Male 31 just had colonoscopy and they found a 50mm tumor

Hi Chris24 and a warm welcome to the board. My first advice to people is always to stay away from google - it can be scary, out of date and you can end up following link after link. Here’s a link to a booklet that I was given at my first appointment that may help with jargon, what to expect etc. 

https://bowelcancerorguk.s3.amazonaws.com/Publications/Bowel_Cancer_UK_Your_Pathway_V10.1.pdf

Size does not matter! The staging (which is officially done after surgery but may be given as an indication on diagnosis) depends on how far the tumour has grown into the bowel wall, whether there is any suspected spread to lymph nodes and whether the scans show any spread to other organs.

Bowel cancer is notoriously slow growing but very treatable. If you click on my name then my profile page will show my treatment to date. I was diagnosed in 2016 with a 4mm rectal tumour and I’m still ‘no evidence of disease’ as are the 2 ladies that I became good friends with who were diagnosed at the same time. 

The next couple of weeks waiting for scan results can be very stressful but once you have a treatment plan in place then things will honestly feel a bit better.

We’re all at different stages of treatment and recovery on here and happy to help and support you through yours. Feel free to ask anything you like - there’s nothing too daft or embarrassing on here

Take care

Karen x

Hi Chris, so sorry for your recent diagnosis & the inevitable period of worrying that you may experience. Although I am twice your age, I was diagnosed in early August with a 55mm malignant tumour which was confirmed after a ct scan. Late August it was removed laporascopically along with parts of the colon above and below (about 25mm each side) along with local lymph nodes. 6 hours of surgery! Pathology found no indication of spread in lymph nodes, but the tumour was close to a blood supply in the colon wall so adjuvant chemo is next on the list, early October. It is what it is, I've stopped Google ing the cancer as there's so much rubbish out there! I can't change the prognosis or the future. We are all different. Whatever happens I'm chilled about the situation and will deal with whatever comes next. Stay strong, nil illegitimi carberundum! 

Hi Chris 

Im so sorry to hear your news. I’m sure it is very frightening but bowel cancer is very treatable. My dad was diagnosed in May with a 64mm tumour which had spread to the liver 46mm. He has undergone 5 sessions of chemo and his 6th and final is this Friday. His CT and MRI taken this week show the chemo has shrunk the tumours to 22mm and 19mm. He’ll have surgery on the bowel and possibly ablation on the liver. Technically he is stage 4 but with bowel cancer this is slightly different and does not mean what is portrayed and thought of as stage 4 by lay people. Stage 4 just means that it has spread outside of the original site to another organ but it’s still very treatable!! Try not to focus on staging as every cancer and person is individual. I know you’re scared but you are in good hands. 

hi Karen,  

Thankyou for the reassurance and the information leaflet. It’s a lot to take in at the moment and I’m just a little worried. I am sure I will feel better when I have had the scans and know what I am actually fighting. At the moment it’s all unknown and very intimidating.

thanks again for information 

Hi Phil 

thanks for sharing your story. Good luck with the rest of your treatment it looks like you are smashing and that’s amazing to read 

looks like you beat me at 55mm. 

it’s reassuring to read it wasn’t all over for you as soon  as they spouted because as soon as I saw the report and the size and googled it I have self diagnosed myself at stage 4 and the worse case. I have decided to steer clear of Google for now as it’s causing me more harm then good. 

I just want to get my scans out the way to see what it is I’m fighting. 

Thankyou for sharing your story, do let me know how you get on mate, I can tell by your writing you are a fighter and will beat it 

Hi Jen, 

Thankyou for sharing that story, it’s nice to know that the size really does not matter. In my head I was worrying and panicking that it’s been spotted too late. 

I will not know until I’ve had the scans and I’m hoping they come through quickly as the waiting is driving me mad and it’s only been one day. 

Thankyou for sharing that story and I wish your dad all the best on his fight and recovery. If I’m half as strong as he is, I’ll be ok 

Hello Chris24,

There is a lot of jargon that the medics use for their own communication purposes, so don't get too hung-up on it. A colonoscopy revealed that I had a large lesion approx 13cm long and later confirmed as T4a, with clear lymph nodes. I never took much notice of that and just wanted the threat removed, which it was. A 6 1/2 hour operation sorted me out and I have two stomas as a consequence; one is active and one is passive. If I had the active stoma (ileostomy) reversed it would mean that the passive stoma (colostomy) would become active, so I didn't see much point in that.

Surgery was 2 1/2 years ago and life has been (nearly) back to normal since then. I am 73 and suggest you go with the flow and don't waste time worrying about the future; just keep busy each day doing the things you have always done.

As a lot of us here have learned, it might not be as bad as you think!

Best,

Dulac

Hi Chris.

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, the way you are feeling is absolutely natural.  Hang on in there.

In September last year, I was also diagnosed with a 50mm tumour. I had open surgery to remove the growth in November, followed by mop up chemo.  They advised that I could possibly lose an ovary, but fortunately that didn't happen, the tumour had not attached to any other organ, although it was in 7 lymph nodes out of the 37 they removed. No stoma.

Not once did I ask what stage I was, I just didn't want to know.

Just had my second routine CT scan, all is good.  

Ps. No weight loss, no blood, no exhaustion.  Low iron and increased toilet activities, raised alarms.

Good luck to you.  

Hi Chris, there are more young people being diagnosed now (I know 2 women around your age) and I'm sure you must be very worried. 

I have found it helpful to tell myself that now they've found it I can concentrate on working with them to treat it. Because that is all the patient can really do. Keep as fit as you can because it helps with the treatment and focus on what to do today or tomorrow. I am sure your children will help there.

I used to know someone whose catchphrase was 'Don't awfulize, it doesn't help'. Perhaps that will help you. And my advice is to leave details like grading etc to your team - and only look at reputable sites like Macmillan or Bowel Cancer charities for info on your cancer. Their booklets etc are properly written and downloadable.

Meanwhile this site can help you realise you aren't alone. Whatever cancer we have or had, we know how you feel and we've all learnt or are learning to take each day as it comes.

Good luck

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