Don’t want to lose anus

I also have a new diagnosis of anal cancer; mine in greater than 2cm and in the sphincter muscle. I will have radiation and chemo for 6 weeks. This is one of the questions I asked my radiation oncologist because of comments I read on here. He told me that if my muscle is working now, it should continue to work after radiation is finished. I hope he is correct. I will see my other oncologist on Tuesday to get my plan of care for chemo. It will be concurrent with the radiation and my radiation oncologist said it is normally at first and last treatment of radiation. I was expecting weekly treatments so this make me feel better about what is coming. I try to remember that everyone has different experiences, but I still appreciate reading their comments. Even if I don't go through the same side effects, I feel that I can learn more from everyone. Ask lots of questions with your care providers and research as much as you can so that you are prepared and can make choices that are right for you. By the way, I am a critical care nurse whose brother died from colon cancer. He had a colostomy and dealt well with it. He was able to continue all activities until just before he died. Good luck and prayers for you.

Hi @blby1976, good to hear that reading the discussions here led to your asking the radiation oncologist questions.

How did the appointment with the oncologist go? When do you start chemoradiation?

Please do not let that %^&* even touch you. You are the patient and YOU make the decisions as to what you want to do with YOUR life. No body even doctors need to treat people that way Run from this jerky. I too am a anal cancer patient just starting chem & radiation with hopes to be done by Halloween. I started with a positive Cologuard to colonoscopy with an appointment with a rectal surgeon. But each test that they did they came back with the results a month later At the rectal surgeons appointment she asked if she could do a biopsy I said sure lets find out what this is Can back positive but then blamed me in her report that she went over her time allocation. But the cancer was contained at this point Surgery day set up get to the hospital & procedure was cancelled as time had been moved up. Never a call or nothing if such & such time would work. I left her hanging with this game of hers. And then they had the gall to call me & wanted to repeat all the tests I had just done. Hospital was just looking for money the heck with the patient After 5 months of being kept in the dark this poly now is cancer all because of the 1st hospital that kept dragging me along but never keep one informed
Then went to Milwaukee Wi oncologist & radiologist were great gave good % of beating this. Saw the surgeon there And she said go die or a bag. Tried to explain to her my life style would not work with a bag heavy equipment & large animals I work with Did talk to someone that had a bag & was just a piece of cake his life style was pretty quite to my work style And insisted once I had another MRI she could not tell me the results until 12 days later but her nurse could tell me the same results the next day. Boy that made sense
SO I said to heck with this group & went to Mayos What a difference in how a patient is treated. Their goal to help people to live not told to go die I know this is long but PLEASE get yourself to a real cancer center. Mayos in Minnesota ,Sloan Kettenring New York or MD Anderson in Houston
It's your life their can suggest but I made the decisions not some knife happy surgeon and you can do this too I was told I am cranky but I call it standing up for my rights. You are the patient you get to have the final say

I was diagnosed with anal cancer in September of 2022. I had 6 weeks of radiation and chemo. I was not declared cancer free until September of 2023. The treatment continued to work for months after it was completed. During that time I suffered from fecal incontinence caused by the radiation. I spent my days either in the bathroom or looking for one. The pain from the radiation was intolerable at times. Doctors don’t tell you that the pelvic area is one of the most sensitive areas to tolerate radiation. I was left with no other option than to have a colostomy. My surgery was in October 2024. I cried my heart out when the doctors suggested it. Thinking it was the worst possible solution. Here I am almost 5 months later and I feel great! Yes, having a bag is life changing, but it has given me back my life! I am no longer tied to the bathroom. So to answer your question, not having a functioning anus is no big deal!

Today is St. Patrick 's day and it is also my 8th Anniversary of my APR surgery. I took was dishearted and concern when I was told that . Yet 8 years later my stomach is the same size of a quarter and nothing has changed with me either . I travel, camp , fish , hike and this has not changed or disrupted my lifestyle in any way.

DONT LOSE HOPE!!! At the beginning I was told there was a VERY good chance I would have to have surgery, lose that part of my body and have a colostomy bag rest of my life.

Im single mom, early 40s and that news devastated me. I was diagnosed Stage 3 summer 2022. After all my treatments, etc... come March 2023, I had a complete response to treatment. No surgery and no bag. HAVE FAITH. For 2 years every 3 months I have scans and occasional colonoscopy and I am continue to pray it does not come back. And if it does, ill pray again no surgery or bag. Just take it day at atime

Please do not let that %^&* even touch you. You are the patient and YOU make the decisions as to what you want to do with YOUR life. No body even doctors need to treat people that way Run from this jerky. I too am a anal cancer patient just starting chem & radiation with hopes to be done by Halloween. I started with a positive Cologuard to colonoscopy with an appointment with a rectal surgeon. But each test that they did they came back with the results a month later At the rectal surgeons appointment she asked if she could do a biopsy I said sure lets find out what this is Can back positive but then blamed me in her report that she went over her time allocation. But the cancer was contained at this point Surgery day set up get to the hospital & procedure was cancelled as time had been moved up. Never a call or nothing if such & such time would work. I left her hanging with this game of hers. And then they had the gall to call me & wanted to repeat all the tests I had just done. Hospital was just looking for money the heck with the patient After 5 months of being kept in the dark this poly now is cancer all because of the 1st hospital that kept dragging me along but never keep one informed
Then went to Milwaukee Wi oncologist & radiologist were great gave good % of beating this. Saw the surgeon there And she said go die or a bag. Tried to explain to her my life style would not work with a bag heavy equipment & large animals I work with Did talk to someone that had a bag & was just a piece of cake his life style was pretty quite to my work style And insisted once I had another MRI she could not tell me the results until 12 days later but her nurse could tell me the same results the next day. Boy that made sense
SO I said to heck with this group & went to Mayos What a difference in how a patient is treated. Their goal to help people to live not told to go die I know this is long but PLEASE get yourself to a real cancer center. Mayos in Minnesota ,Sloan Kettenring New York or MD Anderson in Houston
It's your life their can suggest but I made the decisions not some knife happy surgeon and you can do this too I was told I am cranky but I call it standing up for my rights. You are the patient you get to have the final say