Hello and thanks for posting

I'm sorry you are going through such a difficult time right now. It's completely understandable that you feel terrified. Hearing that the cancer has come back and that you now need extensive treatment must be a huge shock.

It sounds like your doctors have have put together a specific treatment plan to tackle the cancer and give you the best possible chance to recover. The treatment they have suggested might feel like a lot to manage but each treatment has a purpose. Radiotherapy is to help shrink the cancer, surgery will remove as much of it as possible and chemotherapy helps to kill any remaining cancer cells. These steps are all aimed at increasing your chances of managing your cancer.

While your team cannot guarantee a specific outcome, we would always recommend that you discuss  this further with them as they are familiar with all your medical details and are better placed to advise you further. If you have a specialist nurse (CNS) involved in your care then perhaps they can provide you with further information. You often have to call and leave them a message and they will get back to you.

It might also be an idea to find out if anyone else has been in a similar position, and ask what they did and how it went for them. Online forums like this are a way of doing this. You might want to post in another section of the forum to see if you get more replies. Bowel Cancer UK also has a patient online forum where people can share experiences of going through similar things.

I hope this reply helps a little. Give us a ring if you would like to talk things over. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

Kind regards,

Celene