Hi,
I have just been diagnosed with anal cancer.
I'm 34 years old with 3 children 14, 10 and 9 weeks old. Started suffering with what I was told was piles after having my little one 9 weeks ago. The pain was so severe I was on the phone to my gp every few days in tears explaining I was in agony and it wasn't going away just getting bigger. She refused to see me and kept telling me to use creams and it would go away. 5 weeks post partum I went to a&e where after examination I was told I had rectal prolapse but then seen by a surgeon who said no it was prolapsed piles and sent home with more cream. Well this pile continued to get worse so went back to a&e on the 23rd march and demanded something was done. Finally they listened and took me seriously as I now had a swollen vagina and discharge from this area. A CT scan was done and found a large mass around 5cm inside my anus so had biopsy done and more scans. On the 31st I was told the devastating news and the "prolapsed pile" is infact a tumour. I was discharged on the 2nd april with lots of medication for the excruciating pain as they wont remove the tumor on the outside as surgeon said radiotherapy has a greater success rate but not with a open wound. I have my first appointment with doctor at christies hospital next week to discuss stage and treatment.
This has came as such a shock to me and my family and i am absolutely terrified.
Would love to speak with people that have been through this or are going through this at the moment.
Thank you x
Hi again Will beat this,
I know you’ve said you’re due to see your Dr at Christie’s on Tuesday, I’m presuming this appointment is with your oncologist to discuss treatment etc., hopefully he’ll get your planning scans booked quickly with you being in such discomfort, in no uncertain terms make them aware of how much pain you’re in!!
Your planning scans will map the area that needs zapping with the radiotherapy & you’ll probably have little ink dot tattoos done to assist in lining you up on the radiotherapy machine, I have one on the outer side of the top of each thigh & one at the front on my pubic bone, you wouldn’te know they were there if I didn’t point them out, the planning scans are just like the others you’ve already had done. My treatment began approximately two weeks after my planning scans etc., but this timeframe may be different at different hospitals I’m not quite sure on that one.
Anal cancer isn’t usually an aggressive, fast growing cancer & I’m wondering if with you having your baby just a few weeks ago if maybe the birth has caused the tumour to prolapse & that’s why it’s now on the outside opposed to being inside? Anal cancer by definition is very low down, often right on the anal verge, any higher they’d then be classed as rectal tumours I presume… I’ve been here for over 3 years now & there’s definitely been other members here that have experienced what you are with the tumour protruding outwards.
Please make your Dr’s aware how painful/uncomfortable this is for you, they may be able to offer alternative pain relief for now & hopefully they’ll hurry things along for you to start treatment. The radiotherapy should noticeably shrink the tumour over the weeks you’re in treatment but it also continues to work for some time after your last session.
I hope all goes well tomorrow.
Nicola
I would still mention at your appointment tomorrow that the pain relief is doing little for you there may be a different combination of drugs/creams they can give you that would help more. I had surgery prior to treatment but only because I was caught so early, I was given oramorph & it did absolutely nothing whatsoever for me, it just caused me to get constipated! Although it doesn’t sound much I got more relief from combining paracetamol & ibuprofen 2 hourly.… It’s good that your MDT meeting has already taken place which means there should be a definite plan of action in place ready for your appointment tomorrow & if you agree to the treatment they’re suggesting things should start moving hopefully pretty quickly for you. I’ll be thinking of you tomorrow, if you feel up to it please let us know how it goes.
Nicola
