Hi KevD, just seen your post. I have not been on this forum since 2010 but have rejoined 15 years on. I was diagnosed with rectal cancer in August 2010. Had 5 weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by an operation on 13th December. This was a TME which was a total mesorectal excision where my rectum was removed along with a section on my colon and the mesorectal tissue in my lower abdomen. This left me with a permanent colostomy but after the operation the biopsies could find no trace of the tumour or cancer and my first post op CT scan in April was clear. I was 60 years old at the time the cancer was diagnosed and am 75 years old now so there is a future after a diagnosis like this. 

Hi KevD, just seen your post. I have not been on this forum since 2010 but have rejoined 15 years on. I was diagnosed with rectal cancer in August 2010. Had 5 weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by an operation on 13th December. This was a TME which was a total mesorectal excision where my rectum was removed along with a section on my colon and the mesorectal tissue in my lower abdomen. This left me with a permanent colostomy but after the operation the biopsies could find no trace of the tumour or cancer and my first post op CT scan in April was clear. I was 60 years old at the time the cancer was diagnosed and am 75 years old now so there is a future after a diagnosis like this.