Rectal cancer

Hi Angiebaby and a warm welcome to the board. Yes that’s pretty standard treatment for rectal cancer. The chemoradiotherapy is given to shrink the tumour as much as possible before surgery to allow the surgeon to remove it with clear margins ie. clear area around the tumour. The chemo is a low dosage in tablet form which enhances the effect of the radiotherapy. After completion you then have a few weeks break while it continues working before another scan. My tumour was reduced from 4cm to 1cm and if you click on my name then you can see my treatment to date.

The ‘no spread’ is good news and there’s a few on here just starting radiotherapy so you won’t be alone. Please stay away from google - it is out of date and downright scary in places - you can ask anything you like on here. I’ve attached a link to a post about chemoradiotherapy which you might like to have a read of? 

https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/bowel-colon-rectum-cancer-forum/f/new-here-say-hello/227598/radiotherapy-care-top-tips

Take care

Karen x

hi Angiebaby I second everything Karen has said. I had the same - Chemo, radiotherapy and then op. Also how frightening going on Google is. So much you read on it is wrong and downright irresponsible.

Thank you Karen, 

I will have a look at your story, I feel devastated at the moment, tomorrow I go to hospital for my radiotherapy assessment.

Thank you Kath,

unfortunately I have been a lot on Google already.

Hi, Angiebaby, warm greetings. Mine was also initially T3N0 M0, but I went straight to surgery, lump was bigger, but slightly further in I think, so can't comment on the radiotherapy. All the very best though.

ah - that's what I did. Once you've read something you can't forget it.

Thank you Gemmary

Hi I am just a week post rectal cancer surgery just  got home but as I have a hernia  am having difficulty with fitting the bag so it won't  leak woke up with it leaking in the bed changed to another bag leaking within minutes  new bag still leaking so distressing  Also if anyone else still  felt so ill and weak after a week please let me know I took my first shower this morning  and fainted  is this normal?

Hi Angiebaby,

Just wanted to share with you that the treatment can work!  I had the same start as you, five weeks of chemo radiotherapy then a rest as it keeps working, a lower anterior resection, a temporary ileostomy for a year as mine was low down as well, followed by Capox back-up for three months.  It started three years ago with treatment finishing two years ago.

I have just had a call from the surgical team to say that my two year tests are clear with no evidence of re-occurrence.

I hope that your treatment will be as successful and wish you all the best for the future.

John

Congratulations crankshaft  x