I cant decide, Chemo or not?

Hi,

I’ve been there had 3 lymph nodes affected. Ultimately the decision has to be yours. All I would say is I had adjuvant treatment for 6 months it kept me cancer free for 10 years. I would do it all again. My cancer has returned but I’ve no regrets because I gave it my best shot. 

Go for it!  Different treatments are not for everyone. My husband's chemo unfortunately stopped because he became ill in cycle 4 and his CT showed he had a spread to his pelvis. They are now worried about his kidney function as his last blood test showed a slight reduction in kidney function. He had scarring on his kidney after his operation back in January to remove his tumour but unfortunately it came back in May/June. Don't know if it was the chemo that caused him to be illand he may now have to have a stent or nephostromy done as he had fluid retention and his kidneys had swollen slightly. There's no other way round it for him because he's been told if he doesn't get one of the procedures done his kidneys could stop working and shut down. We just now need to wait and see what other treatment will be available for him once his kidneys have been sorted.

Hi

My view:

Stats and numbers are nothing more than that, stats and numbers. They apply to a whole bunch of other people and not you.

We all react differently, and you must make your own decision. 

I had only 1 out of 37 lymph nodes that showed any signs of spread, but was advised to have 4 cycles of chemo (infusions and tablets) as a precaution.

I didn't want the treatment but decided that it would be the wise thing to do. However, I didn't get on well with the infusions as they made me feel quite poorly, and so (after discussion with the surgical team) we agreed I would replace the remaining 2 infusions (I had the first 2) with a further 6 cycles (2 weeks on, 1 week off) of capecetabine. I had minor reactions (felt the cold, loss of taste and general low mood) during the 2 weeks on and ok after. The drugs took a few weeks to leave my system after the final cycle (October 21) but I was fit again by Christmas. This year I've become fitter and stronger and now live a very full life. 

I guess the chemo helped but will never lnow for sure as I was (and am) always positive, and believe that helps to heal in its own right. 

If you don't have the chemo, you may always wonder? 

Good luck in your decision and journey

Richard

how old are you Hymer?    how aggressive were your cancer cells?... well differentiated?, poorly differentiated, evidence of budding?, TIL's?, etc etc   there are so many other factors that come into play rather than just the lymph node. i would advise you have a very long read of your histology report and understand every piece of terminology and its significance  

hopefully your cancer will not return BUT how will you feel if you dont have chemo and it comes back? ..... if you have chemo it may come back anyway ... my advantage was only in reality 2-3% but on both my courses i grabbed ANY lifeline with both hands to maximise my chances of long term survival. 

hi i am in exactly the same position as you. ive researched it too and my oncologist couldnt offer any more than 4.5% success rate but also couldnt say if id be one of those within that 4.5% so it begs the question as to if its worth it.

i have young children and the fear of leaving them behind is overwhelming so i want to do all i can with no regretts if possible.

i could be one of those people within the 4.5% but even when i complete a 6 month course of full strength capacetibine they still cant say if there was any benifit.

its a job to know what to do for the best but ive decided to go ahead as my thoughts are if it becomes too much then i could stop.

i guess id have to hope that it will have helped me but i will never know.

what worries me more is bowel cancer seems to come back again within a 3 to 5 yr period hence i guess they monitor us for 5 yrs.

id say go for it but everyones different and i wish you all the best.

Hi,

Im just going to interject here if you don’t mind. I had stage 3 small bowel cancer poorly differentiated. I took the adjuvant chemo. I’m still here 10 years later. I don’t know if or not I would still be here if I never had the chemo. 

My cancer has returned but I have no regrets I would do it all over again. It’s all ifs and buts. 

Only you can make this very important decision it’s your life. I always Believe any decisions I make in life are the right decisions for me then I never have any regrets. 

Good luck with your journey. 
P.S I’ve had 10 great years. 

.I like others decided to throw everything possible at it then if it did come back I would have no regrets and could say that I had tried my best.I had capox and whilst I cant say its pleasant,you do get through it and come out the other side with a sense of achievement.

All the best with your decision.

Kath

I also had a left hemicolectomy in May '19. I had no cancerous lymp nodes; however, I had veinous invasion, which was also very close to the site of the tumour. I met with the Oncologist, who said my histology did not warrant any adjuvant chemo. However, March '20, two small lung nodule mets. were discovered after a CT scan. I was then offered eight cycles of Capox, with the view that it would shrink the nodules, prior to a lung ablation procedure. I refused the Oxyplatin infusions, & just opted for the oral Capecitabine - which I tolerated well for five cycles, before developing Palmar Plantar in my hands & feet, which became a little unpleasant to deal with.However, the Tabs. managed to shrink the lung mets, & I was able to have the lung ablation in Oct '20. Since then, I have been cancer free.

I would say - give it a try, as four cycles is a relatively short time. The Chemo is cumulative; so if you were to present with any unpleasant side effects, the dosage can be lowered, or even stopped at any stage.

Obviously, it's a very personal decision, & I wish you the best of luck with your choice.

Best wishes

Marianne

Hi. 
This is a tough decision to make when you weigh up the pros and cons. 
I haven’t had to make the same decision as I wasn’t offered chemo though I was going towards going for it if needed. 
I was offered a reversal which is life changing and I took my time in making my decision. I don’t have regrets.The what if. Doesn’t set well with me. 
Have you talked to your oncologist? 
It may be a discussion worth having before you decide 

Hope all goes well with whatever you decide 

Try this, some people dont like them but I found in helpful, requires some quite detailed info mskcc.org/nomograms/colorectal