Hello, fellow-sufferers.
Brief history: diagnosed stage 4 colorectal cancer with lung mets in 2019 age 36(F). Colostomy, 6 months FOLFIRI, microwave ablation to 8 lung mets across both lungs, pelvic radiotherapy, 3 months FOLFOX, lower anterior resection, 3 months FOLFOXIRI + Bevacizumab, left lung resections, then right lung resections. All that took 3 years, then I was NED for just about 4 years. Then a tumour popped up at the bottom of the trachea, and grew very rapidly, causing breathing difficulties. I had emergency debulking surgery about 1 month ago.
My question is, what next? Does anyone have any experiences that may be relevant? It looks like the options are surgery or radical radiotherapy, or surgery followed by radiotherapy. Apparently once you've had the radiotherapy surgery is no longer an option.
I'm really worried about the side effects of radiotherapy. It could affect my heart, lungs and will definitely make the trachea stiff and probably narrowed. The pelvic radiotherapy I had caused early menopause and dryness and irritable bladder, none of which will ever get any better.
I'd love to hear from anyone who's had radiotherapy in that area, or nearby (tracheal tumours are quite rare). Or anyone who's had a tracheal resection?
Thank you for reading 
Hi Kez7 and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.
I’m Anne, one of the Community Champions here on the Online Community, and although I've had different cancer diagnoses to you I know how worrying different treatments can be.
The online community is divided into different support groups so I'm going to recommend that you join the head and neck cancer group as you'll then connect directly with others who have the same type of cancer as you.
To join, just click on the link I've created and, once you've joined, you can start a new post in the same way as you did here and join in with existing conversations by clicking on 'reply'.
It would be great if you could put something about your diagnosis and proposed treatment into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
