Recurrence questions

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Marie25
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2019 9:32 am

Recurrence questions

Postby Marie25 » Thu Jun 11, 2020 10:06 am

I am worried his cancer is returning. He has his 6 month scan is in 2 weeks and an appointment for results 2 weeks after that. He returned to work (after 10 months off) in late May. This was also the same time he had his 4 month CEA of 0.9. As of yesterday we realized his appetite has slightly decreased at dinners and he is down about 5 lbs. He says no other symptoms. We are thinking could this be due to him returning to work (as a pipefitter) and being more active and/or eating less at dinner because he is tired of eating at home and not dining out (due to coronavirus)

He also had 0/42 nodes which I know is a good prognostic factor, I just can't stop worrying


CEA at diagnosis 4.9
CEA during chemo 3.4
CEA 2 months after surgey 1.8(and a clear PET scan)
CEA 4 months after surgery 0.9
So based on this it seems his CEA was always accurate and should reassure us the cancer is not back. I am just a worrier .

Thanks
Supporter to my husband
Rectal adenocarcinoma
Folfox 8/2019
Short Course Radiation January 2020
Surgery January 2020
T3 N0 stage 2A
0/42 lymph nodes

boxhill
Posts: 789
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:40 am

Re: Recurrence questions

Postby boxhill » Thu Jun 11, 2020 1:35 pm

Scanxiety is all too real. I always catch myself suffering from it a few weeks before a scan: I'm tense, more inclined to be irritable, sleeping even worse than usual, obsessing about every twinge in my abdomen, all that stuff. This despite the fact that I have had only one "bad" scan since 3/17, when I was diagnosed in the ER. I had very bad feelings about my recent MRI, probably because based on my history I have found that only MRIs find all of the bad stuff.

It is no doubt useless to tell you to try not to worry -- :D -- but maybe you can try to consciously head it off by reciting the reasons you gave here as to why you shouldn't be overly anxious. Good luck.
F, 64 at DX CRC Stage IV
3/17/18 blockage, r hemi
11 of 25 LN,5 mesentery nodes
5mm liver met
pT3 pN2b pM1
BRAF wild, KRAS G12D
dMMR, MSI-H
5/18 FOLFOX
7/18 and 11/18 CT NED
12/18 MRI 5mm liver mass, 2 LNs in porta hepatis
12/31/18 Keytruda
6/19 Multiphasic CT LNs normal, Liver stable
6/28/19 Pause Key, predisone for joint pain
7/31/19 Restart Key
9/19 CT stable
Pain: all fails but Celebrex
12/23/19 CT stable
5/20 MRI stable/NED
6/20 Stop Key
All MRIs NED

justin case
Posts: 4269
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2011 8:26 am
Location: Katy, Texas

Re: Recurrence questions

Postby justin case » Thu Jun 11, 2020 2:17 pm

I lost 4 pounds this month and am retired. Perhaps it's the heat and going back to work stress. Also some of the effects of chemo can cause a loss of taste .
7/11 diagnosed Stage 2 colon and rectal cancer
chemo/rad
lar/temp ilio
Reversal & port removal
21 round of chemo Folfox 9tx, 5fu 12 tx
Last treatment July 2012


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