Anal cancer

Hi I have just finished the same treatment and understand how awful this is. It does get worse do be warned but I stopped using the cream and was given polymem dressings to use. They are dry dressings and they did help until I finished treatment. After that the burns were so bad I was bed bound and couldn't have anything on them. It was awful but they turn around quickly once they start to heal. I am nearly  3 months post treatment now and still tender but have healed well. Good luck 

Hi Donna thank u for u reply well I just hope I don't get as bad as u they have said they can give me morphine I've still go 13days to have u had your 3 month check up yet I hope it is gud news for you take care. 

Hi. I was on a lot of morphine,  still.take 80mg daily so it does help..take it if you need it. It got much worse in the final 2 weeks of treatment and again for 2 weeks after.  Just brace yourself..I hope it's not as bad for you but I would do it all again if it cured me. I have my 12 week MRI on Monday and my consolation on may 1st.  I was very ill before treatment and had a large tumour 10cm square. Also tumours outside my body which have gone..the treatment is punishing but effective. .fingers crossed for us both. .the lovely weather helps promote a sunny outlook.  I am fully mobile and enjoying life again. Just this lock down spoiling things but it will be over soon enough.  Good luck with everything x

Wow u been through it then u must be made of rock my tumour is 4cm I was told 12 months ago it was plies but things didn't get any better so I went back to doctors I was shocked but I'm staying very positive that I will be this and I hope u do as wel cud u please let me know how u get on with I really hope its gud news stay safe speak again soon x

Hi Fudge Millie

whilst the treatment area gets painful towards the end of treatment your ‘burnt bits’ recover quite quickly after its conclusion. Towards the end of treatment I wore ‘maxi dresses’ and went commando and in the privacy of my bedroom exposed all to the air. One thing I found really helped alleviate the pain were oat baths. Put porridge oats into a mesh bag / foot of tights or pop sock and hang under the flow of hot water when running a bath. When the bath is run squeeze the oat ‘bag’ to extract as much ‘colloidal’ as possible. The oat bath really does help ease the pain. The extract from the oats help form a protective barrier, helps retain moisture and eases inflammation. I highly recommend them for anyone going through this treatment and suffering ‘burnt, broken and inflamed’ skin. Hopefully your treatment is nearing its end and healing will begin.  Stay brave it’s almost over. Stay safe. 

Best wishes

Angelfeather x 

Hi thank u so much for your advice I will definitely give that ago I've still go t 13 more raido therapy with that 5 days of chemotherapy I'm trying to stay very positive knowing an end is near

Hi,

I used aloe vera gel and hypercal cream in the genital area. Also took vitamin A. 

Good luck to you

x

Hi - my tumor was 7 mm, about size of a lime I'm told and like you went through chemoradiation. I got burnt pretty badly and used a burn cream [went through nearly 2 jars of it] and was on Norco for a time [even Norco plus additional morphine for a short time]. I also did sitz baths - using the kind that sits on your toilet and you put warm water in it. I'd do sitz baths about 3 times a day. So sorry you're having to go through this but I can attest that it does get better. Now at 3 and 1/2 months post treatment all my burns and dead skin are gone [new skin is tender], I'm completely off pain meds and don't need sitz baths or special creams. Although I do use baby powder in the tenderest area to keep it protected. Hang in there! Do what you can to get through it. At the worst of it I would just sit in the comfiest spot I had on the sofa with my legs spread far apart, took my pain meds and binge watched my favorite shows. Now those days are memories. Yours will be too. Sending you all good thoughts. 

Hi thank you for your reply it really isn't nice Ive still got 13days left so I know the worse is yet to come I'm trying to stay really positive thanks for the tips I will ues them hope u r wel and ay that way we didn't ask for this I just hope I don't have to experience anything like this again

Hi , 

The skin reaction varies from person to person depending on the level of radiation involved but inevitably it gets worse toward the end of treatment & mine peaked 11 days after treatment had finished. I used the creams my radiotherapy/oncology teams provided (flaminal during treatment & Flamazine once treatment had finished) I was also offered morphine & codeine painkillers but unfortunately any of the opiate based painkillers constipated me & that’s something you really don’t want at that time! A couple of members on here were offered different dressings including morphine dressings when things got really sore & I found I was most comfortable in an Epsom salt bath. As it’s been mentioned though as soon as your reaction has peaked healing seems to happen really quite quickly. It’ll be 2 years next month that I began my treatment & to date I’m NED. It’s not a nice process but generally very effective in the treatment of AC. 

Wishing you the very best of luck with the rest of your treatment, keep checking off those days & it’ll soon be over. 

Nicola