Low rectal cancer - deferral of surgery?

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weisssoccermom
Posts: 5988
Joined: Thu May 10, 2007 2:32 pm
Location: Pacific NW

Re: Low rectal cancer - deferral of surgery?

Postby weisssoccermom » Mon Jul 27, 2015 4:19 pm

inthewoods, look at my signature. I did do chemorad/excision/more chemo (although I did the last two in reverse order) and like you, had an uphill battle on my hands. I, also am in the PNW...Puyallup to be exact. I also had my surgery (excision) at Swedish. I am sending you a PM (you won't be able to respond back as you don't yet have enough posts) but I will give you contact information in the PM.
Dx 6/22/2006 IIA rectal cancer
6 wks rad/Xeloda -finished 9/06
1st attempt transanal excision 11/06
11/17/06 XELOX 1 cycle
5 months Xeloda only Dec '06 - April '07
10+ blood clots, 1 DVT 1/07
transanal excision 4/20/07 path-NO CANCER CELLS!
NED now and forever!
Perform random acts of kindness

Lydia666
Posts: 676
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2015 6:50 pm
Location: Montreal, Canada

Re: Low rectal cancer - deferral of surgery?

Postby Lydia666 » Thu Jul 30, 2015 9:24 pm

weisssoccermom wrote:inthewoods, look at my signature. I did do chemorad/excision/more chemo (although I did the last two in reverse order) and like you, had an uphill battle on my hands. I, also am in the PNW...Puyallup to be exact. I also had my surgery (excision) at Swedish. I am sending you a PM (you won't be able to respond back as you don't yet have enough posts) but I will give you contact information in the PM.


I was just wondering how were you 100% sure there were no lymphnodes involved? Can tgey take out nodes with excision? How is this done?
Oct 2012- thyroid cancer
June 19, 2015 Dx@39 yrs- CRC-T3N1M0
No vascular, no perineural invasion
Aug-Sept 2015- 28 rad/5FU
Oct 28, 2015- LAR- temp ileo, neg. nodes- 0/11
March 2016- 6 rounds Xeloda/positive CHEK2 mutation
August 2016- DCIS and decided post prophylactic double mastectomy
May 2018 - clean CT
Sept 2018-clean scope
Devastation, total shock- oct 2018, invasion of peri mets
Dec 20 - 2 round of folfox
Mom to 4 & 7 yrs kids - at least i brought them to this level of independence.

cathy123
Posts: 665
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2014 3:36 pm

Re: Low rectal cancer - deferral of surgery?

Postby cathy123 » Thu Jul 30, 2015 10:16 pm

Lydia - I believe that is the big risk with the less invasive surgery. You don't know for sure about the nodes.
Cathy

Diagnosed 10/14 low rectal cancer age 43
Clinical T2NXMX
Radiation/xeloda 12/14-1/15
LAR with temp Ileo 3/15
pT2N0M0, lymphatic invasion 0/37 nodes
4 xelox, 1 xeloda only
Reversal 9/15
Mom to 9&11 year olds

weisssoccermom
Posts: 5988
Joined: Thu May 10, 2007 2:32 pm
Location: Pacific NW

Re: Low rectal cancer - deferral of surgery?

Postby weisssoccermom » Fri Jul 31, 2015 1:25 am

No, they don't take out the nodes with the excision, unless perhaps one is 'caught' up in the excised specimen. Studies done on thousands of excised specimens have shown that there is a correlation between no node involvement and the response the patient has from chemoradiation. I wish that there was a way that they could just go in and take out the nodes surrounding the rectum but it doesn't work that way. I made a decision for me that worked and, obviously, I am pleased with the results. It isn't a choice or even an option for everyone. There are some studies that indicate that this option is just as viable for a certain subset of patients....problem is how do you identify you fits into that subset?

As for the nodes...well, had my excision come back with anything other than no cancer cells or microscopic cells, I would have had to seriously consider the more radical surgery. I really wanted to avoid that option at all costs...thankfully, I didn't have to worry about it.
Jaynee
Dx 6/22/2006 IIA rectal cancer
6 wks rad/Xeloda -finished 9/06
1st attempt transanal excision 11/06
11/17/06 XELOX 1 cycle
5 months Xeloda only Dec '06 - April '07
10+ blood clots, 1 DVT 1/07
transanal excision 4/20/07 path-NO CANCER CELLS!
NED now and forever!
Perform random acts of kindness

inthewoods
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jul 27, 2015 1:52 pm

Re: Low rectal cancer - deferral of surgery?

Postby inthewoods » Sat Aug 01, 2015 6:47 pm

weisssoccermom wrote:I will send you a PM with contact info in it. You have to have a certain number of approved posts before you can send a PM on the site. Don't worry....as you continue to post, you will get full privileges.
Jaynee


Hi weissoccermom - I tried the email address you sent me, but it fails to send. Would you please send me a PM with your email again? Thanks so much!

Inthewoods
Dx: 12/18/14
T3cN1
28 trmts R/Xeloda
Next Steps: pending
Tentative Robotic Surgery Sept 2

jasonded_61
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 11:04 am

Re: Low rectal cancer - deferral of surgery?

Postby jasonded_61 » Mon Aug 03, 2015 7:25 pm

what were your symptoms before diagnosis?

ticktock10
Posts: 49
Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2014 3:49 am

Re: Low rectal cancer - deferral of surgery?

Postby ticktock10 » Wed Mar 27, 2019 5:32 am

Hi all,

I thought I should post to let you all know that today, 5 years after starting this thread, 5 years after achieving a ‘complete response’ to my initial chemo-radiation, I heard the words "you are as good as cured" from my oncologist :D :D :D

I’m feeling very emotional today and just wanted to resurrect this thread to give some comfort/encouragement to anyone in a similar predicament.
Oct 2013 - Dx Stage 2/3 low rectal cancer
Dec 2013- 6 weeks neo-adjuvant chemo-rad
Apr 2014 - PET and MRI show 'complete response'
May 2014 - Chose 'watch and wait' instead of APR surgery
Jun-Sep 2014 - 'adjuvant' chemo - 5FU
Sep 2014 - PET and MRI clear

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

Re: Low rectal cancer - deferral of surgery?

Postby justin case » Wed Mar 27, 2019 4:30 pm

I know that feeling ! Congratulations !

Michael
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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