The Colon Club

Did you mean another large polyp? Tumor? Write more when you've recovered a bit from this. Sending strong thoughts your way. I'm so glad you got the scope and they can proceed to treat whatever this is - with whatever is required. Good for you for paying attention to your symptoms and getting immediate attention.

StupidAssCancer wrote:I just got out of colonoscopy. They found a new large not file at same site as surgery.
Seriously?! Biopsy sent to pathology. Brain sent to looney bin! I'm freaking out.

What did they find? "new large not file"...? I'm assuming a new tumor?

I am also female and did pre-surgery chemoradiation. To say that radiation only prevents local recurrence isn't really accurrate in my opinion. Local cancer cells, even one cell, can spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph system. Why even risk leaving behind one cell if there is something you can do about it? (most Colon cancer patients don't have the option of radiation, but rectal cancer patients do)

I was told by my onc that they are finding that that there is a direct link between response to chemoradiation and survival rates. I researched this and found this to be true. With rectal cancer, a complete response to radiation raises the survival stats to 90 percent regardless of initial staging. I am 3c and was initially told I had a 50 percent chance of recurrence with that stage. I would face any pain or discomfort to have a chance to raise that to 90 percent chance of no recurrence or even a cure! (I still don't know my pathology, I think I will find out next week at my doctor's appt.... but he said it looked like the tumor was dead with mostly just scar tissue left behind... biopsy of tumor site before surgery showed "some abnormal cells" so I'm not sure what counts as "complete response" now if my lymph nodes are clear... ugh!).

I also had problems with enemas... the tumor site blocked it somehow and I could only get about a third of the bottle in.

If you have a new tumor, I'm not sure why there is so much bleeding. I had bleeding before chemoradiation and it stopped about two weeks in. Very odd that your bleeding started at that point unless there is a new tumor further up the colon away from the radiation zone.

I understand your reasons for wanting to stop radiation right now with all this bleeding, but if you can still do it later, I would if I were you! A risk of local recurrence is also a risk of distance recurrence. You don't know where cancer cells will go if they are still in your body. That's the way I see it.

Keep us posted on your progress!

(used to be PainInTheAss... Now should be "Has no Ass"... haha)

Yes, so sorry. Auto correct on phone- geez!
Yes they found a new nodule at previous surgery site. Thus the reason for not being able to get a enema to work, the nodule was blocking it.
I see surgeon tumor. I can't find any info on a reoccurance happening so soon so I'm praying that this new growth is in result to the 7 days I did of radiation or a late reaction to my surgery. I hate the weekends! The dr had the results on his desk bu because its the weekend I get to be scared to death until tomorrow not knowing what this is!
The GI dr did say as soon as he went in and saw it, "well here is the reason for your bleeding!" I was like duh... I knew something was very wrong!

Update: i received my pathology reports back yesterday and the mass found at surgery rectal site turns out to be scar tissue caused from radiation as well as the original surgery. They removed the scar tissue and are asking I continue my radiation treatments. So thankful it wasn't a reoccurring cancer, breathing again. Alys

Wow! The roller coaster continues. Are you going to continue w/the radiation? It's a tough course, I know. Hang in there.

I had my second opinion and decided today that Yes, I'm going to continue with Radiation. I'm starting on Tuesday. They found two nodes in my left neck that lit up with my PET scan so those are coming out to be biopsied on Monday. Has anyone heard of a malignancy to the neck missing liver lung etc? My drs seem to be baffled by this!
xo,
Alys

Alys, I'm sorry you're going through such a difficult time. I will keep you in my prayers and hope they can give you some relief from the bleeding. Kristi