Cancer of the caecum
Discussion
Me - in 2003, so 18 years ago.
Didn't have a clue there was a problem, until I went to give blood and was found to be slightly anaemic. There was some family history so the GP didn't hesitate to investigate, but I was only 38 at the time and my family had all been over 60 when they got various forms of colon cancer.
Colonoscopy found the tumour in the caecum, so a few weeks later I was admitted for a right-hemicolectomy, followed by six months of weekly adjuvant chemotherapy.
Adapted pretty quickly to losing a third of my colon, and within a few weeks was eating a normal diet with just the occasional urgency to contend with after eating - no stoma or anything like that.
If you think you've got it then a colonoscopy or a faecal occult blood test should pick it up - the 'cheap' option of a sigmoidoscopy doesn't go far enough, and any bleeding will be mixed in with the stools (basically it turns into black pudding....though I might have made that bit up).
How old are you? Cancers in this area are a classic sign of Lynch Syndrome, which is an inherited form of bowel cancer - especially if they occur under 50. I have that, and colonoscopy every two years keeps an eye on things.
Hope that helps.
Didn't have a clue there was a problem, until I went to give blood and was found to be slightly anaemic. There was some family history so the GP didn't hesitate to investigate, but I was only 38 at the time and my family had all been over 60 when they got various forms of colon cancer.
Colonoscopy found the tumour in the caecum, so a few weeks later I was admitted for a right-hemicolectomy, followed by six months of weekly adjuvant chemotherapy.
Adapted pretty quickly to losing a third of my colon, and within a few weeks was eating a normal diet with just the occasional urgency to contend with after eating - no stoma or anything like that.
If you think you've got it then a colonoscopy or a faecal occult blood test should pick it up - the 'cheap' option of a sigmoidoscopy doesn't go far enough, and any bleeding will be mixed in with the stools (basically it turns into black pudding....though I might have made that bit up).
How old are you? Cancers in this area are a classic sign of Lynch Syndrome, which is an inherited form of bowel cancer - especially if they occur under 50. I have that, and colonoscopy every two years keeps an eye on things.
Hope that helps.
Edited by HalfManHalfJaffaCake on Monday 27th September 18:18
HalfManHalfJaffaCake said:
Just to add - mine was stage 3 when it was found (detected in one lymph node). This is one of the more curable cancers so don't give up hope yet!
Thanks again. No, I'm not giving up hope - I'm trying to understand what is happening and the direction I'm going to follow. Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff