I am suffering from rectal cancer. How do I know treatment worked?

cause they put some medication on me that cause me have 3rd anf 4th degree burns and i still dont have any muscle control. they just told last week they will change it to once a year after my colonoscopy next month. if it all checks good

@helhilton have you been in touch with your team about bowel problem….it might be something they can help you with. Hope so !

@nycmusic
I have and they are doing a colonoscopy next month to see if they can see what’s going on. My tumor was small and they think may have gotten to much radiation. Don’t know what they can do yo fix it. It’s like severe burns internally

@helhilton hope the colonoscopy leads to some real help for painful internal burns. Best of luck !

@susan38 Hi! So unfortunately there are no definitive answers. Yes chemo kills the good with the bad, but if its an aggressive strain like I have it can lay dormant and show up after treatment has ended. I was stage 3c when we caught mine. Mine is right sided, which has a poorer prognosis than left and is more aggressive while showing no markers for it. I had no symptoms. We caught it due to a different cancer that was during a hysterectomy. We did 12 rounds of folfox, though I could only do 2 rounds of the oxaliplatin due to an allergic reaction. 8 months after my last treatment I was spotting out of my vaginal canal…. I knew that shouldn’t happen cause of the hysterectomy. Got tested and it was the colon cancer back in that area as well as lymph nodes down there and a portion of my abdominal wall. What my drs have said is I will be on chemo until chemo stops working. My goal is to see my son graduate college. Thats a few years away. They could not promise me 10 yrs but said if he works thru summers and accelerates his courses they might be able to make that happen. Chemo buys time. However if you don’t have an aggressive strain you can beat it! I have prayed. I have done lots of research. Bottom line, is it worth the time it buys you? It is to me and my family so I will deal with the brain fog the mouth sores the diarrhea the sore muscles peeling skin and fatigue. Its worth it to me to give it my best shot and let my family know I didn’t give up. I am currently on folfiri and will be on it till it quits me. May I ask what stage you are in and the regimen you are on?

@myjiggers1
Hello, pleased to meet you. Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your time, and I’m sorry for your diagnosis.
Your determination is inspiring. In my case, two days ago, I completed the internal examinations, another colposcopy , uterus, cervix vaginal etc. no cancer.
So still only grade 4 metastatic cancer in left lower abdominal/groin lymph nodes. The infusions I’ve been given, I do not know its name but will check. The tablets are xelabine, 6 daily and radiotherapy everyday. I’m in my second week now, and fortunately have only so far had three rounds of really unpleasant nausea, vomiting and high temperatures.
Everyone attending to me in theatre and in hospital over this week have been brilliant and I’m grateful for their professionalism and caring natures. Having to attend radiotherapy each day, going to the hospital, arranging schedules, taxis, blood pathology visits etc is quite a drain on my body and taxing mentally. Rescheduling is time consuming and somewhat frustrating. I seem to be in more acceptance of my condition now than I was a few weeks ago. And there are so many people who have gone before me with trial and error I am taking encouragement from their experiences and feedback. I am thankful for this Mayo site for giving me the opportunity to express my doubts and concerns, fully understanding that each cancer and patient is individual and no cancer or experience is alike.Im starting to doze off now, so I had better close.
In doing so I look forward to hearing from you in the hope that you will make your son’s graduation. 👨‍🎓

@susan38 I hope you are getting some good rest! This site has gotten me thru let me tell you. Strong faith and great support. I pray the fevers get better. I am sure you get anti-nausea meds for the sick feeling. My Dr would not let me take the pill forms due to the speed of absorption. I will say Folfiri gives peeling skin on hand and feet, loss of hair, diarrhea, mouth sores, brain fog, hot flashes, and some neurological symptoms. Is yours on the right or left.

I hadcrectslbcancer and after 27 trios chemo and radiation which caused me to have 3 & 4 th degree burns. The after effects is still going on and it’s been a year and a half and have the worse diarrhea and the do not give me any explanation. Never know what kind a day I’ll wake up to. Just wished they could figure it out and tell me something I’m a 74 year old female and it’s.miserable living this way. Plus I recently became a widow which don’t help 💔🥰🙏

Wishing much relief for you all ! ER docs tell me that they encounter a lot of cases with bad radiation burns, people very sick….we all wish they could help people without so much of this awful suffering from internal burns !

@frouke . Thank you for your kind words.
I’ve stopped asking questions. It’s as though I’ve now just accepted. Everything. The chemo the radiotherapy, and all
That goes with it. I’m just so tired of it all, totally exhausted. It’s as though I don’t really care anymore.