My father was diagnosed with rectal cancer

Hi Sun_shine and a warm welcome to the board. You might find a few of the tips in the post below helpful although some might not be relevant if he’s already started treatment.

 Radiotherapy care top tips ! 

I found the treatment to be very tolerable and the capecitabine is a low dose of chemo which enhances the effect of the radiotherapy. The only real side effect that I had was prickly gritty feet so I kept them well moisturised and the feeling disappeared within a couple of weeks of stopping treatment - the radiotherapy continues working for a few weeks after the actual treatment finishes and that’s why there is an 8 week wait before scanning. 

The main side effects that others have experienced are fatigue, diarrhoea, sickness and sore skin. There are tablets and lotions to combat all these and the radiographers will check that he’s ok and also look for any reddening of his skin. 

It’s good to hear that your dad is feeling positive and engaged as chemoradiotherapy can be very effective at shrinking a tumour. Please keep us updated?

Take care

Karen x

Hello Sun-shine,

If you click on my name you can read a sense of treatments and timescales.

Best

Dulac

Dear Karen, 

Thank you for replying to my post and it is heartwarming.

Untill now, he does not have any side effects, but he just had 2 sessions. 

My father is drinking plenty of water and I bought him lotions to avoid or make some side effects less. 

My father lives alone, so I am also cooking some meals, to make sure he eats good food and helps his immune system.

I will update about his journey.

Warm wishes

Hello Dulac, 

Thank you for reacting to my post and I have ready your story, which gives strength and motivation for this journey. 

A positive mind has a lot of strength on this too. 

Warm wishes, 

I'm sorry your father is going through this but it's great that he has a positive mindset. Similar to what Kareno62 mentioned, my main side effects were diarrhea (stay close to a bathroom!) and fatigue. I did get some skin burns near the end of treatment but the cream cleared those up and it's only temporary.  

Yup, gritty toes

Dear Susan13,

Thank you for sharing your experience and I have read your story.

Indeed, what the doctors mostly refer to is the diarrhea and moisturize hands and feet.

Warm wishes

Hy Sun_shine,

I am sorry that your father has the problem. I just wanted to share with you both that I was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer in 2019 at the age of 73. I also had 25 weeks of chemoradiotherapy and it really did work well. I almost didn't have surgery. However, I did and had an ileostomy for a year together with back up chemo.

Like Karen I tolerated the treatment ok and there was always someone to go to with any minor problems and plenty of advice here.

The good news is that the treatment works and after five years I have recently been declared free of cancer so please tell your father to stay positive and wish him all the best from me.

All the best, John

Hello John,

Thank you for your reply to my message.

I read your story and it gives strenght. 

My father has done 6 sessions by now and yesterday he had an appointment with the oncologist, and his blood tests were all fine. Hoping for it to go this way along his journey.

Warm wishes,

Susana