Hello and thank you for getting in touch,

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis. To be told he has bowel cancer that has spread, and then have the consultant appointment cancelled, must feel incredibly upsetting and leave you with a lot of unanswered questions.

Although it's understandably frustrating, it sounds as though the team may still be waiting for important information before they can fully discuss treatment options. The camera test (colonoscopy) is an important part of this process because it allows doctors to take samples of the cancer. These samples can provide information about how the cancer is behaving and whether there are specific treatments that may be suitable should help them confirm exactly what type of bowel cancer your husband has and provide more detail about the cancer, which can help guide treatment decisions.

Once all the test results are available, his case will usually be discussed by a multidisciplinary team (MDT), made up of different specialists, to agree on the most appropriate treatment plan.

I appreciate that right now it may feel as though you're being left in limbo. Waiting for tests and results can be one of the hardest parts, especially when you're trying to understand what a diagnosis like this means for the future.

If your husband has been given the contact details of a clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner, it may be worth getting back in touch with them to explain how worried you both are and ask why the appointment was cancelled and what the next steps are likely to be. If he is having pain or troublesome symptoms, it's also important to let the GP know.

Hearing that a cancer has spread can make it easy to fear the worst, but it doesn't automatically mean there are no treatment options available. The doctors need the results of these tests so they can build up the clearest picture possible before recommending treatment.

I hope you can get some answers and a clearer plan very soon. Please do post again if you'd like to, and remember our nurses are also here if you would find it helpful to talk things through on the helpline. We are available Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm freephone 0808 800 4040

Jemma

Hello and thank you for getting in touch,

I'm so sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis. To be told he has bowel cancer that has spread, and then have the consultant appointment cancelled, must feel incredibly upsetting and leave you with a lot of unanswered questions.

Although it's understandably frustrating, it sounds as though the team may still be waiting for important information before they can fully discuss treatment options. The camera test (colonoscopy) is an important part of this process because it allows doctors to take samples of the cancer. These samples can provide information about how the cancer is behaving and whether there are specific treatments that may be suitable should help them confirm exactly what type of bowel cancer your husband has and provide more detail about the cancer, which can help guide treatment decisions.

Once all the test results are available, his case will usually be discussed by a multidisciplinary team (MDT), made up of different specialists, to agree on the most appropriate treatment plan.

I appreciate that right now it may feel as though you're being left in limbo. Waiting for tests and results can be one of the hardest parts, especially when you're trying to understand what a diagnosis like this means for the future.

If your husband has been given the contact details of a clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner, it may be worth getting back in touch with them to explain how worried you both are and ask why the appointment was cancelled and what the next steps are likely to be. If he is having pain or troublesome symptoms, it's also important to let the GP know.

Hearing that a cancer has spread can make it easy to fear the worst, but it doesn't automatically mean there are no treatment options available. The doctors need the results of these tests so they can build up the clearest picture possible before recommending treatment.

I hope you can get some answers and a clearer plan very soon. Please do post again if you'd like to, and remember our nurses are also here if you would find it helpful to talk things through on the helpline. We are available Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm freephone 0808 800 4040

Jemma