mozart13 wrote:Just stopping by, 4 years since beginning.
MRI,CT and colonoscopy still remain negative.
Thank you prs for starting this tread, a lot's of good info and support.
Happy Holidays and good health to all !
My hero!!!
May I be as fortunate
Rectal Cancer: Habr-Gama Watch and Wait Strategy to Avoid Surgery
-
prayingforccr
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Sun Jun 28, 2020 4:44 pm
Re: Rectal Cancer: Habr-Gama Watch and Wait Strategy to Avoid Surgery
My hero!!!
May I be as fortunate
Nov 2019: colonoscopy
Dec 2019: diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer 6+cm tumor
Jan-mar 2020: 20 sessions of radiation, mon-fri capecetibine, mon-fri clinical trial drug m3814
Apr 2020: sigmoidosvopy confirmed tumor/scar 3.7cm with significant tumor necrosis but some persistent disease
July 2020: began 8 treatmentsFOLFOX
August 2020: ct scan reveals scarbed reduced to 2.7cm CEA is 1.5
Nov 2020: Primary tumor had complete response. Possible tumor deposits on latest mri. Biopsy negative for cancer.
Dec 2019: diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer 6+cm tumor
Jan-mar 2020: 20 sessions of radiation, mon-fri capecetibine, mon-fri clinical trial drug m3814
Apr 2020: sigmoidosvopy confirmed tumor/scar 3.7cm with significant tumor necrosis but some persistent disease
July 2020: began 8 treatmentsFOLFOX
August 2020: ct scan reveals scarbed reduced to 2.7cm CEA is 1.5
Nov 2020: Primary tumor had complete response. Possible tumor deposits on latest mri. Biopsy negative for cancer.
Re: Rectal Cancer: Habr-Gama Watch and Wait Strategy to Avoid Surgery
Hey Mozart, thanks for checking in! Congrats on your 4th year! Wishing you all the best towards the 5th year.
Indeed, PRS's thread has given us WWers so much to learn from and to hope for!
Indeed, PRS's thread has given us WWers so much to learn from and to hope for!
Dx @ 39 F, married
Nov 18 - Dx of a mid-rectal tumour at T3N1M0 (2cm) 7cm from AV
Dec 18 - CRT, 28 sessions + Capecitabine at 3000mg daily
Jan - Mar - Wait and watch in place
Mar 19 - MRI, PET, sig flex and biopsy ordered to determine being a WW candidate.
Apr 19 - CCR. Surgery on hold. 6 cycles of Xelox.
Aug 19 - Completed 6 cycles of Xelox.
Oct 19 - Flex sig, biopsy, PET/MRI - clear
Jan 20 - Colonscopy, biopsy, MRI - clear
Jun 20 - Flex sig, biopsy, PET/MRI, CT - clear
Jan 21 - Tests scheduled
Nov 18 - Dx of a mid-rectal tumour at T3N1M0 (2cm) 7cm from AV
Dec 18 - CRT, 28 sessions + Capecitabine at 3000mg daily
Jan - Mar - Wait and watch in place
Mar 19 - MRI, PET, sig flex and biopsy ordered to determine being a WW candidate.
Apr 19 - CCR. Surgery on hold. 6 cycles of Xelox.
Aug 19 - Completed 6 cycles of Xelox.
Oct 19 - Flex sig, biopsy, PET/MRI - clear
Jan 20 - Colonscopy, biopsy, MRI - clear
Jun 20 - Flex sig, biopsy, PET/MRI, CT - clear
Jan 21 - Tests scheduled
Re: Rectal Cancer: Habr-Gama Watch and Wait Strategy to Avoid Surgery
Jolene wrote:Thank you PRS for your encouraging and supportive words.
As my anxiety tablets were finishing soon, I checked in with a general doctor wondering if he could prescribe me some more to help overcome random panic attacks. He said it is not uncommon to experience post-traumatic stress for cancer survivors, so I felt a little more at ease hearing that. He prescribed 20 more tablets but mentioned that should I start to become dependent I have to check in with him again. My next task would be to check in with the counselor again. Once again, thanks for the comforting words.
Hi Jolene, I'm very glad to see you are feeling more optimistic. I remember the anxiety every time I had to go for one of my quarterly check ups. All I can say is it does get a lot easier as time passes. The anxiety never totally disappears but the more times you go, the more it becomes routine.
Over time my way of dealing with all this has kind of boiled down to "Control what I can control, and don't worry about the stuff I can't control". I firmly believe that hope is half the battle, so you have to live your life hoping for the best, and knowing the odds you've got this thing beat are well in your favor.
By "Control what I can control" I mean make sure your are getting all the appropriate W&W flex sigs, MRIs, CETs, blood tests etc as needed and in a timely manner. Don't rely on the doctors to remember to schedule everything. Also make sure you are eating well, and getting enough exercise. This is what you yourself can control, so if you have made sure you are doing all this, then you can give yourself permission to stop worrying about the stuff you can't control. Go out and enjoy living your life!
Jolene, I'm sorry if this stuff is pretty obvious. We are all in this together, there is no formal protocol for being on W&W. Sharing our issues with each other on this thread and discussing how we deal with them is all part of this learning process. This is how we can help each other and those who are just starting their journey.
Peter, age 65 at dx
DX 4 cm x 4 cm very low rectal adenocarcinoma into the sphincters 01/15
Stage III T3 N1 M0 with two suspicious lymph nodes
26 sessions IMRT radiation with 1,000 mg Xeloda twice per day 03/15 to 04/15
Complete clincal response to the chemoradiation...the tumor shrank completely away 06/15
No surgery...Habr-Gama watch and wait protocol instead
Xelox chemotherapy 07/15-12/15
MRI and rectal exam every three months starting 07/15
MRI and rectal exam every six months starting 07/17
NED
DX 4 cm x 4 cm very low rectal adenocarcinoma into the sphincters 01/15
Stage III T3 N1 M0 with two suspicious lymph nodes
26 sessions IMRT radiation with 1,000 mg Xeloda twice per day 03/15 to 04/15
Complete clincal response to the chemoradiation...the tumor shrank completely away 06/15
No surgery...Habr-Gama watch and wait protocol instead
Xelox chemotherapy 07/15-12/15
MRI and rectal exam every three months starting 07/15
MRI and rectal exam every six months starting 07/17
NED
Re: Rectal Cancer: Habr-Gama Watch and Wait Strategy to Avoid Surgery
mozart13 wrote:Just stopping by, 4 years since beginning.
MRI,CT and colonoscopy still remain negative.
Thank you prs for starting this tread, a lot's of good info and support.
Happy Holidays and good health to all !
Thank you for the kind words.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all
Peter, age 65 at dx
DX 4 cm x 4 cm very low rectal adenocarcinoma into the sphincters 01/15
Stage III T3 N1 M0 with two suspicious lymph nodes
26 sessions IMRT radiation with 1,000 mg Xeloda twice per day 03/15 to 04/15
Complete clincal response to the chemoradiation...the tumor shrank completely away 06/15
No surgery...Habr-Gama watch and wait protocol instead
Xelox chemotherapy 07/15-12/15
MRI and rectal exam every three months starting 07/15
MRI and rectal exam every six months starting 07/17
NED
DX 4 cm x 4 cm very low rectal adenocarcinoma into the sphincters 01/15
Stage III T3 N1 M0 with two suspicious lymph nodes
26 sessions IMRT radiation with 1,000 mg Xeloda twice per day 03/15 to 04/15
Complete clincal response to the chemoradiation...the tumor shrank completely away 06/15
No surgery...Habr-Gama watch and wait protocol instead
Xelox chemotherapy 07/15-12/15
MRI and rectal exam every three months starting 07/15
MRI and rectal exam every six months starting 07/17
NED
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