Colorectal cancer and liver metastasis aged 36

Hello, I’ve recently been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and had emergency surgery to remove part of my bowel and the tumour due to intussusception. I’m now recovering from surgery but am waiting for MDT meeting to find out what happens next. I am aware that the cancer has spread to my liver and I’m feeling very scared. I only got married last year and I have a 12 year old and a 7 year old.

  • Hello Purple-Duck,

    of course you are worried, but you have to be mindful that you cannot change what is, but you can change how your body copes in the future and loading yourself with stress at the outset is not the ideal option. That  you will have a journey in front of you is a given, what is not is the body you will take forward to travel it. In short, it is the one thing left in your personal control  you can bring a difference too.How easy it is for someone outwith of your current issues to point out, so obvious and yet so easy to lose sight of. The earlier you can fix this in your mind the better.

    l went through the same diagnosis 11 years ago The good news is that in time ,treatments have improved leaps and bounds,you will benefit from this.Your MDT team will assess if surgery or chemo is the next step.. In my case 60% liver resection took place following chemo/radio, with bowel resection and post op chemo following.The liver recovered perfectly and caused no problems,it is an amazing organ

    Focus on healing yourself from your operation and leave your medical team to work out the correct future treatment. The one thing l can tell you is that you will find is that you are so much stronger than you currently may think you are, and in time you will come to see this is the case.

    Go forward with gentle steps, they will add up to distance in time,

    David

  • I was diagnosed in 2009 with colorectal cancer that had spread to the aorta ,I was offered palliative care but insisted I could fight it .I had chemo then radiotherapy the the op had a stoma for 6 months and the a reversal.i was in my sixties I am now 77 and still going strong.

  • I was also diagnosed 6 months ago with bowel cancer. I had the tumour  along with a foot of my bowel removed. Yesterday I was told it is now in my liver. I’m looking for hope please. I believe the doctors will have an MDT meeting next Tuesday. I’m not really sure what happens then?

    has anyone been through this please? 

  • Hello Stabb,

    yes l had bowel cancer go off for jaunt around my liver just over ten years ago.You would think it would stay in its designated space, but no, What comes next depends on where and how it is situated in the liver. Ideal would be a small sized single tumour sited on the outer tip of the lobe,well away from anything preventing surgical excision,with good margins around it to allow for complete removal without the risk of cancerous cells evading ejection. The liver is well capable of handling this,that is to say by expanding the remaining healthy tissue to compensate for the loss. l lost over 60% across two lobes including my gall bladder.Within a year l was back to normal and you would never know what had taken place.The bowel however was a different story

    After that it becomes problemmatical, too close to sensitive areas, multiple spots too numerous for safe surgery,this is where chemo will come in. Your MDT will look at all the revelant information they have to hand and make the decision as to the best course of action to follow.

    l am no expert, but l believe its better to deal with bowel cancer spread to the liver, than liver cancer itself. l think you should not get ahead of yourself and await the outcome of the meeting andunderstand that treatment options have improved immensely over the previous years.l am happy to answer any further questions, but bear in mind each individuals cancer is just that,

    take care,

    David

  • Thankyou David. That has given me a little bit of hope  

    I’ll let you know what they suggest. I’m hoping they will be able to take it out. 

    many thanks again 

    Angela