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Bowel cancer treatment

Chinditboy
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Hi

My dad was diagnosed with Stage 3 Bowel Cancer in Dec 17 he is currently in the 4th week of his radiotherapy/ Chemo regime which he has every day. He has just been told that after this course of treatment ends they will not be scanning him to see if the tumor has shrunk until mid April!!!! then presumabley operate. he is currently having to do a 3 hour round trip for treatment every day because of where he lives.

this course of action is not what the surgeon said in Dec when he said he Wanted to/had to operate within a 12 week period a couple of questions i hope someone can answer:

1.   Is this a normal delay surely the longer you leave it the more chance the tumor has to grow

2.   Why would we be told something different at the meeting with the specailists and why would they not take into account the feelings of the affected person currently my dad is swaying between its obviously not that serious/ they obviously dont give a toss

Any advise on this would be  appriciatted i understand about the pull on resources in the NHS but what he is being told is not what he was told in December and it just (rightly or wrongly) feels like he fast tracked to the point the ttreatment started and thats where they can legitimately string it out.

Sorry if i sound a bit negative but its all a bit shoddy and not a good way to treat an elderly man already confused about whats going on.

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    Hi Chinditboy, I'm not a medic but I'm confident that if the NHS specialists are performing radio/chemo before the op, then it is for the very best of reasons. This is neoajuvant therapy, which often aims (although you should check this with your specialists) to shrink the volume of the tumour before performing the operation. This makes the operation less of an ordeal. But there is nothing wrong with keeping your Dad's specialists on their toes. You can ask them any question you want, and expect answers. Good luck. Harry 

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    Hi Chinditboy,

    As I understand it, radiotherapy keeps working after the actual tratment has stopped, so any tumor would supposedly carry on shrinking for a period of time. And the smaller the tumour, the less there is to cut out. I've read that some bowel tumours are inoperable until they've shrunk sufficiently.

    I've found the vast majority of people in the NHS, though certainly not all, are caring individuals who wish to do the best for their patients. I've also been told one thing initially only to find something different actually happens. Best thing in those circumstances is to raise the issue at the time, there's usually a reasoned answer.

     

    Best Regards

    Taff

  • Offline in reply to Harry2

    Hi Harry thanks for the reply. I understand the part about the radio/chemo prior to operating I just don’t understand why they told us they would need to operate within 12 weeks of diagnosis but now have changed this to finishing the chemo next week and not scanning him until mid April, we see this as a long period of time before they even commit to operating, I am not sure this is good management of my Dads care and treatment. In my head why do the chemo to shrink something that grows then wait 2 months to decide the tumour has shrunk?? 

     

  • Offline in reply to Chinditboy

    Hi 

     

    My dad has also been diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer ..... that does seem a little long i think they told my dad he had to wait 6 weeks after Radiotherapy for scans . 

    I know how you feel we were told different things by surgeon and anesitist leading to my dad now refusing the op its the worst time !! 

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