The aftermath from anal cancer

Hi ,

I really don’t know what to say other than I’m so sorry you’re going through this right now especially after completing your treatment for AC just last year!! 

Unfortunately I think after the initial post treatment scans at around 12 weeks, annual scans are common practice with AC patients as I’ve been told by my surgeon that the best way to check for recurrence is DRE’s. I’m presuming your scans were your annual scans? & you haven’t suffered any symptoms regarding your present diagnosis, therefore it must have come as a tremendous shock. 

Have you spoken to your oncologist yet about a plan of where you go from here? If that hasn’t happened yet please  if you feel the need to speak to someone right now remember you can ring the Macmillan helpline to speak to someone anytime, there’s also the Ask a Nurse facility & there’s also groups for secondary lung & secondary liver cancers (I’m having trouble posting links at the moment to these groups for some reason!) but if you type in the search box the names of these groups it should take you to the group & you may find others going through the same as you are now. 

I really hope you get some answers very soon & a plan for moving forward.

Take care.

Nicola 

Hi 

I am so sorry to hear this, I can only imagine the anger and fear you are feeling.

Recurrence is something that all AC patients have to live with the worry of, so for this to become a reality for you must be totally and utterly overwhelming. I to have annual scans coming up and recurrence is something I’m very anxious about.

Annual scans seem to be the norm in this country. This is something I’ve raised with my oncologist on a number of occasions but I’ve always been assured that more frequent scans are not required, in addition to the 3 monthly DRE’s.

All any cancer patient wants is hope and options so I trust your medical team have a plan for you going forward.

I am a member of an American AC female support group on Facebook. Many of the women have had recurrences, subsequent treatment and have still had positive results. Please let me know if you would like the details as I’m sure you would gain reassurance and support from the women on this site.

In a situation like this your mind will be taking you to the darkest places and the worst case scenarios but the reality is different, you must have hope in what seems like a hopeless situation. This is not the news you wanted, it is going to take a while to process just like when you were originally diagnosed but, you will then stand strong and face whatever treatment is to come along with the hope that it will be successfull. You’ve done it once and you’ll do it again. 

In terms of support right now you can call the Macmillan helpline and speak with a nurse about how you are feeling. You can also email the Macmillan AC surgeon  and gain a second opinion. 

Most importantly keep talking, keep asking questions, research and don’t give up hope. This is just another chapter in the shitty cancer story.

Please respond, tell us what your medical team are recommending and hopefully there will be someone else on this forum who has experienced something similar and can support you through this.

You are not alone, we are here to help you.

Sarah x