The Colon Club

This is my first post but have been reading and writing on posts... Learning so much... Appreciate the support. I just had my 2nd Year Scan and was very worried.My neighbor who was Staged IIIB six months after my DX and who had his port removed end of Year One found cancer in lung, liver and a node at his 18 month scan. So very worried at my Year 2 Scan BUT ALL CLEAR so had a week of celebration and celebrated with my GP at my annual physical am and then at my pm Mammogram the Technician said" you will be notified by a scheduler as soon as the Radiologist reads the mammogram, you will not be returning here, instead you will be referred on... One sleepless night.

After sending the mammo on a CD to Mayo Onc. he called and said Mayo Radiologist concurs "Asymmetrical changes in the top 1/3 of each breast" which were not there in my previous 10 Mammos. My appointment and tests this Thursday. Praying this will resolve like my enlarged right ovary after an vaginal unltrasound found no cyst or cancer at end of Year One. I found out Asymmetrical associated with cancer not "aging sagging breasts". Two Sleepless nights.

My Oncologist said I was in the group most likely to recur so here I am looking for anyone who has experienced this or has information about the Colon, Breast, and Ovarian Connection. Also would appreciate prayers and positive thoughts.
NBrandt

Glad to hear from you!

I can say from experience that there is a very big connection with ColoRectal and Ovarian, in fact I had an elevated CA125 tumor marker for Ovarian and I also had an elevated CEA. In fact they thought I had Ovarian at first, but later determined it was Rectal. They even gave me Taxol Chemo at first which is Chemo for Ovarian and one of the nastiest, made me lose all my hair, then my tumor doubled and that was the end of that! But to this day, 6.5 years later I have both tumor markers taken. When I had my LAR they also did a radical hysterectomy and it is very common to do this in women with ColoRectal Cancer because of the correlation of the two. But I think the connection is more with Rectal and Ovarian because of the location of each, not sure I have seen a lot between Ovarian and Colon.

As far as breast cancer I have heard of some correlations, but I am not up on it, because it has not been an issue with me.

I hope this answers some questions, if you have more questions let me know!

Recently a connection has been found between Lynch Syndrome and the occurence of breast cancer. Conversely, a person who has had breast cancer is considered at greater risk for colon cancer than the general population. If you do a search through old posts you will find several members who have had both colon and breast cancer. While I have not had breast cancer, I did develop ADH (atypical ductal hyperplasia) and was treated with 5 years of Tamoxifen since having ADH increases the possibility of later developing breast cancer.

Hopefully, if you do have breast cancer, it will have been caught at an early enough treatable stage. Also, most breast anomalies are benign.

Wishing you well,
Leslie
Lynch Syndrome PMS2 mutation
2004 ADH
2003 Stage III Colon Cancer
1995 Endometrial Cancer

I had stage II breast cancer in 2009 and was diagnosed with stage IIIb colon cancer in 2011. I did 4 months of ACT chemo for the breast cancer and 3 months of Folfox followed by 3 months of Xeloda for the colon cancer. I had just gotten to the point with the breast cancer that it did not occupy every thought when I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I had colon cancer symptoms for about 9 months which my breast oncologist ignored/blew off/didn't acknowlege. She blamed the symptoms I was having (nausea, severe constipation, fatigue) on a study drug I was taking for the BC. When I finally complained to her study nurse about the symptoms, she sent me to a GI doctor immediately and 2 weeks (and a colonoscopy) later I was diagnosed with colon cancer. My current oncologist and a friend who also happens to be an oncologist in Europe have both told me that women who have BC, Ovarian or CC have a statistically higher chance of developing one of the other cancers as a new primary cancer. My surgeon recommended a complete hysterectomy when I had my colon resection (which I did). It still makes me so angry that my breast oncologist ignored symptoms that she should have realized were possibly colon cancer (especially given the known link between the cancers). Moral of the story is, if you have CC, please get screened regulaly for breast and ovarian cancer as well. Do not ignore any symptom or other indication that something isn't right.

Interesting discussion- I wondered if anyone has links to studies linking rectal and ovarian cancer. I asked my oncologist about this and he was clear that there is increased risk with Lynch syndrome but otherwise not.

Thank you,
Jane

When I first went to hospital they saw a mass, and assumed it was ovarian, first meeting with my oncologist he sent me for a mammogram. They talked about starting chemo. to shrink the tumor prior to surgery....my colon was completely blocked, had a colonoscopy that showed the blockage, but the samples they took from my colong showed pre-cancerous. Wasn't until after surgery that it was deemed colon cancer with spread to ovaries...I had two surgeons, one for colon and gyno. for hysterectomy. So glad they didn't go the chemo. to shrink ovarian cancer, would have been a complete waste.

I thought it was just with Lynch also, which I know I don't have. But I did an abnormal pap smear - just low grade changes - last November at a year out and have to follow up on that soon. It does make me a little anxious but I've been good about not thinking about it.

I had a big uterine fibroid which confused early diagnosis.

My mom was diagnosed with colon May 2011 stage IV and then Breast cancer May 2012 Stage I.

Sending prayers and positive thoughts your way.

I'm glad you posted this. I attended a speech this past week for a charitable group I'm involved with, and the presenter was from the cancer center in a local hospital. Since it was breast cancer awareness month, she spoke on the items that increase your chances of getting breast cancer. She said that ovarian, breast & colon cancer were all connected. I was very shocked when she said it as I had never heard that from.

Since so many breast cancers are hormone related (and I'm assuming ovarian as well), I'm surprised there is a correlation with colon cancer.

Hope it will be benign, I was at mammogram two days ago and it is OK, I get an ultrasound next months to be sure, told me that it can see things invisible in mammo... Didn't know before there is correlation with rectal cancer.

My grandmother had ovarian cancer in her late 40's and cancerous tumor removed from somehwere in her colon/rectum when she was 76. My genetic consultant was very concern about this as she said it's a strong indicator for genetics, but I am negative on Lynch and all the current testable genetic mutation. Of course everyone still thinks it's genetic, and my conselor has called me when a new test was availabe and made me promise to keep current on what gene mutation were available for testing.

If a guy can join this discussion,( I"m the one who had colon cancer) my wife had breast cancer. Both her breast surgeon and gyn told her there is a connection between the three cancers. She did eventually have a hysterectomy. Like many others, she had a family history of cancer. Her mother died of ovarian cancer, and there are many relatives on her father's side who have had breast cancer. She also had genetic testing. She was told pretty much the same thing as RayGirl. They could find no genetic links at this time, but they can only test for what they know now. Other tests may turn up something in the future.
Jeff

RayGirl wrote:My grandmother had ovarian cancer in her late 40's and cancerous tumor removed from somehwere in her colon/rectum when she was 76. My genetic consultant was very concern about this as she said it's a strong indicator for genetics, but I am negative on Lynch and all the current testable genetic mutation. Of course everyone still thinks it's genetic, and my conselor has called me when a new test was availabe and made me promise to keep current on what gene mutation were available for testing.

Me too - sixteen indirect relatives on my mothers side and my paternal aunt had a right sided colon cancer and uterine cancer within two years of each other. Both my parents have had multiple polyps. Negative for Lynch and FAP but there's no way it's not genetic so my clinic is keeping very careful records and my kids will start screening early.