Just trying to understand the language:
My husband had a resection for colorectal cancer in 2022. Six months after chemotherapy, there was a recurrence. He had chemoradiation earlier this year and then two months ago he had an abdominoperineal excision with permanent stoma. The perineum wound is stubbornly not healing, although improving, and he hasn't been able to be without the catheter yet.
The consultant told us the operation might not have been fully successful.
Then we got the letter, in which he wrote: "Unfortunately the posterior margin is involved with tumour, and therefore there is a chance that this excision has not been curative and there is chance of the cancer coming back again." I googled that phrase and it seems to mean the margin was positive - ie, that there are still cancer cells present. Is that correct? Or is it a maybe?
They've chosen not to offer adjuvant therapy at this point, just close surveillance and an offer of a discussion regarding "additional therapies" if there's a recurrence. Next CT scan in February.
Thank you for interpretations!
