Hi Gaz, I had 25 fractions of LCCRT, 23 Jul until 26 Aug; I think I may have been fortunate with limited side effects. The radiotherapy, for me, was painless; assumed side effects was increased passing mucus and frequency/ urgency of need to use the loo. Chemotherapy had a couple of bouts of diarrhoea, some stomach pain but when all told not as bad as I had expected. Everyone is different, to a certain point, I have assumed the side effects were from LCCRT they could just as easily have been the cancer symptoms. Best of luck.
Hi Gaz791105 The chemo is in tablet form and quite a low dosage which enhances the effects of the radiotherapy. I found it to be very doable and the only side effect was a gritty feeling on the soles of my feet which passed after the course had finished. I’ve attached a link to a post that we did a while ago about it. The radiographers keep a close eye on you and can help with creams and tablets for any problems
I am 1 month post chemoradiation treatment for anal rectal sqamous cancer.
I am also member of the Macmillan anal cancer forum and we have lots of recent experiences, shared info that you might want to read. We have contributions from women and men which might give you insight and support regarding your future treatment.
I have had great info from this site and the anal cancer forum, which has really helped my recent treatment.
It can be very daunting at this stage, but we are all here to support. I have posted quite a bit on the anal cancer site, if you want me to go through my recent experiences I am happy to give more information.
As other members have said the symptoms vary, but will give you my experiences and some of the info I have read on the Anal cancer forum.
Starting with the chemo, it's normally IV on the first and last session and tablets taken inbetween.
Sickness is common, mine felt a bit like travel sickness, but others have been physically sick. Your team can help with meds and most people respond well.
I personally felt a little fatigued with the chemo, still did my normal stuff but slower. You can feel very tired and need complete rest. This might be the chemo, but the radiotherapy can also cause fatigue.
Most people experience bowl changes from the chemo and the radiotherapy. Urgency, diahrria and constipation are all symptoms. Again your team will help you with this.
For many including myself, no initial symptoms of the radiotherapy. When the symptoms start you might feel swelling, burning, broken skin and pain going to the toilet is very common. Your skin will be burnt inside and out due to the treatment and the degree of pain varies from person to person. I managed with paracetamol, but many require stronger pain relief due to broken painful skin and pain going to the toilet.
After treatment the radiotherapy keeps working and the pain increases due to the external and internal burns. For me this lasted about 10 days. For many receiving treatment this is the worst time, but pain relief will be available from your team.
Going to the toilet, constipation and diarrhea are the ongoing problems for some (I had a stoma operation before treatment). Bleeding, swelling, mucosa may be a problem.
Most of the symptoms start to subside, but toilet urgency and painful BMs can continue due to proctitis.
The treatment is really doable for most and the time flies once you get started.
If you need more info on creams and shared best practices to get you through the treatment, lots of info on the Macmillan anal forum. We also have guys sharing their experiences, which might be helpful for you.
Wishing you the very best of luck with your treatment.
To be honest I did not have any really bad symptoms, I took the chemo tablet then went to hospital for the radiotherapy, and came back and took another tablet, this went on for 5 weeks. The only thing was a got a bit burnt in my private parts, but was given cream which did help. I also felt very tired so when I got home from hospital usually had a lay down. It worked and shrunk the tumour, so after a few more months they operated....that was 2 years ago..so do hope all goes well with you to.
I’m on week 4 of combined treatment (total 5 weeks) I was fine for first 2 weeks but after that diarrhoea and abdominal pain kicked in and I’m struggling now looking towards the finish post. Have felt very tender in pelvic area. It’s difficult to get out of house and get to appointments now but managing it. Others on this blog seem to have done much better so hope you are as lucky.
I tolerated this treatment very well overall. I did develop diarrhea and some fecal incontinence. Word to the wise: consider adult diapers for the last couple of weeks of treatment. The peace of mind is priceless. Also, if you need to travel far for treatment, line up bathroom stops along the way.
I also had burns in the private area and the burns keep getting worse for a short time after you finish treatment. But they do resolve.
Some damage to the pelvic floor muscles is normal. My surgery resulted in 2 permanent ostomies so that made no difference to me. But there is pelvic floor physical therapy that can help you recover from that damage if needed.
