Newbie here

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Butcher
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2018 9:31 am

Newbie here

Postby Butcher » Sun Dec 09, 2018 1:02 pm

Hi. My name is Mike. 57 years old, diagnosed with colon cancer on 11/14/2018. After a CT scan and MRI it was determined that the cancer was in my ascending colon and there are 6 to 8 enlarged lymph nodes right in that area. They are not sure if those lymph nodes are cancerous or not but are assuming they are. I had my first round of chemo last Monday Dec. 3rd. It was Oxaliplatin and Leucovorin given at the cancer center with Fluorouracil given thru a cad pump over the next 48 hours. The plan is to do this every other week with a total of 8 chemo treatments then a break and then chemo and radiation followed by surgery. I assume this could all change over time but that is the plan as of this early stage. I was happy to find this site and hope to get some insight as to what lies ahead for me. This has been more than a little scary and confusing to say the least. I wasn't sure what to expect after my first round of chemo and was afraid I would not be able to continue to work but the docs all told me they didn't see any reason I could not continue to function almost as normal. Side effects I had this first round were the cold needle prick feeling in my fingers and some amount of being tired. The tired I am used to since I am after all 57 years old and have done nothing but hard physical labor all my life. Not sure how much I will be posting here but plan on reading and learning as much as I can here. Thanks for listening.

retiredteacher
Posts: 115
Joined: Sat Oct 21, 2017 1:34 pm

Re: Newbie here

Postby retiredteacher » Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:55 pm

Hi Mike - welcome to the club - many experienced and helpful folks here. You may need questions answered, resources, or advice as your journey progresses. Many, many folks continue to work through treatment - it all depends on the individual and type of work. Just the distraction of work provides a mental benefit, in my estimation ... may not be true for everyone, though. Best wishes and again, welcome!
RC F 63 9/17
Adeno 7 cm MSS G2 PET
T3N0M0
2.5K Cap/RT x 25
"Near complete response" PET 1/18
CEA 0.5 10/17, 0.6 10/18
MRI 2/18 yT2N0 12 cm fr AV 3 cm
LAR 2/18 yT1N0M0 0/21 G1 0.3 cm
CAPEOX 3/18, reduced to 80% at cycle 3
Completed 4 cycles; stopped, gut issues, liver enzymes
CT/ colonoscopy 11/18 NED
4/19 NED Sacral fractures/osteoporosis
"Caregiver" to the Iron Man
Hubby CRC Stage 3 2004 NED, Small Cell Lung Cancer Limited 2011 NED, Non-small Cell Lung Cancer 2019 NED October 2019

Punky44
Posts: 498
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2018 4:29 pm

Re: Newbie here

Postby Punky44 » Mon Dec 10, 2018 2:10 am

Hi! Your treatment plan sounds identical to my mom’s (see my signature.) It is intriguing that you are also taking the neoadjuvant approach of 8 rounds of Folfox first as this is traditionally not the standard approach. It was recommended to my mom due to >4 lymph node involvement and a high CEA (17) and some of the major cancer centers are conducting trials using neoadjuvant chemo for stage 3 patients with some promising initial results. Good luck to you! So far my mom has had 3 rounds and feels completely normal aside from the cold sensitivity (we keep knocking on wood every time we tell someone.)
Caregiver to my amazing mom (68 at dx)
10/1/18 DX with rectal cancer; CEA 17
T3N2M0
Total neoadjuvant therapy:
8 rounds Folfox 11/5/18 - 2/11/19
Short course radiation 3/14/19 - 3/20/19
Robotically assisted laparoscopic LAR 3/21/19
Pathology report says yT2N0M0 with 0/38 nodes
6/28/19 Reversal and port out
CEA 2.1; 1.9; 2.6; 2.8; 2.3; 2.4; 3.0; 3.4; 3.1; 3.4; 3.0; 3.1; 2.6
Latest update: 8/21/23 Clear CT with CEA 2.6!

Me: 34, first colonoscopy 11/16/18—normal! Come back in 5 years.

Deb m
Posts: 558
Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2014 10:08 am

Re: Newbie here

Postby Deb m » Mon Dec 10, 2018 9:14 am

Welcome to the board. I guess I'm a little confused. I thought with colon cancer in the ascending colon, surgery always comes first to remove the tumor and nodes and then follow up chemo. I thought it was only rectal cancers and those in the descending colon that chemo and sometimes radiation was done before surgery. My husbands tumor was in his ascending colon/ cecum area and he had surgery first and then 12 hits of folfox.

Beckster
Posts: 438
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2017 3:01 pm
Location: New Jersey

Re: Newbie here

Postby Beckster » Mon Dec 10, 2018 10:13 am

I agree with Deb...my cancer was in the ascending colon (signature below), so I am a little confused.... did you have surgery first. What is your stage and are you receiving treatment at a major cancer center?
57/F
DX:(CC) 10/19/16
11/4/16- Lap right hemi(cecum)
CEA- Pre Op (1.9), Pre Chemo (2.5)
Type: Adenocarcinoma
Tumor size:3.5 cm x 2.5 x 0.7 cm
Grade: G3
TNM: T3N0M0/IIA
LN: 0/24
LVI present
Surgical margins: clear
MSS
12/27/2016 - Capeox, anaphylactic
1/2/17 to 6/9/17- Xeloda
6/17,12/17,6/18,12/18,6/19,12/19,12/20,12/21 CT Scan NED :D
CEA- 6/17- 3.6, 9/17- 2.8 12/17-2.8, 3/18-3.1, 6/18-3.0, 9/18 2.8, 12/18 2.5 3/19 3.1 6/19 3.1 9/19 2.6 12/19 2.8 6/20 3.0 12/20 2.7 6/21 2.9,[color=#000000]12/21 2.7[/color]
Clear Colonoscopy 10/17, 11/19,11/21 :D

Butcher
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2018 9:31 am

Re: Newbie here

Postby Butcher » Mon Dec 10, 2018 12:49 pm

I'm sorry about that I meant to say descending colon. My typing and.spelling skills are poor

Gravelyguy
Posts: 382
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:03 pm

Re: Newbie here

Postby Gravelyguy » Mon Dec 10, 2018 5:58 pm

No problems, Mike and welcome. Everyone responds differently to chemo. I am a teacher so not physically challenging but with middle schoolers very mentally challenging! I had a different route but did go back 1/2 time post surgery. I was shot by noon so was glad I didn’t try to hit it out.

Dave
6/17 dx mRC t3n1m1 very low rectal tumor 2 liver Mets 1.3 cm and .9 cm

6/17 begin 4 rounds Folfox w/Vectibix
9/17 short course radiation
10/17 rectal and liver resection LAR with coloanal anastomosis (no rectum left)
11/17-3/18 8 rounds Folfox
6/18 still NED!! Takedown
8/28/18 still NED! CEA .8 new low for me
10/18/18 colonoscopy clear
12/12/18 CEA .9 still NED!
6/11/19 CEA 1.0
12/19/19 CEA 1.0 still NED!
6/17/20 CEA 1.1 still NED!
12/15/20 CEA 1.1still NED!
12/16/21 CEA 1.2 still NED!

Butcher
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2018 9:31 am

Re: Newbie here

Postby Butcher » Mon Dec 10, 2018 7:26 pm

Once again I am sorry for any confusion I may have caused by my origonal post. Al this terminoligy is very new to me and more than a little confusing to an old country boy like me. To clarifiy as best I can, I have colorectal cancer and due to the amount of surounding lymph nodes in question they are caling it stage 3C (?). Some one asked where I was being treated at (major cancer center). I am being treated at Unity point cancer center here in my Waterloo Ia. area. I s'pose I could have asked to go to Iowa City but the folks here are very knowadgable and super nice to deal with and with wanting to and needing to continue to work the close to home factor is a big plus. Not to mention that Iowa winters and road conditions can be more than a little difficult to say the least. I did go in this morning to have lab work done and speak to my onc. since last week was my first round of chemo. She was vewry happy about the results of my blood work and how I handled the treatment over the last week. Docs happy, I am happy. One thing I did notice as early as last Friday was a huge change in my bowl movements. I went from the constant feeling of having to go and getting little to nothing or not making it to the bathroom in time and soiling myself to having all most regular and normal BM's. My doc said that was good but it is to early to tell any thing yet. It is HUGE for me just in a phycological way and the fact that I can sleep through out the night with out getting up.
Once again, thanks for listening and being here to share with.

Koreysue
Posts: 258
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2018 2:36 pm

Re: Newbie here

Postby Koreysue » Tue Dec 11, 2018 12:09 am

Welcome!
Sorry you had to join this club, but it’s a good place to find answers, and support. Keep us posted with how things are going for you.
Korey
Dx: 6/2017 stage 3 CC
Sigmoid, 2 nodes
CEA at dx: 6.1
Sigmoid Colectomy/folfox (last chemo (1/31/18)
CEA 4/2018: 2.4
CEA 7/2018: 3.7
Colonoscopy 8/18 clean
PET scan 8/20/18 NED
CEA 11/2018: 3.8
CEA 2/2019: 3.2
CT NED 6/18/19 / CEA : 3.4
CEA 10/21/19: 3.2
CEA 3/9/20: 3.8
CT NED /CEA 6/17/20: 3.8
CEA 11/4/20 4.6 <——— whyyyy? (will retest in a few weeks)
CT NED 12/1/20 CEA: 3.5
CEA 5/21 4.2
CEA 10/21 3.4
colonoscopy 10/21 10mm polyp
CEA 4/22 3.7
CEA 7/22 3.8
CEA 12/22 4
CEA 1/22 3.2 and NED 5yr scan

Deb m
Posts: 558
Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2014 10:08 am

Re: Newbie here

Postby Deb m » Tue Dec 11, 2018 9:10 am

Mike,

when it comes time for surgery, make sure it's a board certified colo-rectal surgeon. This is very important. I'm glad to hear that your first round went pretty well.

deb m


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