anal cancer

I am a 48 yo female recently diagnosed with anal cancer, stage 1. I had slight bleeding, which i followed up with a colonoscopy(for what I thought was a hemmorhoid) and a 2cm. tumor was found.
I had a port a cath inseerted yesterday in the hospital, in preperation to start 5fu and mitamycin chemo via a pump Monday. I am scheduled to start radiation Tuesday.
Has anyone been thru this? I hear the rad. can be rough, especially after the first week or 2 due to radiation burns.
Would love to chat with someone else who has been in this situation. Thanks

I sent you a private message

Jaynee

I may be doing something wrong, but I couldn't open the message. Thanks for responding.

Here is what I wrote in the original message.

 

You probably won't find anyone on this site.  However, when I was diagnosed with rectal cancer, I went to a yahoo site for anal and rectal cancer.  I did not realize that there was a difference-particularly in squamous cell (anal) and the typical rectal (adenocarcinoma).  Anyway, I am still a member of that group and they are absolutely a wonderful bunch of people.  Please go to that group and sign up and ask questions for any of them.  Diane, KD, Barb, and others are fantastic sources of information.

I hope this works.  Go to http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/anal-cancer/ and hopefully you can sign it or join. They will all be able to answer your questions about treatments, stats, survivals, side effects, etc.  I can also give you info about radiation treatments as I had that for rectal cancer.  Email if you want some tips on things to do and not to do during rad treatments.

 

Good luck

Jaynee 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I messed something up on the last link.  In the link it says  'anal cancer/ '

 

The word 'and' after that is NOT part of the link.  Please delete the word 'and' in the address bar.  It was a part of my paragraph and NOT a part of the address.  If it is left in, you won't be able to get to the group.  Hope that mades sense.  Let me know how things work out for you.

Jaynee

are you going to have the anus removed? if so think about surgery first while you have most of your strength. radiation will sap your reserves, damage your immune system and the side effects could be hell

Hope not, as they are going to do that as a last resort if chemo and rad. don't work,they think it will.

Hi,

I am a 50 year old female who had a rectal cancer (Stage 1) very near the anus.  I had chemo and radiation, then a transanal excision.  The path. report came back with microscopic cancer cells left, so I had to have my rectum removed (the anus was spared) and the colon brought down and a temporary colostomy.  I had the reversal surgery about 6 weeks ago.

The chemo and radiation did shrink the tumor immensely (only scar tissue was left).  The radiation was very painful starting after about 2 weeks.  I guess everything inside was getting burned.  Having a bm was very painful.  My doc prescribed hydrocordizone suppositories that helped some. 

If you have to have major surgery, start doing Kegel exercises as soon as you have the surgery.  No one told me I should be doing them and when I had the reversal surgery, I could not hold bm's.  I still could have an accident if I'm not near a bathroom.  I was going to the bathroom at least 20 times a day.  I was told to take Metamucil 3 times a day, 8 Imodium and 8 Lomotil a day.  I stopped the Metamucil and started taking Citrocel.  That has helped the problem of going to the bathroom so many times.  I still go lots more than I did before the surgery, but it is so much better.  I have been told that it could take 1 or 2 years to get straightened out.

Hope things go well for you.  I will keep you in my prayers and would like to hear how you are doing as time goes on. If you have any questions you would like to ask, please send me a message.

 RosyDosy

 

 

Dear Rosy Dosy, Thanks so much for the response. i am hoping to be spared the surgery, but who knows? I am sorry for your troubles, and hope things get straightened out for you. I will keep you in my thoughts as well. Chemo starts tomorrow for the 5 days, and then the fun begins with radiation. I have heard it is TERRIBLE and I amexpecting the worse, but hoping for the best. DEB

yes i did this treatment igot very sick but i'm 2 yrs cancer free i still have side effect as far as my colen i was stage 2 this is a hard treament to complete but hs good results