Worried this might be anal cancer

i am about to start proton radiation for anal cancer caused by the hpv 16 virus.
i thought for months that i had hemorrhoids but the gyn said i needed a colonoscopy to make sure and i was lucky to get one within a couple of months.
the dr. was there when i came to and said it looked like squamous cell cancer but i had to wait for the results of the biopsy. was inconclusive. second biopsy at UCSF also inconclusive so wend to a surgeon who i had hoped would just remove it, but was on the sphincter muscle so just took a biopsy. this time it was biopsied as cancer. had pet scan that verified it as stage 2. it is usually a slow growing cancer so i thought i had time to determine how i was going to have it treated. i was wrong. the pain got much worse and felt like my rectum was closing up on me. the only way i can go to the bathroom is if i have diarrhea. so my advise, for what is is worth, is the get going as soon as possible before it gets worse. i am now at stage 3 almost stage 4. (involves 2 lymph nodes). Less than a year later.
i don't know where you are located, but have found that most institutions do only regular photon radiation for anal cancer , even if they they have proton at that hospital. i found, because of another person here on mayo clinic connect, someone that went through this and found california proton cancer center where that is all they do. they are affiliated with UCSD and Scripps.
i hope this helps you decide what to do. don't wait. it doesn't get better on its own.

diagnosed with colorectal cancer

so sorry. hope you have a fast recovery

I though the pain I felt was due to hemorrhoids too. I saw the doctor a couple of times and she just prescribed some creams and never examined me. Finally the pain was so bad I could barely sit. I insisted on a colonoscopy and that’s when the cancer was found. Six weeks of chemo and six weeks of radiation and the cancer was still there. It had shrunk, but was still there. A PET scan had shone it was there and growing. A few months later a MRI was done and it showed the cancer was finally gone. I learned that PET scans are not always accurate. This past October I had a colostomy and I finally have my life back. I know this cancer can come back. My next MRI is already scheduled. My surgeon was excellent. He’s at Mayo Clinic in Florida.

I was told that chemo and radiation continue to work for weeks or even months after treatment. I'm glad you have your life back. Hard for many to see a colostomy as back to normal, but it beats some of the alternatives.
Keeping it in the back of my head as a possibility. Thanks for encouragement. I know things will get better.

Hi @terrymayo50, you may also be interested in connecting with other members who have anal cancer in this discussion:
- Anyone else have Anal cancer?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anal-cancer-1/

I had a normal colonoscopy while I had anal cancer (undiagnosed at the time of my colonoscopy). When I saw the colorectal surgeon to be evaluated (my pet scan found it, & my tumor labs were high), she said a colonoscopy is not the best way to diagnose anal cancer, the camera is on the end of the tube, & often completely misses them. She uses a scope in the office, it is disposable, has a light, & the camera is on the side, enabling her to look at the walls of the anus. Sorry for the long explanation. I would ask to see a colorectal surgeon. Good luck.

I appreciate that info. I will explore it.

Do you know if it matters, but I am HPV negative.

I don’t know. I was hpv negative, but the tumor pathology tested positive for hpv16. I don’t understand how that testing works.

doesn't matter if you have or don't have HPV.
sometimes HPV can cause the cancer and my understanding is that the chemo/radiation will take care of the cancer that exist, but if you have the virus it stays with you and therefor can reoccur. If your cancer is unrelated to HVP then getting rid of the cancer is all you need. if it hasn't metastasized then you don't have to worry about reoccurrence.
treatment for cancer is the same.