Newly Diagnosed Colorectal Cancer

curious why chemo & radiation if it hasn't spread why or just surgery to remove. not full picture here. Ask why surgery alone cannot remove cancer.

My thoughts exactly.
I would not be fast-tracked to Oncology for chemo/radiation.
Surgery yes. Chemo no unless your circumstances are much different than most.
Best wishes going forward!
Paul

Thank you so much for both of your responses. I will update everyone tomorrow following my appointment with oncology.

I had surgery on 4 November and then started a 3 month chemo course two weeks ago to clear up any remaining cancer cells - one out of 23 lymph nodes removed was found to have cancer cells but no other spread. This was judged to be a Stage 2/3. My oncologist said that 6 weeks after surgery was the optimum time to start chemo but I guess every case is different. Hope this helps.

I was under the impression, as were the others, that chemo and radiation would only be needed if stage 3 or 4. It sounds that neither apply to you so definitely inquire about the need for those procedures. Also, the regimen is pretty universal from the information I’ve been given by 3 separate oncologists. If surgery remedies the situation you might be spared the chemo/radiation all together. Stay positive! Get exercise (better than any pill you can take) and eat a mostly plant based no carb, limited dairy, limited alcohol diet.
Best of luck to you!

It is my understanding that surgery is a last resort being as a colostomy cannot always be reversed. I have not had staging results yet but chemo/radiation together have been discussed

Hi Denise- I can understand why you are scared. My husband received a rectal cancer diagnosis out of the blue 5 years ago. He had chemo and radiation prior to surgery. For him this was recommended to shrink the cancer because if its location. For him, doing so would eliminate a permanent colostomy. Without the chemo and radiation first, they would have needed to remove a larger area. My advice for you is if you feel uncertain or uncomfortable with your oncologist's and surgeon's recommendations, seek out a second or third opinion from the most experienced and reputable oncologists and surgeons in your area. This would help you understand your unique situation and how other doctors might proceed. Then you can move forward with confidence in whatever you choose. In this process we have learned that no two cancers or patients are the same. I'm a planner, but in an overwhelming situation like this where things seem to move at lightning speed, try your best to take just one day at a time.

I was diagnosed with anal cancer in April. It was stage 2 because. Of the size, it had not spread anywhere. Because of the location chemo and radiation are the traditional course of treatment. I did see a surgeon and he said he'd only do surgery if the treatments didn't take care of it. I did 6 weeks of radiation and did chemo the first and 5 th week of radiation. I wore a pump for 5 days and the chemo was pretty easy. Radiation on the other hand was literally a pain in the ass. I was very burnt by the end. Fast forward to September and the cancer is gone. There have been a couple of side effects from the treatments but it's still better than having a bag.

Hi, my mom (63 f) has recently been diagnosed with colon cancer. Her doctor found a tumor in her colon, had it biopsied and it was classified as malignant. She had surgery removing it in its entirety on Dec 1st. Her next part of treatment is to go through radiation and chemotherapy. She said that there hasn’t been any cancer cells detected anywhere else at this point in time. I’m wanting to find good credible information about this subject, but when I google answers I quickly become overwhelmed and shut down. So I’m trying this approach and maybe I can be more successful with gaining knowledge about this topic by this method. Thank you for reading this and if you or your loved one is dealing with this issue please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you.

Lauren

Hello @thebutterflyeffect517 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. First, let me start by saying I am deeply sorry for your mom and her diagnosis. She is lucky to have you in her life to support her and do the research and learning that she may not be feeling up to at the moment.

You will notice that I have moved your post into an existing discussion with others who have been newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer in hopes that you will be able to connect with members such as @quilthouse1 @mardee313 and @tinad who have had experience with personal or familial diagnosis.

What type of information would be most helpful to the pair of you at this point in her journey?