Pre op radiotherapy for low (2cm above anus) T3 N1 M0 Rectal Cancer.

Hi Pez2,

My timeline has been as follows: 

Nov 2020 see GP with what I thought was piles, and a couple of bowel urgency incidents.

Dec 2020 Colonoscopy which found rectal tumour, CT scan, MRI scan, saw surgeon for results on 24/12/20 and had colostomy on 29/12/20

Feb-April 2021 4 cycles chemo (Capox)

May-June 2021 CT, MRI and radiology planning scan

June 2021 one week radiotherapy

July 2021 PET scan, sigmoidoscopy...and put on to 3 monthly monitoring plan because the tumour seems to have disappeared. 
The original plan was to have 5 weeks chemoradiation after chemo, followed by an op in September to remove any residual tumour. 

On the one hand,  it sounds a long time, 8 months from start to “finish”, and at times it did feel slow. On the other hand,I look at the huge amount of scans, appointments, treatment and care I have had, and I think wow! The NHS are wonderful! I feel I have been very well looked after. 
I hope your experience is similar and wish you the best of luck with your treatment.

Thank you for the post. My journey seems long winded - i suppose it may have moved a little quicker if they hadn’t found something on my liver hence another MRI today. My specialist has recommended chemoradiotherapy to shrink cancer and surrounding lymph nodes then surgery. Can’t help feeling a little frustrated not moving quicker.

Thankyou Kenny .....always seems like a long wait in between treatments.....im just hoping when I have scans...that the tumour has shrunk enough for an op....I'm a bit worried as I wasn't able to have the 4 courses of oxaliplatin ....but managed most of the capecitabine tablets...a couple of days here and there had to not take them ....

my hands are terrible...bright red and pins and needles...and when they are hanging down...they throb and feel like lead weights....does anyone else have this? and does it go away? Also very sore eyes....

To Pezz..... I was diagnosed in March....initially I was treated for piles....then went back to doctor with continued bleeding...sent for sigmoidoscopy ...the surgeon knew straightaway then it was a cancerous tumour...and said he would have it out within a few weeks....but then things changed....they found a thickening in the uterus...so had to go for histeroscopy...but it was too painful and had to be stopped...so had to wait another few weeks to have it done with general anaesthetic ....which was successful...then had to wait several weeks for result...which thankfully was a benign fibroid....so then the team decided for me to go on the chemoradiotherapy course before any surgery...so from being diagnosed in a March ...I started on first round of xelox end of April ...which was to be 4 months...but stopped after 2..... then a wait of 3 weeks before starting radiotherapy 5 days a week for 51/2 weeks with 6 capecetabine tabkets every day....which I finished 21 July......and now have to wait 6- 8 weeks for scans to see if it's shrunk....and then some sort of surgery.....so it's a long wait.....it's going to be about 9 months from the start of bleeding to when I will hopefully have surgery......I actually did the NHS test for bowel cancer  a month before...which came back negative!!!!! But started bleeding a few weeks later.

i felt that the new test of just testing stools once and putting the tester into a phial of liquid....didn't seem as accurate as the previous test ..where you had to test stools on 3 separate occasions.... 

also....any suggestions how to get rid of the red painful hands...and an itchy rash on my chest...which I've had for weeks....tried germolene...antihistamine tablets and cream...flanamel....udder cream...aveeno cream....nothing is working...so itchy...running out of creams and ideas.....be grateful for any advice ....good luck to everyone ...Irene x

Hi.

I had 6 months of Capacetibine which caused hand and foot syndrome. I tried Udderly Smooth cream but found it no good. The best cream I found was Dermalex Repair + Restore ultra hydrating moisturiser, bought from Boots. I used to apply it and then wear cotton gloves and socks, even in bed. Good luck,

Kim

Thank you for your reply I hope that after my meeting on 19th August I’ll have a date to proceed with treatment

Thanks Kim......I'll try that cream :)  I also didn't think the udder cream helped .....in fact it made the itchy rash on my chest worse

Try Zerobase cream it’s very thick and is working for me but I’ve only just finished Cycle 2 of Capecitabine.

I was soaking my feet in cold water prior to application of zerobase but not sure what to do now as had Oxyoplatin IV this morning so can handle cold water now !?!