Rectal Cancer- do’s and don’ts

Locally advanced rectal cancers just aren’t approached the same way as their (higher) colonic counterparts.

When one is already having symptoms, the chances are pretty fair that the disease is advanced.  So, love yourself more & do your screening according to the guidelines.  If screening picks up a problem, see a multidisciplinary team.  You may not need all of the doctors and, if yours are any good, they’ll tell you what’s what.

Don’t go getting more of your gut scooped out than is absolutely necessary. Make sure that your surgeon is an experienced one.  Better yet, find a colorectal specialist or an honest-to-God surgical oncologist (so few!).  Don’t dismiss suggested radiotherapy & chemo just because all visible tumor can be or has been removed.  Think on the “microscopic” scale too.

When cancer treatments other than surgery are deemed necessary, the overall design is to optimize the odds for disease control in your favor.  Make very sure that the therapies you receive are up to current standards.  Rectal cancer recurrence is a nightmare.

Enough already with absurd & totally unnecessary tragedies!

 

Previous Comments

Combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy might be the best strategy for rectal cancer.
Posted by Janet at September 28, 2006, 1:36 pm

In locally advanced disease, chemoradiation AND surgery. Surgery has not been replaced by other modalities in that setting.
Posted by oncodoc at October 1, 2006, 3:31 pm

my grandpa has colon cancer
Posted by Ebenezer Seasal Brown the 3 at February 12, 2007, 12:59 pm