mozart13 wrote:SMH Toronto, storry about W&W apptoach:
Some patients have such a dramatic response to chemotherapy and radiation that there is no detectable tumour at the time of surgery, said Dr. Fahima Dossa, the study’s lead author and a surgical resident at St. Michael’s Hospital. These patients, termed complete responders, have excellent survival and low rates of cancer recurrence, which raises questions about whether they benefit from surgery, said Dr. Dossa.
Link:
http://stmichaelshospital.com/media/det ... ign=buffer
Interesting article! I'm being treated by Dr. Nancy Baxter at SMH, senior author of the attached study. I was the perfect candidate for watch and wait, as her and the team were confident I had complete response. Dr Baxter weighed many options with me, but I decided to go ahead with APR surgery, and a permanent colostomy. If I was older, my children were grown I would have absolutely went with w&w approach. Dr Baxter performed my surgery In January this year and all pathology came back clear. Still, knowing what I do now, I'm happy I'm not living everyday with a worry in my heart. My colostomy has been a breeze, I can't believe the tears I shed over the thought of it. No, it's not ideal, but it could be a lifesaver.