My husband had surgery at Mayo Clinic in February. The hope was APR with curative resection. Although the surgeons were able to remove the bulk of the actual tumor (size of a large orange) along with his rectum, anus and all colon below the new ostomy, they could not get clean margins, and cancer cells remain in the radiated/scarred soft tissue within his pelvis. We've been told most people survive for a couple of years, perhaps longer if chemo controls it effectively.
We found out he had a leak in his bladder shortly after the procedure (urology thinks it got nicked with the scalpel and didn't heal on its own due to previous radiation), so he's had a Foley catheter in for the past few weeks to let that close up on its own. Otherwise, he's healing well.
We looked at some trials, but most of them want "measurable disease." Since the surgery removed the existing mass, we've been told to start FOLFOX this week, and scan after two cycles to look for progression. If it's working, he will stick with it as long as he can tolerate, which is questionable as he's still having neuropathy from the first time around. If it's not working, the oncologists said they can use any evidence of growth as the baseline for measurable disease.
He has bad days, but his overall spirits are better now that he's not in pain from the tumor. Right I'm just trying to maintain hope and live each day as it comes. I have been too disheartened to do anything but lurk for the past few months, but I still read and keep you all in my thoughts.