bit my GI's head off because he talked to my wife about the tumor, instead of directly to me.
As my wife is from Mexico and a somewhat worrying person, I waited for 4 days to find out how long I would live. When I got his news I was just fine, and he told me he would have talked to me but I was asleap. It is frustrating not to get information first hand, as it really does make your mind wander. I have a good chance of coming out of this pretty good. I have a 4cm tumor in my sigmoid, and a 9cm tumor in my rectum. I hope you have good luck with your prognosis.

Justin

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 9:58 am
by stexcanuck
My tumor, found after a hemorroidectomy (necessary) failed to stop bleeding, was 5cm and hemispherical as well as soft. I believe that landed in the "not small" category, but its more about the depth of penetration and node involvement. And you really can't tell much from size alone from what I've heard. All that does not help you much right now as you deal with the shock of diagnosis, but stay strong, educate yourself, and ask as many questions as you can.

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 11:10 pm
by thelongglass
I am eager to hear how your scans and tests go. My tumor was 5 cm, but they also measured it to spread to 50% of the colon wall, which perhaps indicates how much it was obstructing (it didn't obstruct 50%, though, because it wasn't bulging that far). In my case it had spread to 3 lymph nodes. I had been dealing with bleeding since the pregnancy of my youngest daughter, two and a half years earlier. So if you think you were stupid for waiting a year, I think I beat you for that prize. I should add that I had bleeding after my previous pregnancy, another two and a half years before the birth of my youngest, but the bleeding went away, setting me on the course of assuming that I had hemorrhoids brought on by pregnancy and childbirth. How is that for not recognizing the reality of my situation? I probably had this tumor for five years. So don't be hard on yourself. I am not hard on myself, just glad I caught it before it got to stage IV. It makes me weep just thinking about it. How it blindsided me. How it has stolen one year of my life. How I could have been so well-educated and well-informed about every other medical condition I had anything to do with, but not recognize that this bleeding not going away was a very serious problem. It makes me a bit angry now thinking about it.

I am also crying now because that 5 cm tumor shrank and disappeared without a trace after my chemoradiation. I am so grateful for that, even now after surgery and all these months of more chemo. Please remember that during the next few weeks and months. It helps to know of others' healing. I cry because of what might have happened had I not caught it when I did and what is now a very good prognosis. I also cry because I sometimes get scared about the future.

Please let us know what happens on your journey. This forum is great. So many people here who share experiences and support one another... I have been away from the forum for too long. It is such a great help.

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:15 pm
by shannon561
My husband's tumor from his rectum to sigmoid was 15cm in length. He is stage 4 with attachment to his bladder and spread to liver and lungs. His is considered very large.

Re: Is a 5 cm tumor in sigmoid colon considered large?

Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2013 3:43 pm
by Chrissy
I can't believe I stumbled in this site and to see my dx and what in feeling is like everyone else. I'm still in shock from Mondays colonoscopy report . I thought I was going in with hemorroids being banded and when I woke up was told I have a 2 inch mass in my Colon . I am 45 years old and scared . Next week will be busy with scans and medical clearance for surgery. I was told it is big and bulky which could be a good sign meaning its slow growing. I also should have went in after a couple if weeks of rectal bleeding but that was my only symptom . I had bleeding for 8 mths with a low h&h which caused me to see a md. Can anyone give me any information ? It is in the sigmoid