Postby NHMike » Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:52 pm
I'm sorry that you're going through this but you did the right thing in getting him to see a doctor to get the colonoscopy so that you have an idea as to what you are dealing with. My situation has some similarities in that there was a larger tumor in that area with local lymph node involvement. If the other polyps are far away, then that can indicate spread and that's the difference between Stage 3 and Stage 4. The colon can be resected. If it has spread to other areas, typically the liver and lungs, then there are treatments to control tumors and surgery to remove them. But you're not there yet - they will have to do scans to determine if it is in other places.
I just finished 28 days of chemo and radiation and there are a lot of other people here that have gone through the same thing for rectal cancer, along with surgery and post-surgical chemo. There are lots of others that have had colon cancer as well. My estimate is that my cancer will take about one year to treat. If it spreads, then it will get more complicated but I'm hoping for the best while being a bit anxious about the worst.
You will likely need a team composed of an oncologist, surgeon and radiologist [assuming radiation treatment for the rectal cancer]. Ideally, you'd have a team of specialists - that is an oncologist that specialized in colorectal cancer, a surgeon that specializes in colorectal cancer and a radiologist that specialized in colorectal cancer. Most hospitals have generalists. I have generalists for my oncologist and radiologist at my local hospital but I got second opinions at a cancer institute which does huge cancer patient volume so they can have specialists for the various kinds of cancer. My surgeon is a colorectal specialist. If you have a great cancer hospital close by, please consider using them for your husband's treatment or, at least, a second opinion. Travel can be a headache to these places (it certainly was for me and it will be for my surgery and recovery) but the expertise may be worth a life.
We know that what you are going through is very tough as we have or had cancer, in various stages, or we are caregivers for those with cancer. So please feel free to vent, ask questions, advice, etc. And we'll do our best to help.
6/17: ER rectal bleeding; Colonoscopy
7/17: 3B rectal. T3N1bM0. 5.2 4.5 4.3 cm. Lymphs: 6 x 4 mm, 8 x 6, 5 x 5
7/17-9/17: Xeloda radiation
7/5: CEA 2.7; 8/16: 1.9; 11/30: 0.6; 12/20 1.4; 1/10 1.8; 1/31 2.2; 2/28 2.6; 4/10 2.8; 5/1 2.8; 5/29 3.2; 7/13 4.5; 8/9 2.8, 2/12 1.2
MSS, KRAS G12D
10/17: 2.7 2.2 1.6 cm (-90%). Lymphs: 3 x 3 mm (-62.5%), 4 x 3 (-75%), 5 x 3 (-40%). 5.1 CM from AV
10/17: LAR, Temp Ileostomy, Path Complete Response
CapeOx (8) 12/17-6/18
7/18: Reversal, Port Removal
2/19: Clean CT