Hi there

I was diagnosed in November...and began combination chemo/radio in December..

It was 5 weeks 3 days (28 radio session) with chemo in week 1 and week 5.

In terms of coping - I found the biopsy that had prior to diagnosis more uncomfortable.

The treatment itself was OK...its the side-effects of the radio that are tough.

Its NOT easy

The most intense...the skin damage from the radio- that becomes most intense in the last week...and then the week / 10 days post treatment...then the skin starts to heal...I finished early Jan and things are now settled...certainly in terms of pain relief...though other side effects still persist- but they are more inconvenience..

The effect on the prostate.... makes toilet habits a bit erratic.

Advice...

Listen to the radio/chemo teams...they know and will help...so be open and honest with them

DONT try and be brave...take the pain relief on offer...and do so early...dont wait!!

Drink LOTS

MOISTURISE...LOTS...youll get specialised items - I found Flamigel RT was excellent.

A rubber ring to sit on towards the end of treatment / post treatment.

Humour helped me get through.... and some amazing friends...I found I became far to comfortable talking about anal/bottom/***/nether regions with almost anyone!!!

Any questions.....Please just ask 

Hi AE59

Thank you so much for replying, it means so much at the moment! 

Thank you for the advice and being so open about it ... I know what to expect. 

My questions are:

How big was your Cancer?

Was it in your lymph nodes?

Has it shrunk / gone?

Thank you 

I was fortunate it was caught early...and wasnt really experiencing any issues that might have highlighted a problem.

The mass was close to the opening of the anus...and not that large ...a couple of cm. - but apparently because it was so low down it meant the radiotherapy involved a significant number of different beams with every treatment...so I was on the table for 20-30 mins.

Again I was very lucky...there was no spread detected to the lymph nodes.

Had a review a couple of weeks ago 2 weeks post treatment - Dr did a digital exam and was pleased that things felt normal (being so close to the anal entrance she was able to identify it by digital exam prior to treatment - and assess the difference post treatment)

Formally however - can assess the success of the treatment until 12 weeks post treatment via scan (prior to that time it's possible there will still be residual inflammation from the treatment- and this may be detected in a scan/ confused with residual cancer mass) so it will be mid-April before I know with any certainty.

Things I forgot to mention....

Dependant on where the cancer is positioned you probably need to have a full bladder when you have your radiotherapy- which means consuming decent volumes of water in the hour or so before treatment (750ml -1ltr)...This can be hassle, dependant on your journey...and any wait for treatment.  Especially towards the end of the treatment when the bladder habits change and you are likely to need to go more frequently/at short notice.

(Having full bladder reduces the risk of damage to the bladder during treatment)

Bowel movements.... these will almost certainly be affected by treatment...can become much looser... along with slime/mucus discharge ...so sanitary/incontinence pads can be helpful in terms of 'peace of mind'.  But that depends on how each individual is affected....and everyone's body copes and reacts differently.

X

I was fortunate it was caught early...and wasnt really experiencing any issues that might have highlighted a problem.

The mass was close to the opening of the anus...and not that large ...a couple of cm. - but apparently because it was so low down it meant the radiotherapy involved a significant number of different beams with every treatment...so I was on the table for 20-30 mins.

Again I was very lucky...there was no spread detected to the lymph nodes.

Had a review a couple of weeks ago 2 weeks post treatment - Dr did a digital exam and was pleased that things felt normal (being so close to the anal entrance she was able to identify it by digital exam prior to treatment - and assess the difference post treatment)

Formally however - can assess the success of the treatment until 12 weeks post treatment via scan (prior to that time it's possible there will still be residual inflammation from the treatment- and this may be detected in a scan/ confused with residual cancer mass) so it will be mid-April before I know with any certainty.

Things I forgot to mention....

Dependant on where the cancer is positioned you probably need to have a full bladder when you have your radiotherapy- which means consuming decent volumes of water in the hour or so before treatment (750ml -1ltr)...This can be hassle, dependant on your journey...and any wait for treatment.  Especially towards the end of the treatment when the bladder habits change and you are likely to need to go more frequently/at short notice.

(Having full bladder reduces the risk of damage to the bladder during treatment)

Bowel movements.... these will almost certainly be affected by treatment...can become much looser... along with slime/mucus discharge ...so sanitary/incontinence pads can be helpful in terms of 'peace of mind'.  But that depends on how each individual is affected....and everyone's body copes and reacts differently.

X