Talk Cancer

Question:

Hi SecretSquirrel: First, make sure she talks to her doctor as soon as possible. He is the only one who can determine what is causing the pain.  Did she have an ostomy as a result of removing some of her colon….there might be a blockage.  And finally, if she is choosing no treatment, she is choosing death and that would concern me. Everyday that we can add to our life is another day of hope and chances for new treatment or even cures. I was diagnosed in Jan., 2000 and they told me twice I would die.  I was allergic to the chemo and was only able to do 10 days continuous infusion.  I did six weeks of chemo before surgery in April, 2000. If she is choosing to do no traditional, standard protocol treatments, there are other things she should, at least, be considering.  Go to http://home.earthlink.net/~ptisawyers and click on the link to Deborah’s Story. At the end of my story is a list of the natural supplements I took during my treatment, and most of them I still do.  Most importantly, go to www.ip-6.net and read up on this.  I am alive and cancer free, and this Friday and Saturday I am leading my own team of survivors and supporters in the Relay for Life (the Am’n Cancer Society’s annual fundraiser across the country). That Friday will also be my two year survivor anniversary.  I Thank God for all the extra days he has given me.  Never, never, never give up.  And don’t let your wife.  If there is anything I can do, let me know.  Deborah – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife (69 years) recently underwent a D&C during which time they found a large tumor. She went to Mass General Hospital in Boston to have it removed. They removed an extremely large mass (the size of her head we have been told) and gave her a complete hysterectomy. They reported that there was cancer there and had also removed about 9 inches of her colon. They wanted her to have chemo. She opted not to take chemo and radiation was not an option. The major operation was last October. She is now experiencing major pain and discomfort. Much more than what she experienced immediately after the operation. One of my daughters who is a physical therapist came home and worked with her to insure she did some manual massage so that the stitches would not be a problem. But no one can as of yet explain why the major pain and discomfort. Can any one possibly shed some light on this problem. Might it be the muscle damage, etc. or something due to major cutting and sewing to remove the mass and all of its connection or is this common to sign of spreading cancer??? Any comments welcome.

Response:

Hi SecretSquirrel: First, make sure she talks to her doctor as soon as possible. He is the only one who can determine what is causing the pain.  Did she have an ostomy as a result of removing some of her colon….there might be a blockage.  And finally, if she is choosing no treatment, she is choosing death and that would concern me.

While I respect that this might not be your choice, Deborah, I think it’s important, essential, really, that the wishes of patients be honoured. Sometimes people way the costs and benefits of treatment and decide that the costs outweigh the potential for extended life. We each get to judge for ourselves (not for others) what "quality of life" means. <snip Michele

Response:

My wife (69 years) recently underwent a D&C during which time they found a large tumor. She went to Mass General Hospital in Boston to have it removed. They removed an extremely large mass (the size of her head we have been told) and gave her a complete hysterectomy. They reported that there was cancer there and had also removed about 9 inches of her colon. They wanted her to have chemo. She opted not to take chemo and radiation was not an option. The major operation was last October. She is now experiencing major pain and discomfort. Much more than what she experienced immediately after the operation. One of my daughters who is a physical therapist came home and worked with her to insure she did some manual massage so that the stitches would not be a problem. But no one can as of yet explain why the major pain and discomfort. Can any one possibly shed some light on this problem. Might it be the muscle damage, etc. or something due to major cutting and sewing to remove the mass and all of its connection or is this common to sign of spreading cancer??? Any comments welcome.

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife (69 years) recently underwent a D&C during which time they found a large tumor. She went to Mass General Hospital in Boston to have it removed. They removed an extremely large mass (the size of her head we have been told) and gave her a complete hysterectomy. They reported that there was cancer there and had also removed about 9 inches of her colon. They wanted her to have chemo. She opted not to take chemo and radiation was not an option. The major operation was last October. She is now experiencing major pain and discomfort. Much more than what she experienced immediately after the operation. One of my daughters who is a physical therapist came home and worked with her to insure she did some manual massage so that the stitches would not be a problem. But no one can as of yet explain why the major pain and discomfort. Can any one possibly shed some light on this problem. Might it be the muscle damage, etc. or something due to major cutting and sewing to remove the mass and all of its connection or is this common to sign of spreading cancer??? Any comments welcome.

Was this a uterine cancer which had invaded the colon, or a colon cancer which had invaded the uterus? The symptome certainly need to be checked out, as they certainly COULD (but note I said "could") be related a to a local recurrence of the cancer.

Response:

Thanks for the reply Believed to be colon cancer which had invaded the uterus. Squirrel

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife (69 years) recently underwent a D&C during which time they found a large tumor. She went to Mass General Hospital in Boston to have it removed. They removed an extremely large mass (the size of her head we have been told) and gave her a complete hysterectomy. They reported that there was cancer there and had also removed about 9 inches of her colon. They wanted her to have chemo. She opted not to take chemo and radiation was not an option. The major operation was last October. She is now experiencing major pain and discomfort. Much more than what she experienced immediately after the operation. One of my daughters who is a physical therapist came home and worked with her to insure she did some manual massage so that the stitches would not be a problem. But no one can as of yet explain why the major pain and discomfort. Can any one possibly shed some light on this problem. Might it be the muscle damage, etc. or something due to major cutting and sewing to remove the mass and all of its connection or is this common to sign of spreading cancer??? Any comments welcome.

Was this a uterine cancer which had invaded the colon, or a colon cancer which had invaded the uterus? The symptome certainly need to be checked out, as they certainly COULD (but note I said "could") be related a to a local recurrence of the cancer.

Response:

Thanks for the reply Believed to be colon cancer which had invaded the uterus. Squirrel

It’s unfortunate that post operative radiotherapy wasn’t considered, if this turns out to be (as is likely) a local recurrence

Response:

Thanks

Thanks for the reply Believed to be colon cancer which had invaded the uterus. Squirrel

It’s unfortunate that post operative radiotherapy wasn’t considered, if this turns out to be (as is likely) a local recurrence

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife (69 years) recently underwent a D&C during which time they found a large tumor. She went to Mass General Hospital in Boston to have it removed. They removed an extremely large mass (the size of her head we have been told) and gave her a complete hysterectomy. They reported that there was cancer there and had also removed about 9 inches of her colon. They wanted her to have chemo. She opted not to take chemo and radiation was not an option. The major operation was last October. She is now experiencing major pain and discomfort. Much more than what she experienced immediately after the operation. One of my daughters who is a physical therapist came home and worked with her to insure she did some manual massage so that the stitches would not be a problem. But no one can as of yet explain why the major pain and discomfort. Can any one possibly shed some light on this problem. Might it be the muscle damage, etc. or something due to major cutting and sewing to remove the mass and all of its connection or is this common to sign of spreading cancer??? Any comments welcome.

Hi, I am not a doctor, just someone in a similar situation to yourself. My wife is suffering from colon cancer (dx 3rd Feb 2001) and underwent an 8" bowel resection on the day of detection due to perforation of the large intestine. She has had three operations in total and has just started her second session of chemotherapy (oxaliplatin with 5-FU and folinic acid – the 5FU over a 46 hour infusion through a Hickman line). She has been suffering pain and discomfort for some time now, but the oncologist and surgeon both say that this is due to scar tissue from the three surgeries, the most recent of which was last November. You are possibly right about the discomfort being as a result of muscle damage as a consequence of the surgery. If your wife underwent a laparotomy (abdominal surgery), it is inevitable that some muscle damage would occur in addition to nerve endings being disturbed. Similarly, those muscles take time to heal – the 6 months since the surgery is not an untoward period for pain and discomfort to still be evident. My best advice would be to discuss it with her oncologist and surgeon for their assessment – they are the best placed people to determine the cause, after all. Best wishes to you both. Frank P

Response:

Thank you. Wife thinks that it is scar tissue as this last week it has moved. We had a regular x-ray taken yesterday (Friday the 12th) and will hear on that the first of the week. She refuses to take chemo or even to drink that chalk stuff for a cat-scan. Can’t say as I blame her. My daughter (a PT) leans toward scar tissue at this time but wants further tests…which right now is out of the question. Appreciate hearing from you and God be with you both. Thanks

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My wife (69 years) recently underwent a D&C during which time they found a large tumor. She went to Mass General Hospital in Boston to have it removed. They removed an extremely large mass (the size of her head we have been told) and gave her a complete hysterectomy. They reported that there was cancer there and had also removed about 9 inches of her colon. They wanted her to have chemo. She opted not to take chemo and radiation was not an option. The major operation was last October. She is now experiencing major pain and discomfort. Much more than what she experienced immediately after the operation. One of my daughters who is a physical therapist came home and worked with her to insure she did some manual massage so that the stitches would not be a problem. But no one can as of yet explain why the major pain and discomfort. Can any one possibly shed some light on this problem. Might it be the muscle damage, etc. or something due to major cutting and sewing to remove the mass and all of its connection or is this common to sign of spreading cancer??? Any comments welcome.

Hi, I am not a doctor, just someone in a similar situation to yourself. My wife is suffering from colon cancer (dx 3rd Feb 2001) and underwent an 8" bowel resection on the day of detection due to perforation of the large intestine. She has had three operations in total and has just started her second session of chemotherapy (oxaliplatin with 5-FU and folinic acid – the 5FU over a 46 hour infusion through a Hickman line). She has been suffering pain and discomfort for some time now, but the oncologist and surgeon both say that this is due to scar tissue from the three surgeries, the most recent of which was last November. You are possibly right about the discomfort being as a result of muscle damage as a consequence of the surgery. If your wife underwent a laparotomy (abdominal surgery), it is inevitable that some muscle damage would occur in addition to nerve endings being disturbed. Similarly, those muscles take time to heal – the 6 months since the surgery is not an untoward period for pain and discomfort to still be evident. My best advice would be to discuss it with her oncologist and surgeon for their assessment – they are the best placed people to determine the cause, after all. Best wishes to you both. Frank P

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