Recently diagnosed

Hi 

I just want to welcome you to the forum . I think we have all had the temptation to consult Doctor Google only to spend the next few days trying to pick ourselves off the floor .

Bowel cancer that has spread to the liver actually can have a few treatment options . It can’t be fully interpreted against other primary cancers that have spread to the liver . However it’s still a difficult diagnosis that requires a good treatment plan .

They are inclined to send all patients with any other organ involvement straight to chemo . This can be a very good plan as it not only starts working on shrinking the visible spread but can also tackle any stray cells . They then scan and reassess to see the best option for the next step . Some patients you will notice do well with a maintenance dose of chemo and live for many years treating it like a chronic condition. Other have chemo breaks and can have months on / off chemo as required . For others it opens up other options . Depending on size and location they may be referred to a liver surgeon who operate with curative intent . There are other treatments that come with a criteria like Radio Frequency Ablation . Depending on cell type some patients are shifting to the new immunotherapy treatments . There are many ways to tackle this and they will work out the best approach for you . For some people chemo can be pretty powerful. It has turned my mum from inoperable to operable twice . She had a significant spread that changed to become significant shrinkage ! 

Sge was diagnosed back in 2009 , had two years worth of treatment then several years off. If you click on my user name you can read her full story . It’s a difficult situation but not one without hope . Bowel cancer also has many chemo options for the oncologist to use . So I hope it gives you a bit more insight into how they may proceed .

You have to be very careful with Google . Some information is dated or lumped in with different primary types . The good news is you are a statistic of one . It’s how your body that responds to treatment is all that matters .

As someone once said Dr Google would be struck off for failure to keep up to current practice .

Take care ,

Court 

Hi Red1966

I understand how you feel, I had a tumour removed from the sigmoid colon in septemeber and count myself lucky i am recovering well, cancer was also detected in the lymph nodes so have been having chemo tablets ( capecitabine ) for the last 3 months, hopefully my last round will be in january after todays blood test, i hope you see there is a light at the end of this by all the information seen on this forum, i know its hard to accept but there are no alternatives and believe me i have explored all of them.

I was adamant that they was not going to remove part of my bowel but for me i had to accept it was the only way forward, i'm sure you will come to terms with your treatment when its fully explained to you the process and recovery, wishing you all the best.

TG

Ye that moment when you are told is like nothing else. It’s the unknown that makes it so scary. You’ve got to try and think to yourself how you felt prior to knowing and hold on to that feeling until the docs tell you their plan. And they will have a plan. As they say, it’s ok not to feel ok so make sure you allow yourself to be how your instinct tells you to be. But also set yourself a date where you can decide to think more positively. It’s tough, but allowing yourself to think positively really does help. When I was diagnosed after a couple of weeks of shock I decided it was the doctors problem to worry about, not mine. I then went and did stuff that made me happy, walking, TV, chocolate that sort of thing  Slowly you’ll get info about what the docs plan is and you’ll understand a little bit more and it won’t be as scary. Just got to try and focus on that. Start today if you can by doing something you enjoy. And defo don’t read Google - amazingly it’s one of the things I did not do at all, very little point because your situation will be completely specific to you so no-one else can tell you other than your doc. Seriously, in three years time you’ll look back at all these messages from all these people and realise we are right :-)

Thank you so much for everyone who responded.  This is still very raw to me and it's  one battle I will fight and win and I will not let it beat me.

Hi Red 1966 It is a shock, I got mine through th bowel test. I’ve had no spread. I had chemo radiation which I had a good response but I’ve got another scan on 6 th so I might have to have surgery. The thing I did was google google google. So I’m on anti depressants. So please take the advice and don’t google. Take care Nelly

that has just happend to us husband had colon cancer last year went for what we thought was his final all clear scan  in nov had to go for mir on liver said    they were sum  shadows oon it   waiting for docor to look at the scan  to see iff op  available