Bowel Cancer, transferring treatment to UK advice please

Hi cjb.0809 Do you know where she’d be hoping to have her further treatment then people may have some experience of waiting times at that hospital? Generally they like to start mop up chemo within 8-12 weeks of surgery. I wouldn’t read anything into the fact that they don’t want to discuss it until the next appointment - that may just be due to time restrictions? It also gives you chance to think of any questions that you might have? 

Im going to tag in Sub who recently posted a good news story and you might also like to look at court s mums story

Take care

Karen x

Thanks Kareno62 

We were hoping to transfer to Clatterbridge Centre, but are just mindful that the wait list may stretch longer than the 12 weeks they’ve advised. 
We did consider Royal Marsden in Surrey as well but can imagine the waiting times to be a lot longer. 
Its just the fact that it all seemed positive up until this phone call although I could be reading into it too much, they had previously suggested needing mop up chemo but today she just said further treatment so I’ve been overthinking the conversation. 
I’ll take a look at those stories, thank you x

Hi cjb.0809 . I had a similar diagnosis. Stage 4 bowel cancer that spread to the liver . My treatment was the other way round . I had 5 sessions of radiotherapy followed by 3 months of chemotherapy which shrank the tumours enough to shrink them ready for surgery . Like your mum I had bowel resection in Dec last year and liver resection in February just gone . Pathology reports came back 2 weeks after my final surgery and everything had been removed with good margins for error and the lymph nodes removed were all clear and I had no remains of cancer .  I tried mopping up chemo (just in case ) but the symptoms were quite bad and myself and my oncologist agreed to stop it and just continue monitoring . 

my mopping up chemo started 6 weeks after my liver resection . I’m unsure of waiting times in England but I couldn’t fault the NHS up in Scotland . 

I agree with Karen , I would try and not read too much into what is said/not said , minds can wander and we always think worse case . Trust the oncologist is all I would say . It’s difficult but they know what they’re doing . 

wishing you and your mum all the best going forward . If you need anything else just shout - especially on side affects of the chemo - 

Jimmy x

Clatterbridge and Royal Marsden are more than 200 miles apart. Unless your mums consultant has stated that she needs to be under a centre of excellence then you might find that a local hospital has shorter wait times?
Hopefully your mum will get some more info at her next appointment and we can link you into some posts about chemo etc.

Take care

Karen x

My sister lives in Surrey so we were adding that as an extra option, I did email them a while back but didn’t hear anything back.

Clatterbridge would be the main option as it’s closer to home for most of the family. 

I’m sure we’ll find out more at the next appt, it’s just the waiting in between appts where my mind goes into overdrive.

thanks for replying xx 

Hi cjb.0809 

My mum actually never has had mop up chemo as our health authority at the time followed the clinical reasoning of only treating visible disease and retaining all her treatment options for that .

She has had two liver resections and the last surgeon said it was the oncologist who would decide that . So we went with it .

Not sure if that position has now changed but it might be good to ask what their protocol is alongside waiting times . 
Just another factor to consider .

Take care ,

Court