Just diagnosed with circumferential tumor in the asecending colon

[Cinham]

Went in for pre-op labs for an umbilical hernia and my hemoglobin/Iron levels were very low. Received a blood transfusion and followed up with the GI with a colonoscopy. I have been asymptomatic ,and have not had any rectal bleeding. Unfortunately, a circumferential tumor was found in the ascending colon. Had a Cat scan with contrast this last Friday. I'm meeting with two surgeons tomorrow and following with Oncologist. Has anyone in the group had a similar initial diagnosis? Also is their a particular hospital or set of doctors in the USA that handles this best, I'm located in Miami, Fla.,but I'm very willing to go to superior facility to if that makes a difference. I'm a 47 year old male that is scared ,but ready to do whatever it takes to beat this.

I want to thank the creators and contributors of this forum. It has brought some comfort during this challenging time.


CH

[Beckster]

Welcome to the club, but sorry that you had to find us. I too had a circumferential tumor in the ascending colon, cecum to be exact. It was found during a colonoscopy screening for my 57th birthday...Happy Birthday to me . I had no symptoms. Right sided colon cancer does not have symptoms until it is more advanced. With no symptoms, it sounds as if it was caught early like mine. Went for preop bloodwork, ct scan, chest xray before the biopsy came back. Then the cancer was confirmed, my GI suggested a surgeon. First and foremost, you need a Colon Rectal Surgeon...very very important. The one that I went to was the head of the Colon Rectal Dept and Co Director of the MD Anderson Gastrointestinal Center in NJ. If I am not mistaken, you have a MD Anderson facility in Fl. There is also Moffit... You can call and find out. Also, I am sure that there are people on this forum who had surgery near you. They are going to be your best bet for a good surgeon. People on this forum are from all around the world. In the North east, our go to places are University of Penn, Jefferson, Cooper University and Cancer Center of America. many have spoke about Sloan Kettering in NY. Others have also been to Dana Farber, and Mass General.

Good luck with your journey and know that we are always here for you. You can see my type of cancer in my signature below.

Beckster

[JJH]

... First and foremost, you need a Colon Rectal Surgeon...very very important...

Yes, it's very important to have the surgery done by a Board Certified colorectal surgeon. You should be able to find one who is affiliated with a major cancer center in Florida.

http://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=52349&p=410280#p410280

There's an NCI affiliated cancer center in Tampa:
https://www.cancer.gov/research/nci-role/cancer-centers/find/moffitt
This hospital ranks #9 nationwide for cancer treatment:
http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/fl/moffitt-cancer-center-6391069/cancer

[susie0915]

Are some surgeries done by General surgeons and not colorectal surgeons? I guess I thought it was just standard to have a colorectal surgeon

[NHMike]

Hospitals outside major population centers may not have the volume of patients where a surgeon can deeply specialize.

[Beckster]

Are some surgeries done by General surgeons and not colorectal surgeons? I guess I thought it was just standard to have a colorectal surgeon

When my aunt and cousin had surgery for colon cancer, a general surgeon performed the surgery; however, that was 17 years ago.

[Cinham]

Thank you all for the guidance. It is so appreciated. If I do the surgery outside of Miami, Fl., how challenging would the surgery recovery be and the flight back let's say if I go to Houston or Boston?

CH

[susie0915]

Yes that makes sense. There probably are small areas that don't have access colorectal surgeons. Being from a suburb that has access to many large hospitals close by, I never thought of this. Yes, I would definitely recommend consulting with a colorectal surgeon, as precision and experience is very important. I remember talking to my husband, when deciding what hospital to have treatment, that I think the surgeon is most important so I met with 3 or 4 doctors from different hospitals. Although, they all said they could save my sphincter muscle even though my tumor was pretty low, I had to choose the surgeon I felt most comfortable with. Definitely, get as much information you can and be sure you're comfortable with your team. You spend a lot of time with them, and you need to feel they treat you compassion.

[DarknessEmbraced]

I'm sorry for your diagnosis!*hugs* I hope your meetings with the surgeons and oncologist go well!*hugs*