Any luck with Neoadjuvant chemo/radiation therapy Stage 3 Rectal Cancer?

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Chickspeed
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 5:16 am

Re: Any luck with Neoadjuvant chemo/radiation therapy Stage 3 Rectal Cancer?

Postby Chickspeed » Tue Jul 18, 2017 6:35 am

ocstacy wrote:
The surgeon said at first they couldn't find the growth, and eventually did. He said it shrunk that much it was difficult to detect. So it went from 5-6 cm easy to see to barely detectable


This is super amazing. When I worked in the Radiation Oncology department over 15 years ago, Rectal cancer wasn't as common as Breast or Prostate. I would get a rectal diagnosis one in fifty or so just like Testicular. Anyhow, at what week of Radiation did you find that the tumor was actually shrinking to where you could actually go to the bathroom more easily?
My mother is now feeling a little fatigue. I always get so nervous for her. I go through up's and down's. Thank goodness I found St. John Wort herbal. Takes my depression away a little bit.

Thank you,


I started to notice a difference around 15-17 treatments in. I started seeing a lot of mucus when i had a movement.

I just had a brief conversation yesterday with the medical oncologist about my final pathology report.
Bear in mind MRI put my growth at 5-6 cm before treatment began. The final report put the growth at less
than 0.5 cm.

I pray your mother has great results as well!!
12/15/2016 Mod Diff tumour 5-6 cm 10-12 cm fr AV T3 tumour cea 1.4
12/29/2016 CT no spread ln normal
1/19/2017 MRI confirms mass and shows 3 enlarged LN (suspected to be infection draining)
3/6/2017 25 sessions chemoradiation
6/20/2017 LAR with temp loop ileo
7/10/2017 Path 20mm margins tumour 0.1 CM with microscopic invasion of submucosa
aug-dec 2017 6 rnds xeloda
1/9/2018 CT all clear
1/18/2018 Colonoscopy clear
3/27/2018 ileo reversal
CEA continues to be normal

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ocstacy
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Facebook Username: stacy

Re: Any luck with Neoadjuvant chemo/radiation therapy Stage 3 Rectal Cancer?

Postby ocstacy » Wed Jul 19, 2017 1:18 am

I just had a brief conversation yesterday with the medical oncologist about my final pathology report.
Bear in mind MRI put my growth at 5-6 cm before treatment began. The final report put the growth at less
than 0.5 cm.


That is super awesome news! My mother just like you had 6 cm prior to tx. Now, she is "going" a lot which before she was constipated so now she has to take stool softener at night (one instead of two) for the main part she is doing okay on Xeloda. Slight red hot feeling in her feet and she thought it was flea bites on her ankle or feet but it's prob from the Xeloda.. They may lighten up her dose but it's bareable.
No nausea yet. We are praying for it to shrink too and drain. Her oncologist is very optimistic so I am praying. My 1st colonoscopy is coming up soon. I'm scared and nervous.
Will you still end up with surgery and possibly XELOX at end? Her oncologist mentioned she would not put her on XELOX due to her age but Xeloda again.

You said mucus. Did you mean snot out of your ass? :lol: :P
Last edited by ocstacy on Wed Jul 26, 2017 12:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
Caregiver/daughter to dear mother age 78, dx 5/09/17 because of me!! :wink:
Rectal CA Stage 3 low-grade adenocarcinoma- 6 cm
Neoadjuvant start 7/10/17 ended 08/16/17
3D Lap. surgery @ Keck USC, Dr. Sang Lee 10/17/17 temp ileostomy
11/1 hospitalized abscess/hernia - home 11/06/17 antibiotics
NO LYMPHS INVOLVED! NEAR PATHOLOGICAL RESPONSE! YAY! :shock:
Took her last chemo med 05/10/18! Ileo reversal 07/24/18
1st BM after reversal 07/25/18 Anal Fissure 8/15/18
Me:1st Colonoscopy age 38. 08/17 Benign polp.

Chickspeed
Posts: 43
Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 5:16 am

Re: Any luck with Neoadjuvant chemo/radiation therapy Stage 3 Rectal Cancer?

Postby Chickspeed » Wed Jul 19, 2017 5:27 am

ocstacy wrote:Will you still end up with surgery and possibly XELOX at end?

You said mucus. Did you mean snot out of your ass? :lol: :P


I finish chemoradiation April 7th 2017 and had Surgery June 20 2017 about 10 weeks later

yeah the mucus is was coming out my poop shoot when i had bowel movements.

As for chemo following radiation I will have some cleanup chemo after the surgeon clears me to begin
probably 1st or 2nd week of August. Not sure what type it will be yet.
12/15/2016 Mod Diff tumour 5-6 cm 10-12 cm fr AV T3 tumour cea 1.4
12/29/2016 CT no spread ln normal
1/19/2017 MRI confirms mass and shows 3 enlarged LN (suspected to be infection draining)
3/6/2017 25 sessions chemoradiation
6/20/2017 LAR with temp loop ileo
7/10/2017 Path 20mm margins tumour 0.1 CM with microscopic invasion of submucosa
aug-dec 2017 6 rnds xeloda
1/9/2018 CT all clear
1/18/2018 Colonoscopy clear
3/27/2018 ileo reversal
CEA continues to be normal

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ocstacy
Posts: 264
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2017 11:29 pm
Facebook Username: stacy

Re: Any luck with Neoadjuvant chemo/radiation therapy Stage 3 Rectal Cancer?

Postby ocstacy » Thu Jul 20, 2017 2:42 am

mucus is was coming out my poop shoot when i had bowel movements.


Hey, I am okay with that lol. I'm all about talking about BM's lately. Shape, sizes, rashes, mucus. I had to give my mom an anema prep and inject KY Jelly up her rectum prior to her MRI scan. I love her and I will do anything for her. Those things don't bother me. Speaking of poop chute, I'm going in for my 1st colonoscopy in a couple of weeks. I am nervous as heck!! Glad to hear that your tumor is shrinking. Cancer f'n sucks!!! Best of luck!!! I guess the clean up post op chemo is called "Xolox" but my mom will just clean up of Xeloda as she is elderly at 78. Thank you for sharing :P
Caregiver/daughter to dear mother age 78, dx 5/09/17 because of me!! :wink:
Rectal CA Stage 3 low-grade adenocarcinoma- 6 cm
Neoadjuvant start 7/10/17 ended 08/16/17
3D Lap. surgery @ Keck USC, Dr. Sang Lee 10/17/17 temp ileostomy
11/1 hospitalized abscess/hernia - home 11/06/17 antibiotics
NO LYMPHS INVOLVED! NEAR PATHOLOGICAL RESPONSE! YAY! :shock:
Took her last chemo med 05/10/18! Ileo reversal 07/24/18
1st BM after reversal 07/25/18 Anal Fissure 8/15/18
Me:1st Colonoscopy age 38. 08/17 Benign polp.

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Jacques
Posts: 678
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2014 10:38 am
Location: Occitanie

Your up-coming colonoscopy

Postby Jacques » Thu Jul 20, 2017 3:30 am

ocstacy wrote: ... I'm going in for my 1st colonoscopy in a couple of weeks. I am nervous as heck!! ...

Good luck on your up-coming colonoscopy. Be sure to do the prep procedure completely in order to make a perfectly clean colon. The doctor needs a clean colon to see everything, including small polyps that may need to be removed. If you don't have a good "clean-out" then the view from the colonoscope camera can be a bit murky and some things might be missed. It is also important that the procedure be a complete colonoscopy, all the way to the caecum end of the colon.

Here is a link to some information on colonoscopies:

http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=53348&p=422050#p422050

NHMike
Posts: 2555
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:43 am

Re: Any luck with Neoadjuvant chemo/radiation therapy Stage 3 Rectal Cancer?

Postby NHMike » Fri Jul 21, 2017 5:00 am

This is an inspiring thread.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT


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