The Colon Club

What does moderately differentated
mean?

From the American Cancer Society website:

What does differentiation mean?

Differentiation is the grade of the cancer, which is based on how abnormal the cells look under the microscope. Cancers that are higher grade or poorly differentiated tend to grow and spread more quickly. Colon cancer is usually divided into 3 grades:

Well differentiated (low grade)
Moderately differentiated (intermediate grade)
Poorly differentiated (high grade)
Sometimes, though, it is just split into 2 grades: well-moderately differentiated (low grade) and poorly differentiated (high grade).

What is the significance of the grade of colon cancer?

Grade is one of the many factors used to help predict how likely a cancer is to grow and spread. Poorly differentiated (high-grade) colon cancers tend to grow and spread more quickly than well and moderately differentiated colon cancers. However, other factors are also important in determining a person's prognosis (outlook), such as how far the cancer has spread (which cannot be determined on the biopsy).

Moderately is better than poor

teacher2017 wrote:

DonutHead wrote:

teacher2017 wrote:I agree it was ridiculous. Definitely changing. She is not affiliated with the oncologist either so I will ask for a recommendation. Yes, I'm very touchy. I heard the other day "oh wow, you lost weight, you look great." I felt like saying "yeah cancer surgery is responsible." But I didn't. Just going to work on making this bronchitis go away. Can't seem to kick it.

Good! That is the way to be. Definitely rely on your doctors to guide you through your care, but do not give them ultimate power over you. you are your best advocate in this and if something is not quite right to you, you are not clear on a course of treatment, or are not receiving the care you believe you deserve, SPEAK UP! Do not be afraid to ruffle feathers or hurt feelings, this is your life!

Bronchitis sucks and has always been something i feared as a runner. You do not want to have it develop into pneumonia...i just talked to a buddy that had pneumonia twice back to back and he is frankly in terrific shape as a body builder and cross fit style exerciser. Point is, this can happen to anyone. He finally took Zithromax, a Z pack, and that stomped it out. He's 28!

As an update on me, day four of Cape-OX and i can definitely feel the nausea trying to come on at times, but it's fleeting. usually around the time i take my morning dose of Xeloda - 1000mg. still have first bite somewhat, but it is receding. I only drink warm or room temperature liquids so believe that is helping with the cold throat issue. i do have ringing in my ears after taking the xeloda and last night my resting heartbeat was 52bpm, which for me is low. normally, my bpm are 60 at rest. just felt weird.

i went in with my wife to work yesterday and they were extremely supportive. they will allow me to work when i can, but encouraged me to take my mind off things and do my best to come in...which made me feel so thankful and appreciative. i think it best to take off a month before trying to go in because it will allow me to define my limits and know my weaknesses with chemo before trying to do everything all at once, which may be too much. i need to establish a routine, even if it's a new routine.

This ALL sucks, but it is the new normal. I try not to think about what could be and focus on what is and deal with that as it comes. Surely this has changed my life and those around me, but life is about living and that is what we all need to do. No sense in worrying over what could have been or why me, that is not reality. It is hard to overcome the demons that try to creep into my mind, but it's getting better day by day as i realize more and more that this is a fight and i need to come out swinging, we all have our struggles!

Teacher, you will get there and get through this....just keep swinging!

DH

Robino1 wrote:From the American Cancer Society website:

What does differentiation mean?

Differentiation is the grade of the cancer, which is based on how abnormal the cells look under the microscope. Cancers that are higher grade or poorly differentiated tend to grow and spread more quickly. Colon cancer is usually divided into 3 grades:

Well differentiated (low grade)
Moderately differentiated (intermediate grade)
Poorly differentiated (high grade)
Sometimes, though, it is just split into 2 grades: well-moderately differentiated (low grade) and poorly differentiated (high grade).

What is the significance of the grade of colon cancer?

Grade is one of the many factors used to help predict how likely a cancer is to grow and spread. Poorly differentiated (high-grade) colon cancers tend to grow and spread more quickly than well and moderately differentiated colon cancers. However, other factors are also important in determining a person's prognosis (outlook), such as how far the cancer has spread (which cannot be determined on the biopsy).

Moderately is better than poor

My pathology report didn't say anything about differentiation just that tumor was grade 1. Is that different? Maybe because I had chemo/radiation cannot determine.

susie0915 wrote:

Robino1 wrote:From the American Cancer Society website:

What does differentiation mean?

Differentiation is the grade of the cancer, which is based on how abnormal the cells look under the microscope. Cancers that are higher grade or poorly differentiated tend to grow and spread more quickly. Colon cancer is usually divided into 3 grades:

Well differentiated (low grade)
Moderately differentiated (intermediate grade)
Poorly differentiated (high grade)
Sometimes, though, it is just split into 2 grades: well-moderately differentiated (low grade) and poorly differentiated (high grade).

What is the significance of the grade of colon cancer?

Grade is one of the many factors used to help predict how likely a cancer is to grow and spread. Poorly differentiated (high-grade) colon cancers tend to grow and spread more quickly than well and moderately differentiated colon cancers. However, other factors are also important in determining a person's prognosis (outlook), such as how far the cancer has spread (which cannot be determined on the biopsy).

Moderately is better than poor

My pathology report didn't say anything about differentiation just that tumor was grade 1. Is that different? Maybe because I had chemo/radiation cannot determine.

It's been three weeks and I can not even bring myself to reading my pathology report. I'm sure when I get that port put in, I won't even be able to look at it.

Can anyone recommend a good book on anti-cancer diets? Anything you'd like to share?

teacher2017 wrote:Can anyone recommend a good book on anti-cancer diets? Anything you'd like to share?

This is one that I have:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/foods- ... kid=3x1948

teacher2017 wrote:Here's a question for all those with the fanny pack pumping folfox....do you actually hear the machine? Will it keep me up? Do you feel it?

I had the fanny pack, I could hear it some, butt no it did not keep me up at night. My worst fear was pulling the needle out of the port while sleeping at night. Roll over funny, cord loses length and the next thing that happens, is needle is pulled out. Never happened, never came close to happening, butt always bothered me.

good luck,

Lee

teacher2017 wrote:So I went back to the dr to check out this bronchitis- she said lungs are clear and doesn't want me to get an X-ray because I have been ctscanned and xrayed too death. After telling her about the resection surgery and the lymph nodes, she told me that I got a raw deal and she was sorry. "Wow. That's a lot of lymph nodes" she said. I felt like I was already given my death sentence. She even implied that this cough could be a lung issue from the cancer. I'm just sick. I think I need another general doctor. So I have more antibiotics to take and she wants me to take a steroid which I do not want to take because it could prolong chemo. What a day.

Sorry this happened to you. Regarding lymph nodes, you want to MAKE SURE the surgeon got all the cancer out. It sounds like s/he did based on the numbers. I would take that as a good sigh, not a death sentence.

There was a time, they would only take out maybe a 1/2 dozen or so lymph nodes. Too many people were having the cancer come back. When they started taking out a dozen or more nodes, many more people were in NEDville, because they got all the cancer.

Regarding mets to lungs, not aware of someone getting a cough first. Usually it found on a scan LONG before you develop a cough.

Hope this helps, don't let this person get you down.

Lee

Let your Onc know about the antibiotics and steroids.

teacher2017 wrote:Well I had my colonoscopy at 48-and according to the world, not supposed to even get one yet! If I waited I'd be in worse shape. You are right. Time to change doctors. I already feel like the grim reaper is at my door I certainly don't need this doctor making me feel worse. There needs to be a class in bedside manner.

I got mine at 46. Only reason I am here today is because of my PCP and my bleeding hemorrhoids. Al blood tests were normal and 2 test to check for blood in stools came back negative. My PCP figured my bleeding hemorrhoids were my excuse for getting my baseline colonoscopy early in life. I had no symptoms yet I was diagnosed at a stage IIIC. I have thanked him more than once. DH had to see him about 2 weeks after my diagnoses and before he got the follow up paperwork, DH told him of my diagnoses, guess he turned white as a ghost, he was so shocked by the news.

I would not have seen 50 either.

Lee

Lee wrote:

teacher2017 wrote:Well I had my colonoscopy at 48-and according to the world, not supposed to even get one yet! If I waited I'd be in worse shape. You are right. Time to change doctors. I already feel like the grim reaper is at my door I certainly don't need this doctor making me feel worse. There needs to be a class in bedside manner.

I got mine at 46. Only reason I am here today is because of my PCP and my bleeding hemorrhoids. Al blood tests were normal and 2 test to check for blood in stools came back negative. My PCP figured my bleeding hemorrhoids were my excuse for getting my baseline colonoscopy early in life. I had no symptoms yet I was diagnosed at a stage IIIC. I have thanked him more than once. DH had to see him about 2 weeks after my diagnoses and before he got the follow up paperwork, DH told him of my diagnoses, guess he turned white as a ghost, he was so shocked by the news.

I would not have seen 50 either.

Lee

Same here. I'm 39. I would have been dead before my first routine colonoscopy. I credit my PCP with saving my life, too. I had diarrhea and a little bit of blood. She recognized that something more could be going on and decided to investigate. I was anemic, so she sent me to a gastroenterologist. We were all thinking IBS or something similar. Imagine our shock when he found my tumor.

teacher2017 wrote:Can anyone recommend a good book on anti-cancer diets? Anything you'd like to share?

two that i have latched on to are the Mediterranean diet and the engine 2 diet. both plant based, little to no animal products, and no processed foods.

DH

Aqx99 wrote:. . . I was anemic, so she sent me to a gastroenterologist. We were all thinking IBS or something similar. Imagine our shock when he found my tumor.

I was NOT anemic, if anything I was the high end of normal. Nothing to worry about. That is why PCP was not worried about cancer. After I was diagnosed, I has to see all these new Dr.(s). Every last one of them had me fill out a 10+ pages, describing my pain and pain level. Broken down by page describing your pain in every part of your body. The first time I filled one of these out I learned FAST to draw a line from bottom of page diagonal across to top of page followed up with "NO PAIN". At some point I would write "Gee wish I had some pain. Gee wish I had some symptom. Maybe then I would not be dealing with a stage IIIC diagnoses." Really pissed me off. I did every thing right, butt still got stuck with this cancer.

That is when I "really" learned, we are NOT ALL equal. Some of us are blessed, and some of us are hit with hard knocks in life. You take what you are given and take it from there. You will find some true idiots that will cross your pass. You will also find some of your friends are major drags and not worth the struggle dealing with them. I had one friend who I dropped 10 yrs ago due to her attitude and total ignorance of what I was going through. 10+ yrs latter she's at my front door step wanting to reconnect. Two weeks later I realized she was the same person, butt this time, lonely, no friends. I wonder why!!

Butt at the other end of spectrum you will find some of your "true/best" friends. I had lunch with one of those "true/best friends" today. We talked about doing our annual Black Friday again, our 14th year. We started this back in 2004 because she was trying to find some way we could connect especially with me dealing with cancer. She is one of my dearest friends today.

Cancer will bring that out. As CRguy would say, enough said .

Lee

Lee wrote:

Aqx99 wrote:. . . I was anemic, so she sent me to a gastroenterologist. We were all thinking IBS or something similar. Imagine our shock when he found my tumor.

I was NOT anemic, if anything I was the high end of normal. Nothing to worry about. That is why PCP was not worried about cancer. After I was diagnosed, I has to see all these new Dr.(s). Every last one of them had me fill out a 10+ pages, describing my pain and pain level. Broken down by page describing your pain in every part of your body. The first time I filled one of these out I learned FAST to draw a line from bottom of page diagonal across to top of page followed up with "NO PAIN". At some point I would write "Gee wish I had some pain. Gee wish I had some symptom. Maybe then I would not be dealing with a stage IIIC diagnoses." Really pissed me off. I did every thing right, butt still got stuck with this cancer.

That is when I "really" learned, we are NOT ALL equal. Some of us are blessed, and some of us are hit with hard knocks in life. You take what you are given and take it from there. You will find some true idiots that will cross your pass. You will also find some of your friends are major drags and not worth the struggle dealing with them. I had one friend who I dropped 10 yrs ago due to her attitude and total ignorance of what I was going through. 10+ yrs latter she's at my front door step wanting to reconnect. Two weeks later I realized she was the same person, butt this time, lonely, no friends. I wonder why!!

Butt at the other end of spectrum you will find some of your "true/best" friends. I had lunch with one of those "true/best friends" today. We talked about doing our annual Black Friday again, our 14th year. We started this back in 2004 because she was trying to find some way we could connect especially with me dealing with cancer. She is one of my dearest friends today.

Cancer will bring that out. As CRguy would say, enough said .

Lee

My husband would be one of those idiots. He was more concerned about himself than he was me. He even had the nerve to literally ask for "brownie points" for coming with me to doctor appointments. It sounds weird, but getting cancer was one of the best things that could have happened to me. It gave me the strength and courage to confront him about his lack of support, and let him walk out the door when he did and not beg him to come back.

Lee wrote:

teacher2017 wrote:So I went back to the dr to check out this bronchitis- she said lungs are clear and doesn't want me to get an X-ray because I have been ctscanned and xrayed too death. After telling her about the resection surgery and the lymph nodes, she told me that I got a raw deal and she was sorry. "Wow. That's a lot of lymph nodes" she said. I felt like I was already given my death sentence. She even implied that this cough could be a lung issue from the cancer. I'm just sick. I think I need another general doctor. So I have more antibiotics to take and she wants me to take a steroid which I do not want to take because it could prolong chemo. What a day.

Sorry this happened to you. Regarding lymph nodes, you want to MAKE SURE the surgeon got all the cancer out. It sounds like s/he did based on the numbers. I would take that as a good sigh, not a death sentence.

There was a time, they would only take out maybe a 1/2 dozen or so lymph nodes. Too many people were having the cancer come back. When they started taking out a dozen or more nodes, many more people were in NEDville, because they got all the cancer.

Regarding mets to lungs, not aware of someone getting a cough first. Usually it found on a scan LONG before you develop a cough.

Hope this helps, don't let this person get you down.

Lee

Lee,
But how do these surgeons know they got enough lymph nodes? Or if they got enough for clear margins? Some people have large clear margins and some are down to mm like mine. I'm just really worried that because so many lymph nodes are involved this will spread. I can't sleep thinking about it.

As for friendships at this time, I have met some very supportive people, people I never thought would be there for me. Then there are those that have marked me for death and don't want to get to close. I'm fine with it, really. I just don't want a pity party in my honor.

Lydia