Bowel Blockage With Colorectal Cancer

Anyone Help?

My son, age of only 20, just recently diagnosed with colorectal cancer, it seems there is a road block at every turn, has anyone out there received chemo while expreriencing a blockage,

They have told us, he needs chemo now, as to help shrink

the ever growing tumours, however, due to the blockage, the

chemo could perforate his bowel and he would not recover, as

he would have no immune.  Has anyone had a bowel blockage, and if so, what was able to help, we have run out of time and desperately seeking help and advice.

Hi,

My mother had a metal stent put into her large bowel to help relieve an obstruction.  She had this done in February and although she has had intermitent obstructions in her small bowel, the stent has helped.  The doctors told us that if they were unable to put the stent in then they were going to have to do a colostomy.  I hope this information helps.  Good luck to your son. 

On 9/14/2007 Help, Help wrote:

Anyone Help?

My son, age of only 20, just recently diagnosed with colorectal cancer, it seems there is a road block at every turn, has anyone out there received chemo while expreriencing a blockage,

They have told us, he needs chemo now, as to help shrink

the ever growing tumours, however, due to the blockage, the

chemo could perforate his bowel and he would not recover, as

he would have no immune.  Has anyone had a bowel blockage, and if so, what was able to help, we have run out of time and desperately seeking help and advice.

I had a bowel obstruction in my small bowel two years after the original surgery and it was caused by adhesions in the small bowel around the ileum. It was pretty awful and I spent 17 days in hospital on an IV.It was pretty awful I can tell you.  I have read since then that usually a decision is made within three days of admission of whether or not to undertake surgery because of the obstruction. My case seemed to be an exception.

 As far as treatment is concerned. Your son and yourself have the right to consider what to do after all the treatement options have been presented to you. They have not been presented to you yet -  as surgery can be done first and after surgery is done to remove the tumour/s then the next stage of treatment can be considered. 

 I am concerned about the young age your son has developed bowel cancer. Has he been tested for herditary colon cancers? See below:

Approximately 5% of all colon (large bowel) cancers are directly caused by inherited genetic abnormalities. These hereditary colon cancers often feature colonic polyps or growths that eventually become cancerous. There are several kinds, including familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and a variant called Gardner's syndrome. Another type, hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC), features few if any polyps. Relatively rare hereditary conditions such as Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and juvenile polyposis are not cancer or precancerous conditions but confer on the patient a greater than normal risk of developing colon cancer. Many families with higher than normal rates of colon cancer have one or more of these conditions. While non-hereditary ("sporadic") colon cancer rarely occurs before age 40, hereditary colon cancers often occur in younger people.

To me it sees vital it is established first of all whether or not your son has FAP, or another heriditary condition. If he does then sometimes the whole colon is removed anyway to stop it developing again. And then chemo might not the way forward anyway at this point.

Has your son had a PET scan? This would be one  way to help assess  if any active tumours are presen  outside the colon.  At least he should have had an MRI scan and the results clearly explained. Are there tumours outside the colon and what is the staging of the cancer?

Once you know where the tumour is, if your son has FAP or another genetic condition,  and if there is  detected cancer outside the colon( ie the liver)  then the treatment options can be fully considered. This seems urgent right now. I am sorry you r both in this position. But insist on being given the full range of options. If you are able to, get a second or a third opinion, particularly from a leading cancer hospital if the advice you are getting is not from a leading centre.

It is very difficult to reach a decision when the "experts" are you telling to go ahead with a certain type of treatment. However if you are not happy or feel frightened about the treatment recommended please insist that you are given ALL the treatment options. Bring someone very assetive with you to the appointment and insist on being given the full range of treatment options to include surgery first.

If you feel that chemo with a large tumour blocking his bowel is not the right choice then you and your son have the right to another treatment. Sometimes, as in the case of Farah Fawcett, as I remember, radiation treatment can be done during the surgery:

 You could also try and contact St Marks Hospital in London. They are an international centre for colon surgery and might be able to advise you on options.. One of the surgeons is:

Department of Surgery

Chairman of Department of Surgery

Telephone: 020 8235 4003

Fax: 020 8235 4001

Email: carolynne.vaizey@nwlh.nhs.uk

On 9/15/2007 Hadassah wrote:

 

On 9/14/2007 Help, Help wrote:

Anyone Help?

My son, age of only 20, just recently diagnosed with colorectal cancer, it seems there is a road block at every turn, has anyone out there received chemo while expreriencing a blockage,

They have told us, he needs chemo now, as to help shrink

the ever growing tumours, however, due to the blockage, the

chemo could perforate his bowel and he would not recover, as

he would have no immune.  Has anyone had a bowel blockage, and if so, what was able to help, we have run out of time and desperately seeking help and advice.

 

I had a bowel obstruction in my small bowel two years after the original surgery and it was caused by adhesions in the small bowel around the ileum. It was pretty awful and I spent 17 days in hospital on an IV.It was pretty awful I can tell you.  I have read since then that usually a decision is made within three days of admission of whether or not to undertake surgery because of the obstruction. My case seemed to be an exception.

 As far as treatment is concerned. Your son and yourself have the right to consider what to do after all the treatement options have been presented to you. They have not been presented to you yet -  as surgery can be done first and after surgery is done to remove the tumour/s then the next stage of treatment can be considered. 

 I am concerned about the young age your son has developed bowel cancer. Has he been tested for herditary colon cancers? See below:

Approximately 5% of all colon (large bowel) cancers are directly caused by inherited genetic abnormalities. These hereditary colon cancers often feature colonic polyps or growths that eventually become cancerous. There are several kinds, including familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and a variant called Gardner's syndrome. Another type, hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC), features few if any polyps. Relatively rare hereditary conditions such as Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and juvenile polyposis are not cancer or precancerous conditions but confer on the patient a greater than normal risk of developing colon cancer. Many families with higher than normal rates of colon cancer have one or more of these conditions. While non-hereditary ("sporadic") colon cancer rarely occurs before age 40, hereditary colon cancers often occur in younger people.

 

To me it sees vital it is established first of all whether or not your son has FAP, or another heriditary condition. If he does then sometimes the whole colon is removed anyway to stop it developing again. And then chemo might not the way forward anyway at this point.

Has your son had a PET scan? This would be one  way to help assess  if any active tumours are presen  outside the colon.  At least he should have had an MRI scan and the results clearly explained. Are there tumours outside the colon and what is the staging of the cancer?

Once you know where the tumour is, if your son has FAP or another genetic condition,  and if there is  detected cancer outside the colon( ie the liver)  then the treatment options can be fully considered. This seems urgent right now. I am sorry you r both in this position. But insist on being given the full range of options. If you are able to, get a second or a third opinion, particularly from a leading cancer hospital if the advice you are getting is not from a leading centre.

It is very difficult to reach a decision when the "experts" are you telling to go ahead with a certain type of treatment. However if you are not happy or feel frightened about the treatment recommended please insist that you are given ALL the treatment options. Bring someone very assetive with you to the appointment and insist on being given the full range of treatment options to include surgery first.

If you feel that chemo with a large tumour blocking his bowel is not the right choice then you and your son have the right to another treatment. Sometimes, as in the case of Farah Fawcett, as I remember, radiation treatment can be done during the surgery:

Intraoperative radiation
Intraoperative radiation is the use of radiation during surgery to treat cancerous tumors or other forms of cancer. This treatment decreases the area of affected tissue because a larger dose of radiation can be used. For some people, Intraoperative radiation improves the outcome of their treatment. Intraoperative radiation may be used in addition to external radiation.

 There are more than just one treatment regime and it is an indiviudal choice. .

 You could also try and contact St Marks Hospital in London. They are an international centre for colon surgery and might be able to advise you on options.. One of the surgeons is:

 

Miss. Carolynne Vaizey MD FRCS (gen) FCS/SA

Department of Surgery

Chairman of Department of Surgery

Telephone: 020 8235 4003

Fax: 020 8235 4001

Email: carolynne.vaizey@nwlh.nhs.uk

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for your reply,

At this point, they had pretty much given up on my son,

so far , no genectic connection has been indentified.

I ffel that the doctors are not supportive and have offered

no other treatment, only with great pushing did they start

chemo, Fulfox 4, however they do not offer any hope,

I am dissapointed not only with the hospital, but also

with the Doctors, as we are in Ontario, with very limited

treatment.

Thank you for your information and don't hesitate to offer more.

Sincerely,

Diane T.