The Colon Club

Just wondering if anyone had a full response with Neoadjuvant chemo/radiation with surgery following for Stage 3a rectal cancer (low grade)
Our oncologist mentioned something about a full response possibly happening. Did you notice the tumor shrank after a certain week after radiation?

I used to work in radiation oncology 15 years ago and rectal cancer was very rare (colorectal) I saw a lot more breast and prostate patients and chemo was way different back then.
I would love to hear any inspiring stories.

I went through simillar scenario, during chemo/rad treatment, I was passing something like flakes, purplish color.
There are few people on this board that had cCR, here is the link to that forum :
viewtopic.php?t=53498

Also here is the link to predictable outcome based on initial response :
https://www.cinj.org/sites/cinj/files/d ... 182012.pdf

Good luck to you, if you have any specific question feel free to ask.

My own SitRep would be :

May 2007 - colonoscopy / biopsy confirms rectosigmoid adenocarcinoma, CT, MRI, many blood tests follow
June 2007 - 6 weeks neo-adjuvant chemoradiation with Xeloda ( 3600 mg/day ), blood tests, CTs
August 2007 - TME via LAR of primary tumour, originally Stage IIIC, temp ileostomy,
pCR ( pathological complete response to chemo-rad )

So if you are asking if neo-adjuvant chemoradiation works to accomplish a positive outcome ...?

Answer = Yes it can .. BUTT each situation is different.

Now please note I had pCR not cCR ( had the surgery and was confirmed by pathology review of the actual tumor site )

cCR is a clinical impression after treatment, without the full pathology being known ... BUTT a lotta scans and blood tests done to get a comfort zone about the results. The big discussion being : does a patient with cCR then also have surgery ?
I did and still had a recurrence 3 years later which was picked up by active aggressive monitoring.

Welcome to the forum
All the best to MOM and her new challenges.

Keep us in the loop and hopefully we can give you some feedback which will help you both

Best WIshes
CRguy

Yes. My treatment mirrored what you've described in your signature, and I had a complete pathological response. This was in 2010, Stage 3b, Adenocarcinoma. All scans and scopes since then have been clear.

Best of luck to you and your mom,
Cj

Yes, I had a pCr after neoadjuvant therapy (completed just over 2 years ago). Good luck!!

Wow, thank you so much for all the confidence and replys! I actually had to google what PCR meant? lol. Pathololgical Complete Response is what we are praying for !

Thank you ,
Stacy

I have seen numerous studies that put a pCR at anywhere between 15-30%.
Good Luck

I don't have pathological reports yet. I had surgery June 20th. Before Neoadjuvant radiation/xeloda for 25 treatments my growth was described as:

"5-6 cm long. The lesion was circumferential"

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.

I hope you have great success!!

ocstacy wrote:Wow, thank you so much for all the confidence and replys! I actually had to google what PCR meant? lol. Pathololgical Complete Response is what we are praying for !

Thank you ,
Stacy

I was too before surgery. I thought it was a golden ticket from the dismal stats for a stage IIIc since it boosts prognosis from 35-60% to 90% (for IIIc) I was disheartened when my surgeon said they found trace cancer cells. I was depressed for months until I finally saw my Oncologist. He explained that even a very good response, like I had, boosts prognosis. So it's not all or nothing. A complete or good response to chemorad is a sign that you have "wimpy-ass" cancer that is ready to die, but even a poor response can still lead to cure with standard treatment.

I was told about 20% have a complete pathological response, so 1 in 4 or 5.

Yes..any "downstaging" that occurs due to neoadjuvant therapy will result in a better prognosis, even if it is not a complete response.

We are true Buddhists and we believe in positive thinking. i will pray for each and everyone of you and please do the same for my mom. PCR here we come!

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,

Stacy, she will have some swelling during radiation, and BM might become like pencill, thats what happen to me, I was afraid that I will become obstruct, my surgeon warned about that, told me to drink a lots of water, that worked.
Took me about 4 weeks after therapy finished completlly, to get normal size BM.
I kept active, walked twice a day, on top of going for radiation, took xeloda after meal, twice a day, was told by some people on this board not take it on empty stomach.
Kept bladder full just before the radiation, radiation makes it shrink, that helpped, that was hardest part of whole radiation, timming of bladder, usually drank 500 cc of getorade 15 min. before radiation, that gave me energy and filed up bladdrer.
Avoided antioxidants during therapy, and 2 weeks after, was told by radiation guys it counteracts radiation.
Also protein diet is important.

Good luck!

Oh man this thread made my day. I am stage 3 but did not have any radiation, just FOLFOX. After six cycles I had an 80%+ regression with only "minimal residual disease remaining."

I really like the idea that I have a "wimpy" cancer that's just waiting to roll over and die.

My initial staging was 3c with two enlarged lymph nodes. My tumor was 6 cm. Chemo/radiation shrunk it about 40%.
My final staging was stage 2 with no lymph nodes involved.
The last week of radiation can be a little tough fatigue and a sore butt. The good new is that it don't last long. Took me about 2 weeks to feel normal again.
I used an Aloa Vera jell I think the name brand was good earth. And soaking in the tub seemed to help to.
Good Luck