Rectal Cancer - Hospital Recommendation

A couple of comments, I had 4th stage rectal cancer and survived . I will be 90 in April and have been clean now for over 10 years.
So for all those who have been told they have this, be assured it is not always a death sentence.
Also, I belong to Friends for Life organization and they put me in touch with people who have the same type of cancer that I had. I become their support. You might look them up on line.

Thank you! It seems there is a lot to learn.

It's incredible to hear how you've overcome such a challenging diagnosis and are now offering support to others going through similar experiences. Thank you for sharing your story.

My father is hopeful, or it seems that way. My oldest sister is the issue. She thinks as if there is no chance, and that affects us. Of course she pretends everything is normal when my father around us, but... Hope she will be hopeful, too because we all need it.

I am also curios about turkey tail mushroom. There is some information here on cancer . gov ( The system doesn't allow me to share the whole link.)
I have read and watched something about it. It seems it has a lot of positive effects on immune system. I know that the oncologist will tell he doesn't know anything about it and don't use it during chemotherapy because we don't know how that supplement interacts with chemo. I know The FDA does't approve dietary supplements as safe or effective so they will never tell us to use it. We are planning to tell the oncologist; " We are determined to use turkey tail mushroom capsules, and we will use it. We just wanted to let you know."

Do you have any experience using those kinds of things?

Yes, there is a lot to learn and there are support groups, like the forums here on Mayo Clinic Connect or this LARS group on FB that is for patients with LARS and their caregivers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/lwlars, and other online resources.

Update After Colorectal Surgeon

Firstly, he said the surgery might happen in about 12 months, and it'll be a robotic surgery. He also mentioned a 20% chance that surgery might not be needed, suggesting a "watch and wait" approach with check-ups every 3 months if that happens. It depends on many things...I asked about the two-stage Turnbull-Cutait procedure, but he advised against it because of infection risks and other issues from radiotherapy. So, it looks like there will be need of a temporary colostomy for about two months. We'll have plenty of time to talk about it more later. They want to do the kidney surgery first, followed by treatment for the rectal cancer about two months later. But this plan isn't final yet. All the doctors need to meet again and decide together.

I also asked about proton and photon radiotherapy. I know I have to ask this question to the radiologist, but I wanted know his opinion, too. Proton therapy seems less harmful for healthy tissues so I wanted my father has this therapy. He said, he prefers traditional, most effective one due to the location of tumor.

I'm glad you could have this frank conversation with the surgeon. It's a good thing that the various doctors will get together to weigh the different factors in your father's case before making a final decision on his treatment. I truly hope all will go well. Your father is lucky to have you looking for information and supporting him through this ordeal.
Sending a hug to your whole family.

Thank you so much for your kind words and support. It means a lot to me and my family during this challenging time.

Update After Urologist Visit

Got back from Dad's appointment with the urologist. They've decided to schedule his kidney surgery soon. It will be robotic (da Vinci) surgery. During the discussion, the urologist explained that the mass lacks clear boundaries, indicating a 50%-60% likelihood of radical surgery. However, she assured us that she will strive to perform a partial surgery if feasible.

Given my father's high blood pressure and the potential side effects of subsequent chemotherapy for rectal cancer, there is a consideration of the worst-case scenario, which could mean he might need dialysis. I don't want to think about it right now. I believe the medical team will closely monitor and adjust the treatment plan accordingly.