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Where do I go from here-34 year old son diagnosed with rectal cancer.
My son was just diagnosed with stage three rectal cancer from an Oncologist here in Iowa. As their treatment plans are limited I want to get him to Mayo sooner than later for a second opinion. However I am not sure he is ready to do that yet. I feel the ultimate decision is up to him but I fear the longer we wait the greater the risk of it spreading.
Any suggestions?
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if he has all the test results he can make video appointments with an oncologist at other facilities that may give him a better starting point. easier to get those appointments than in person.
once they have copies of his tests they can give preliminary recommendations.
tell him not to wait. I was told mine was usually slow growing when it was found so I researched and researched for 9 months. turned out it was not slow growing and I had to make a quick decision. luckily I had some good information to help me make that decision.
mine was only 3 centimeters but was wrapped around the sphincter muscle so operation was out and "negro protocol" may have destroyed that muscle.
if you would like the name of the facility and the doctor I saw, please message me and I will send it to you. it is in San Diego, but there are proton center all over the east coast. only 2 in California. Loma Linda is another facility he may check with. knew someone with prostate cancer that went there and raved about good it was. again though that is in California. not a bad place to be in the winter though,
insurance (hope he has it) covered all the second, third and fourth opinions that I had. so it may be, for peace of mind, important to make more than one appointment at different facilities.
once you get accepted for treatment it starts within weeks. in my case just days.