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Advice regarding ongoing cancer recovery

Gingertash
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I was diagnosed with stage 3 rectal/ lower bowel cancer last October and underwent chemo and radiotherapy to destroy a cancerous polyp in my lower bowel. A recent meeting with my colon surgeon confirmed that the polyp had been destroyed and there was no sign of any cancer within the bowel or surrounding lymph nodes.  

E He said I needed to consider 2 options for ongoing treatment….

1.  To have 3 monthly intensive investigations including MRI, blood tests, colonoscopy etc to ensure there was no reoccurrence of any cancer.  These 3 monthly investigations to go on for 2 years minimum..

2.Have major surgery to remove lymph nodes and some of the lower bowel and reconnect it.  The result of the operation would involve having a temporary stoma which could end up being permanent.

i am 75 later this year and would like to hear your views on the pros and cons of each option as I’m not sure which direction to take.

  • Dear Gingertash

    Thanks for getting in touch with us and welcome to our online community. I hope you find it a helpful and supportive way to communicate with others. My name is Joanne and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurse Specialist’s on the  Macmillan Support Line

    It sounds like you’ve had a very good response to your radiotherapy and chemotherapy which is excellent news, and you now need to decide on the next stages of your treatment plan. You have been offered two very different options and both have pros and cons.

    The first option is regular surveillance. This is to look for any signs of recurrence of your cancer. The tests involved, especially colonoscopy, are invasive but much less so than major surgery. This option is physically less demanding, but you may experience anxiety in the lead up to the tests and whilst waiting for the results. Some people find this constant cycle of investigations psychologically exhausting. Surveillance does not reduce the risk of the cancer returning but aims to diagnosis it quickly if it does.

    The second option major surgery, it will take time to recover and as you say you may have a permanent colostomy or have a second operation several months later to reverse a temporary colostomy. By removing the affected area of your bowel and surrounding lymph nodes it allows your specialist team to examine them under the microscope. This can give them valuable information on how well your cancer responded to previous treatment and may reduce the risk of the cancer coming back in the future. It’s important to understand that after this surgery you will still need some form of surveillance so you may still need colonoscopy, scans and blood tests.

    There is no easy answer to help you make a decision, other factors such as your general health and any other health conditions also need to be considered. You may find it helpful to talk your decision through with family and/or friends. You should also think about questions to ask your healthcare team and arrange an appointment with your specialist nurse. They will be able to go through the surgery, the recovery and stoma care with you in detail.

    I also wonder if you might benefit from giving our support line a call. We often find we can explain our answers in a bit more detail over the phone, giving you the opportunity to ask more questions if needed

    I hope you’ve found this information helpful and if there is anything else we can help you with please feel free to get back in touch.

     

    Best wishes

    Joanne, Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

     

    You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.

     

    Ref/ JF/IY

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