CONFUSED ABOUT STAGES, AND ANY LYMPH NODE SUCCESS STORIES?

[janette]

Hi my mom just had surgery a couple weeks ago, and had her colon and part rectum taken out. They found cancer in 1 lymph node out of 25. I have read on the internet that this can be stage 2A or three. Does anyone know what stage this is, and the survivial rate? Seems like so many different things on the internet. I am so scared, and hoping for the best. Has anyone has success stories? Thanks to everyone, and merry xmas.

[Ron50]

Hi Jan,
Because your mum has lymph node involvement it will more than likely be a stage 3 tumor. When they discover lymph nodes involved her doctors should put her through a rigourous testing program including x-rays ,ultrasounds and scans to make sure that the cancer has not spread to distant sites,usually liver or lungs with colon cancer. If everything else is clear she will probably need some chemo therapy to clean up any micro-metastacies (small clusters of cancer cells) that may be present in her lymphatic system.
Statistically survival rates are supposed to decrease with lymph node involvement, the more nodes involved the worse your chance. but talk to any survivors and they will tell you ,as I am now ,that stats mean absolutely nothing.
I was dx with an aggressive stage 3 tumor with 6 of 13 nodes involved. I had my chemo and this jan will the end of my ninth year cancer free. Give my kindest regards to your mother and wish her a speedy recovery from me . Ron.

[margotmagoo]

Ron-
Reading your post had me exhale with some relief. It is great to know that you are a 9 year survivor! Fantastic! Like you, I was dx with stage 3 and 6/12 lymphs involved. I am happy to be approaching my 1 year of survivorship in Jan. Your story gives me hope!!

Janette-
I am a success story in progress. It is a scary thing not knowing what is in store. I agree with Ron -- sounds like stage 3 but whether a,b, or c depends on the type of tumor. Don't pay attention to the survival rate numbers. They are just numbers that cover a wide range of age groups, other health factors, etc. People are beating this disease every day! This is a fabulous message board for support and asking questions. Focus on the positive...My best to you and your mom!

Margot

[ASTEPHENS33]

I'm not a doctor, but a patient, and this is my understanding of things. Staging of cancer is based on a couple of things - how far the original cancer grew into the colon wall and if it spread outside the area. A website that describes this: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/conte ... staged.asp

Its important to know the staging, as that determines the next treatment options - usually chemotherapy. In addition to the lymph nodes, the doctors usually do additional testing to see if the cancer has spread to other organs - like a CT scan - which is needed in the determination. Another website I found useful that indicates survival percentage is:
https://www.adjuvantonline.com