Newbie

[Colonme]

Hi all!
I am new to this all. I was diagnosed on 4-3-2018 with colon cancer (Gastroenterologist). I had surgery on 6-6-2018 (general surgeon). He thinks he got it all, and doesn’t expect me to need chemo. I’ll believe it after I see the oncologist. Tumor site: cecum. Stage 2, pT3N0M0, grade 2. Consistent with MSS tumor/more likely to respond to 5-FU based chemo. I have not seen my oncologist yet and won’t until AUGUST. From what I’ve read, adjuvant chemo is a real possibility. Any advice from those more experienced? What falls under “5-FU based chemo?” I have no patience.... This took two months just to have the surgery, and two more months for the oncology appointment that I get to anticipate for five more weeks.... I am a bit nervous.... what can I expect?

[Caat55]

So many questions for you but there are way wiser people here then me. Your course of treatment is so unlike what I know or have read. Where do you live that you haven't been able to see an oncologist in 4 months?

[Beckster]

Hi all!
I am new to this all. I was diagnosed on 4-3-2018 with colon cancer (Gastroenterologist). I had surgery on 6-6-2018 (general surgeon). He thinks he got it all, and doesn’t expect me to need chemo. I’ll believe it after I see the oncologist. Tumor site: cecum. Stage 2, pT3N0M0, grade 2. Consistent with MSS tumor/more likely to respond to 5-FU based chemo. I have not seen my oncologist yet and won’t until AUGUST. From what I’ve read, adjuvant chemo is a real possibility. Any advice from those more experienced? What falls under “5-FU based chemo?” I have no patience.... This took two months just to have the surgery, and two more months for the oncology appointment that I get to anticipate for five more weeks.... I am a bit nervous.... what can I expect?

Welcome

Stage IIA (which is your stage) of the cecum performed by a colon rectal specialist. My surgeon did not think I needed chemo, but when pathology report came in, it revealed LVI and Grade 3 ( Grade 2 for colonoscopy biopsy.) Both are subjective, but he suggested me seeing an oncologist. First, make sure that you are at a large cancer center....I go to MD Anderson. I had surgery in November 5th and started chemo December 27th. I had a choice of whether or not to take chemo, but because of my age, he felt that I should. He said it is an insurance policy. I started with Capeox (oxi and Xeloda), but had an allergic reaction on the first oxi infusion. I did six months of Xeloda (pill form of 5/FU). It was doable and worked well with my life style. In your pathology report, did you have any other high risk features: <12 lymph nodes, LVI, PNI, obstruction, perforation, elevated preoperative CEA? You might also want your surgeon to send your specimens for OncotypeDx testing. It might give you additional quantitative data of whether to take chemo. Hopefully other stage II will chime in!

[Utwo]

Where do you live that you haven't been able to see an oncologist in 4 months?

Canada or another single payer country?
For me 2 month waiting for a surgery seems in line with Canadian situation.

Many Americans have not even heard about "Waiting times".
However in many countries it's a real issue.

[DarknessEmbraced]

Welcome to the group and sorry for your diagnosis!*hugs* I hope your meeting with the oncologist goes well!*hugs* I was diagnosed as stage 2a in 2014. Chemo wasn't recommended and I have been in remission since surgery.

[MissMolly]

Where do you live that you haven't been able to see an oncologist in 4 months?

Canada or another single payer country?
For me 2 month waiting for a surgery seems in line with Canadian situation.

Many Americans have not even heard about "Waiting times".
However in many countries it's a real issue.

Extensive wait times for new patient appointments are not uncommon in the United States. Specialist appointments can be especially difficult to schedule in a timely manner.

Urban/metropolitan communities have a larger pool of specialists as opposed to rural/small town and can exacerbate discrepancies in terms of access to care and appointment wait times.

I love in Portland, Oregon - a large, metropolitan city on the west coast that is a hub for highly skilled software developers. Need to see a rheumatologist for evaluation of a possible auto-immune disorder? Expect an 8-10 week wait for a new patient consultation. Need to see an endocrinologist for diabetes management or to diagnose pituitary suppression due to corticosteroid use? Expect a 10-12 week wait for a new patient consultation.

Wait times are very real in the United States depending on the availability of the specialist that one needs to see.
Karen

[NHMike]

I live in a suburban area and was able to get appointments with a local oncologist and radiology oncologist in a very short period of time. I went to get second opinions in Boston at Dana Farber and I think that it took me two weeks to arrange appointments - that due to navigating their systems. It would have been a lot quicker if I understood their intake process. Boston is an incredible place for health services.

Stage IIA is a gray area for chemo after surgery. An oncologist might recommend it or might not. There is a lot of experience on chemo on this board and we can tell you what to expect, which drugs are usually given, the form, and the side-effects. You can read some of the other threads on side-effects but it's often easiest to ask.

[Lee]

Where do you live that you haven't been able to see an oncologist in 4 months?

Canada or another single payer country?
For me 2 month waiting for a surgery seems in line with Canadian situation.

Many Americans have not even heard about "Waiting times".
However in many countries it's a real issue.

For some people here in the USA, "waiting time" is a very real problem. I have a good friend, who suppose to have a good medical/insurance plan. When he first noticed the lump on his neck he tried to make an appointment with his PCP, 2 months wait. He was able to see a new doctor a week later. Around Nov 1 2017, he was told it was cancer. Surgery was not done until Jan 22, 2018 (almost 3 months since diagnoses). I told him many times to get a 2nd opinion, butt he felt he was in good hands. Day of surgery, they could not remove the mass it as it was too extensive. They started radiation to help shrink it and while it did help, it did not shrink it enough. Surgery was no longer an option. Today he is in hospice with just a few months to live. From the time of his diagnoses, he has lost 60 pds. Today he is skin and bones.

I wonder if things would be different for him today if he had been able to get into surgery within that first month of diagnoses.

Lee

[martd]

November of 2017 I called Mayo Clinic in Phoenix for a second opinion after finding out about my crc. They scheduled for the following day two appointments first with the surgeon second with onc. The following morning they called and asked for me to come in for a CT scan. It was at the appt with the surgeon I learned it was stage 4 with 17 liver Mets. After the appt with the onc he sent me down stairs to meet with the port surgeon, I was in surgery the following morning receiving the port and started chemo a week later. It was three weeks later and I still was waiting for the first onc to schedule my scan. This incredible treatment I'm receiving from Mayo continues, just yesterday I'm at my pre-op exam for my second liver resection, I told them I've been experiencing shortness of breath which was something new, that afternoon I had an EKG , heart echocardiogram, and x-ray then scheduled a CT scan for Thursday. After I got home they called to have me come in for the CT scan that evening.

[Colonme]

So many questions for you but there are way wiser people here then me. Your course of treatment is so unlike what I know or have read. Where do you live that you haven't been able to see an oncologist in 4 months?

I live in Vancouver, WA. They did things backwards. I started with a gastroenterologist, he passed me off to a general surgeon - not a specialist, who finally referred me to an oncologist - who is going on vacation and can’t see me until August. I had kidney cancer before this and everything was rush, rush, rush and done. This seems more serious and is crawling along...

[Colonme]

my CEA was elevated: 6.2. It was a general surgeon, not a specialist and I’m not sure he was going to refer me to an oncologist until I mentioned it. I had kidney cancer a few years ago and everything was wham, bam, get ‘er done! This time they’re moving extremely slow and that’s making me nervous.

[Colonme]

Where do you live that you haven't been able to see an oncologist in 4 months?

Canada or another single payer country?
For me 2 month waiting for a surgery seems in line with Canadian situation.

Many Americans have not even heard about "Waiting times".
However in many countries it's a real issue.

We used to be military. I learned to wait there...lol. I’m not used to waiting anymore.....

[Colonme]

Welcome to the group and sorry for your diagnosis!*hugs* I hope your meeting with the oncologist goes well!*hugs* I was diagnosed as stage 2a in 2014. Chemo wasn't recommended and I have been in remission since surgery.

Fantastic! Congratulations!

[Colonme]

Where do you live that you haven't been able to see an oncologist in 4 months?

Canada or another single payer country?
For me 2 month waiting for a surgery seems in line with Canadian situation.

Many Americans have not even heard about "Waiting times".
However in many countries it's a real issue.

Extensive wait times for new patient appointments are not uncommon in the United States. Specialist appointments can be especially difficult to schedule in a timely manner.

Urban/metropolitan communities have a larger pool of specialists as opposed to rural/small town and can exacerbate discrepancies in terms of access to care and appointment wait times.

I love in Portland, Oregon - a large, metropolitan city on the west coast that is a hub for highly skilled software developers. Need to see a rheumatologist for evaluation of a possible auto-immune disorder? Expect an 8-10 week wait for a new patient consultation. Need to see an endocrinologist for diabetes management or to diagnose pituitary suppression due to corticosteroid use? Expect a 10-12 week wait for a new patient consultation.

Wait times are very real in the United States depending on the availability of the specialist that one needs to see.
Karen

Hello Portland! I live across the water in Vancouver, WA!

[Colonme]

November of 2017 I called Mayo Clinic in Phoenix for a second opinion after finding out about my crc. They scheduled for the following day two appointments first with the surgeon second with onc. The following morning they called and asked for me to come in for a CT scan. It was at the appt with the surgeon I learned it was stage 4 with 17 liver Mets. After the appt with the onc he sent me down stairs to meet with the port surgeon, I was in surgery the following morning receiving the port and started chemo a week later. It was three weeks later and I still was waiting for the first onc to schedule my scan. This incredible treatment I'm receiving from Mayo continues, just yesterday I'm at my pre-op exam for my second liver resection, I told them I've been experiencing shortness of breath which was something new, that afternoon I had an EKG , heart echocardiogram, and x-ray then scheduled a CT scan for Thursday. After I got home they called to have me come in for the CT scan that evening.

Fantastic! That’s the way it went when I had kidney cancer. I haven’t had to wait like this for a very long time and I have no patience!