Hi Gweneira and a warm welcome to the board. Once all your scan results are back then your consultant will meet with the other specialist teams involved and decide on a treatment plan for you.
Often with rectal tumours there is a 5 week course of chemoradiotherapy (mon-fri radiotherapy with a mild chemo tablet taken to enhance the effect) then a 6-8 week break while the radiotherapy finishes working. Depending on the results of your scan you may then have some full chemo or go straight to surgery. I’ve attached a link to a booklet that I was given at my first meeting which is pretty helpful
If you click on my name then you can see my treatment diary although treatment has evolved since then and ‘post op chemo’ is now given before surgery and often only 4 cycles.
The treatment can be tough but it’s doable - break it into stages and focus on each step at a time. Lots of advice and experience on here so please post if you’ve any questions/worries
With me they considered the potential depth into the wall. I had a pre op to review if they 'scrap ot off'. That was a 30min procedure under general.
They decided they couldn't so it was big op to chop it all out. I has no chemo or radio before. Slow but good recovery. Once it was analysised under the lab it was decided to do 4 rounds follow up chemo just to be sure, I was given all the stats for no chemo or chemo, plus a choice of 3 months tougher chemo or 6 months just tablets. I went 3 months. Finished Tuesday last week. First diagnosed mid November. Plan to return to full time work September (I work in education), but been part time pretty much throughout chemo. Although some days were a right off!!
It is a journey, and you kind have to accept you are on it. Plans and appointments will be quick and I cannot praise my nhs care enough. I fiund preparing with core muscle exercises, pilates etc and after in recovery helped a lot (I was given basics by hospital to do before and after) I followed the Sarah russel programme online also.
Hi Gweneira, try not to over think. I waited 3 weeks after I was told I had an 8 cm rectum tumour at my colonoscopy appointment. The person carrying out the examination got the size of my tumour wrong and after the CT and MRI it was shown to be 4.5 cm it would have been much more difficult to manage my feelings and emotions if I hadn't have pulled myself together and told myself not to worry and wait for the final diagnosis. It helped me massively. My journey was and still is unknown. I have been offered 4 X cycle of CAPOX 8 - week break - 6 weeks of chemo radiotherapy - 8 weeks break Then a rectum removal operation. Its a journey I am going to travel with an open mind as to what the journey will bring. Its so important we don't put ourselves under to much pressure. Staying focused and positive will get you through each day no matter what the future holds. Wellbeing has proven to help with our immune system and overall wellbeing to good health. I hope your diagnosis appointment goes well and you are able to prepare yourself with the armour that you need to protect yourself and your mental health. I am 5 days into my CAPOX chemotherapy and feeling fine. I wish you well and sending you well wishes for your journey X
I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2017....Dukes A.... 4 hour surgery to remove the tumour....no stoma or chemo needed.... final colonoscopy in December 2022.... clear..... hope you have a similar outcome.
Like you I was recently (May) diagnosed with rectal cancer. I was told after a colonoscopy and then had to wait 5 weeks to find out the treatment my doctors have planned for me. I did have a CT, MRI and a surgical pre-assessment in that time. I then spoke to my surgeon who told me what the plan was - 5 days of radiotherapy, followed by 4 cycles of chemotherapy and then after 3-4 months he will operate. Due to the position of the tumour which is quite low down I am likely to have a stoma after the operation, which I’m ok with.
I’ve since spoke to my oncologist (lovely man) who gave me a more precise idea of my oncology treatment plan. He said I should be able to continue driving to my radiation appointments since the side effects will be worst after treatment finishes. But I will be supplied with creams, vaginal dilators and painkillers. The chemotherapy side of things will be Oxilaplatin (IV) and Capecitabine tablets twice a day for a fortnight then I get a weeks break. I should also be able to get the IV chemo in my local hospital.
He told me the tumour was 3cm in length and that it was stage 3 as it had gone into some of the surrounding lymph nodes but wasn’t present in any other organs. But he stressed to me that I shouldn’t focus on that as it didn’t mean anything but I should focus on my treatment, looking after myself and that’s what I am doing.
I still haven’t started treatment, I have a PET scan tomorrow and then I get my radiotherapy tattoo next week. But I am hopeful that I will start treatment in the next 3 weeks.
