Colon cancer

We was told yesterday that my dad has T3 colon cancer. MRI has revealed that it doesn't have looked to have spread anywhere else, but the doctors are suspicious on a couple of the lymph nodes so are questioning if the cancer has gone through the bowel wall. I know that the cancer can spread via the lymph nodes, the doctor did say that his bloods test being "normal" was a good sign. He is soon to start radiotherapy and chemotherapy fir 3 to 4 moths to try and shrink the tumor and stop it spreading. An operation is the last resort the doctor said and thats something we will chat about later down the line. Obviously there is a chance the treatment doesn't work, but if it is does, is this enough to stop if spreading from the lymph nodes into other parts of the body. I'm concerned that they don't know for sure if it is in the lmpth nodes. Also, has anyone had an experience dealing with this cancer at this stage as my worst fears are that it will take over his whole body and result in death. 

Parents
  • Hi, I am new to this site. We have been told yesterday that my husband may have bowel cancer, he has a CT scan today to see if it has spread. He has had no symptoms at all so we are hoping that if it is cancer then they may have caught it early enough. I am so sorry about your dad and I fully understand how scared you must be, cause I am also terrified 

  • So sorry for what you are going through also. 

    My dad had 1 day of bleeding and went straight to hospital where they referred him for testing etc. I was hopeful because his bloods were completely normal but a colonoscopy found a growth and they told us it looked to be cancerous.  Yesterday it was confirmed.  In the space of 3 weeks my world had been turned upside down and the scary thing is he had 1 days of bleeding and to this day, nothing else since. For it to be already T3 which is the one below the worst it's just crazy. 

    I hope you have a positive outcome. 

  • Yes my husband had a colonoscopy yesterday and we were just expecting it to be a routine test but it wasn't. It has come as a massive shock. I have had terrible anxiety for years and I struggle with illness so I so scared that I won't be able to attend appointments with him for fear of bolting out of the room, like I did yesterday. He says he understands how it affects me but that just males it worse. I am so sorry about your dad. I am also shocked that after just 1 day bleeding as I thought there would have been so many symptoms for it. Have they given you any hope? I was looking at the doctor who gave us the results yesterday thinking, any minute now she is going to give us some good news but she didn't.

Reply
  • Yes my husband had a colonoscopy yesterday and we were just expecting it to be a routine test but it wasn't. It has come as a massive shock. I have had terrible anxiety for years and I struggle with illness so I so scared that I won't be able to attend appointments with him for fear of bolting out of the room, like I did yesterday. He says he understands how it affects me but that just males it worse. I am so sorry about your dad. I am also shocked that after just 1 day bleeding as I thought there would have been so many symptoms for it. Have they given you any hope? I was looking at the doctor who gave us the results yesterday thinking, any minute now she is going to give us some good news but she didn't.

Children
  • I think the only hope we took for it was that it hasn't spread anywhere else. Given that it is already stage T3 they seem hopeful that they can get it under control at the right time. But they want to start the chemo and radio asap incase those lymph nodes have been affected to stop it spreading, up to now it hasnt. The doctor sounded hopeful that the testament would shrink it given my dad is in good health, and his age etc. But there is always a small possibility that it won't do anything so we have to hope and pray. 

    A lot of colon cancer cases don't have symptoms unfortunately :( it really socks doesn't it. I am not dealing with this very well although my parents are remaining positive and taking hope from the fact it hasn't spread and that the doctor said that with his bloods been normal it was a good sign that the lymph nodes havnt been affected. 

    Wishing you both all the best anyway xx

  • He has blood taken a few days ago and nothing was showing up in that, so I'm hopeful. I understand how devastating it is and I'm not coping very well either. Please don't hesitate if u need to talk, I'll be here if u need a shoulder to cry on. Lots of hugs xx