The Colon Club

Hello all,

My mom has recently been diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma mid-rectum with with signet-ring component, grade 3- she is leaving stage 2 and entering 3 now per her doctors. She lives in Fiji were there is no treatment for this . I have applied for a B-2 visa (for medical emergency twice) for her, and denied both times (I am a US citizen, not sure why they are not letting her in) Regardless we are now getting her a Visa to India for her to get medical treatment there. I am so scared and not sure what to do.

Doctors say that "
"Mrs x was referred to me at Nasese Medical Center for a colonoscopy with a history
of recurrent loose bowel motions over a year and a finding of a markedly elevated CEA
tumor marker more than thirty (30) times the upper limit of normal.
She is a known diabetes mellitus type 2 case with hypertension for over five (5) yrs
taking Metformin and Atenolol.
The colonoscopy was done on the 24.4.18 with a finding of a circumferential fungating,
irregular, ulcerated, easily bleeding, luminally narrowing tumor 5cms from the anal
verge involving the mid- and upper rectum. The rest of the colon upwards to the
caecum was normal.
The CT scan showed a similar finding as above with multiple enlarged perirectal lymph
nodes and a 1.2cm left common iliac vessel lymph node. There is loss of fat plane
between the rectum and the uterus. The liver is normal and there is no ascites, (CT
Report accompanying).
The rectal tumor biopsy received has documented adenocarcinoma with signet-ring
component, grade 3.
She needs to go urgently to an oncology center abroad for further assessment PET
Scans and neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy which are not available locally in Fiji.

Your mother's report reads much like mine. I immediately saw an oncologist, radiation oncologist and had a PET scan. I began treatment with Xeloda and radiation. Near the end of the course of treatment I was scheduled to see a surgeon. About 6 weeks later new MRI and surgery. I had an almost complete response to treatment but had surgery anyway to remove that part of my rectum and I am now doing chemo again to get any stray cells. So for me it's been since September and chemo ends the end of June. The inbetweens are detailed in my post, several others. Hope this little window of info helps you plan .
S

Awesome.. Thank you for your response. We're new to this so please do excuse my naiveness. Is Xeloda chemotherapy? I hoping to do enough chemo and radiation to shrink the tumor and then get her here to the states to do the surgery. Unless of course India says Surgery is a must. I logged my mom citizenship paperwork today. This is through the normal process and they can't deny her entry.

BTW I hope you're doing well.

tsingh wrote:Awesome.. Thank you for your response. We're new to this so please do excuse my naiveness. Is Xeloda chemotherapy? I hoping to do enough chemo and radiation to shrink the tumor and then get her here to the states to do the surgery. Unless of course India says Surgery is a must. I logged my mom citizenship paperwork today. This is through the normal process and they can't deny her entry.

BTW I hope you're doing well.

Xeloda is a chemotherapy drug. It is a trade name for capecitabine.

With rectal cancer, they usually want to do chemo and radiation first to shrink the tumor making it easier to operate on.

Make sure she sees an oncologist with experience with signet ring cell, as it is especially aggressive and many doctors are clueless about its nature.

See link below for definition of "Adenocarcinoma with with signet-ring component"

https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=59436&p=471434#p471434

lkub wrote:Make sure she sees an oncologist with experience with signet ring cell, as it is especially aggressive and many doctors are clueless about its nature.

Hello, I am touching bases with you on your response. How are you doing since your diagnoses? My mom actually had to stop chemo/radiation as she got tons of blood clots and an emergency surgery was needed.

It's my husband. He has started home hospice. The doctor thinks he has just days to weeks left. For his sake, I hope it is just days. He is suffering.

lkub wrote:It's my husband. He has started home hospice. The doctor thinks he has just days to weeks left. For his sake, I hope it is just days. He is suffering.

This is very hard to hear. I am so sorry about what you are going through. Looks to me your husband is so very young. I am 40 my self and can't imagine being diagnosed with this at such a early age.

My mom is 73 and its so hard on me, and I cant pretend to know what you are going through. Please know i am going to pray hard for you. I don't want to see him suffer, and pray that he finds comfort with God. Please know you are in my thoughts. Would you like to talk to me via email? I will private message you my email address. I too can use some support.