Dr. robin0robin
2.5K posts
I just learned that friend’s Stage 3B colon cancer was missed for at least 10 years (he had symptoms) bc docs thought he was too young to have cancer (43 at time of diagnosis) & told him it was hemorrhoids. His MDs at Sloane said he wouldn’t have needed radical, life-altering surgery & it wouldn’t have metastasized had it been removed when he first saw GI doc for it. I hate these stories and hear them too often. Get second opinions, get third opinions, push doctors to do more when things don’t feel right or make sense. Don’t worry about offending them. Not advocating for yourself (or loved ones) could have devastating outcomes. My friend is in his 3rd year of surveillance and there are concerns that require more frequent scans than hoped. It didn’t have to be this way.
NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Rectal Cancer, Version 3.2024 For many years, patients with rectal cancer have undergone radiotherapy and inevitably surgery, enduring the associated toxicities, with some having to live with a permanent colostomy. However, recent studies have shown that omitting radiotherapy in certain patients who respond well to chemotherapy can be a viable option. More importantly, it has been demonstrated that some patients can be treated with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy without the need for surgery. These developments are very promising for improving our patients' quality of life and have now been incorporated into clinical guidelines. The latest NCCN rectal cancer guideline has made updates in this regard. The management of rectal cancer should definitely be carried out by a multidisciplinary team, and these options should be thoroughly discussed with patients. jnccn.org/view/journals/…
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