What was everyone's symptoms of colon cancer

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Kay1982
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Sep 05, 2017 2:54 pm

Re: What was everyone's symptoms of colon cancer

Postby Kay1982 » Wed Sep 13, 2017 9:39 pm

That is horrible how this disease dosen't show symptoms until too late and for some young one's the symptoms get down played by their physician which results in late stahe diagnosis. So very sad!

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LeonW
Posts: 358
Joined: Sun May 03, 2015 4:59 pm
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Re: What was everyone's symptoms of colon cancer

Postby LeonW » Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:58 am

None that I worried about. Had (one day only) a tiny bit of blood in stool, that I neglected. Went into retirement a few months later and then had a relaxed chat with our family doctor on ageing and the kind of support that I (don't) want in the years ahead out of the principle that those things should be dealt with rationally, before any age induced health problems arise. Mentioned the blood episode and he arranged the colonoscopy as I was entitled to one because of age. Put off for 4 months as nothing indicated that anything could be off.

On hindsight I sometimes did have some slight/vague back pains that I blamed on the crazy travel schedule /crammed airline seats in the months leading up to retirement.

Nothing to cause any worry. Dx came as total surprise . . .
Dec 2012 - CC 2 unresect liver mets, CEA 41.8 (MM 65yrs)
Jan 2013 - colectomy @ spleen 2/26 nodes IVa T3N1bM1a
Feb-Jul - 1x Xelox-7x Xelox/Avastin, shrinkage from #3
Aug - 2x PV embolization (both failed)
Sep 2013 - R liver resect, 25d hosp (liver failure/delirium, lung emboli, encephalopathy), no living cancer (pCR)
2014/15 - recovery, scopy: 2 polyps
2016 - new town/life
2018, scopy: 2 polyps
2018/20 low (1.0-1.4) CEAs/clean CTs: 4x2014, 6x2015-17, 3x2018-20
next June 2021!

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: What was everyone's symptoms of colon cancer

Postby Lee » Thu Sep 14, 2017 10:18 am

No symptoms. Only bleeding hemorrhoids. I was not anemic, 2 test to check for blood in stools came back negative. No pain. I am so grateful to my PCP for referring me for a colonoscopy. He figured my bleeding hemorrhoids were my excuse for getting my baseline colonoscopy early in life. At the age of 46, I was diagnosed with stage III rectal cancer.

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

mpbser
Posts: 953
Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:52 am

Re: What was everyone's symptoms of colon cancer

Postby mpbser » Thu Sep 14, 2017 12:42 pm

LeonW,

Now that I think about it, my husband had terrible back pain directly behind the location of the left hemi invasive tumor (the one that reached 9 out of 54 removed lymph nodes. Wow. Hindsight.
Wife 4/17 Dx age 45
5/17 LAR
Adenocarcinoma
low grade
1st primary T3 N2b M1a
Stage IVA
8/17 Sub-total colectomy
2nd primary 5.5 cm T1 N0
9 of 96 nodes
CEA: < 2.9
MSS
Lynch no; KRAS wild
Immunohistochemsistry Normal
Fall 2017 FOLFOX shrank the 1 met in liver
1/18 Liver left hepatectomy seg 4
5/18 CT clear
12/18 MRI 1 liver met
3/7/19 Resection & HAI
4/1/19 Folfiri & FUDR
5/13/19 HAI pump catheter dislodge, nearly bled to death
6-7 '19 5FU 4 cycles
NED

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: What was everyone's symptoms of colon cancer

Postby Lee » Thu Sep 14, 2017 7:44 pm

LeonW wrote:Nothing to cause any worry. Dx came as total surprise . . .


Boy ain't that the truth. My DH had to see my PCP within a few weeks of my diagnoses. PCP had not gotten my results yet. DH told him of my diagnoses, guess the PCP turned white as a ghost, NOT the news he was expecting.

Many years prior to my diagnoses, my mom ended up in ER with serious stomach pain (like a match burning inside her stomach) and rectal bleeding. ER doc was 99% sure it was colon cancer. Colonoscopy was to confirm it. No cancer, not even 1 polyps, just a bad case of diverticulitis. We now know I should have been scoped then, when it was just a mere nasty polyp. Anyway on the way out from my visit with GI doc, he's telling me, he's not worried about finding anything serious like cancer. Maybe beginnings of diverticulitis, butt because I had no symptoms, "nothing to worry about" especially cancer wise. Ha Ha!

My time line tells a different story,

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

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Youngjen81
Posts: 47
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2016 9:46 am

Re: What was everyone's symptoms of colon cancer

Postby Youngjen81 » Thu Sep 14, 2017 11:52 pm

Excess mucous, rectal bleeding, abdominal bloating, fatigue, frequent bms
Diagnosed at 35 after 8 years of symptoms
T3n1m0, clinical diagnosis, suspicious spot on iliac crest and left lower lung, unchanged
28 radiation, with Xeloda 3000 mg
LAR with temp ileostomy 6-21-16, pCR!
Ileus and blockage, 12 day hospital stay
Port placement 7-26-16
Fofox begins 8-2-16
Mom to 4 boys(2, 10, 11, 22) they are my world!
Mother diagnosed 5/2016
Clinical stage t3n2m0, cysts on liver and kidneys
Last day of chemoradiation 7-28-16, can't wait! It's hard seeing my Mom in pain


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