Cancer Treatment Options Forum - July 2nd, 2011 - 10 Comments
colon cancer??
My dad went today and had his colon checked. They told him that he had cancer. How can they tell that it is cancer just by looking at it? Dont they have to do a biopsy? He has an appointment monday at a surgical clinic but he did not say what it was for.
BTW he has had symptoms for about 8 months….but just went this week to have it checked. How fast could it spread?
Colon cancer is quite slow growing. It usually has been growing for some years before it causes symptoms. Because of that, most colon cancers found through symptoms are at stage 3 (there are 4 stages, stage 4 means it has spread to other organs)
The appointment Monday is probably for the surgeon to discuss with him the options for removing the cancer, and what tests they want to do to "stage" the cancer. Staging means working out how advanced the cancer is (or isn’t).
Colon cancer at stage 3 is still very treatable. Surgery to remove the tumour and chemo. Chemo can be before and/or after surgery, depending on the exact location, size and type of the tumour.
Let your father take his time to tell you what’s going on. If he wants to talk, let him, and ask questions if you think he’s happy to answer. Otherwise, try to be normal with him and let him work things through in his mind until he’s ready to talk.
Good luck
Cancer in the colon has a certain look to it. If he has a mass amount of it, then the doctor would be able to tell right away.
Don’t worry too much, dear, just wait until the doctor does his work and gives you the results.
Mine was located during a routine colonoscopy. It is a very small "blot" of cancerous membrane that was biopsied because it was so small. Now I have to go and have it removed before it metastasizes.~
Your dad probably had a colonoscopy test and normally a biopsy is done at the time if an area looks suspicious. Sometimes they can tell just by looking. Colon cancer treatment has advanced so much over the past few years and good results are not uncommon. I hope your dad does ok with his appointment. He will probably require surgery for the cancer…..
If the cancer has advanced to the tumor stage, it is possible to diagnose it as cancer without a biopsy. The surgical appointment is probably to perform a biopsy to determine the type and stage of the cancer so that they can treat it correctly. There are many different forms of cancer and once they determine the type and stage, they can organize the plan of attack to reduce or eliminate it.
Good Luck
from my experience being a student nurse, doctors could actually tell if it’s a cancer or not by just looking bec. almost all cancer looks alike, i mean when you try to see it from "laparoscopy" (a small microscopre that is inserted in your anus to see your intestine)or barium enama, they could already see the intestine and those things that shouldn’t be there and that’s what they usually called cancer cell. Biopsy will just help to ensure the diagnosis, especially if the doctor your seeing has specialty on cancer.
i pray for your to to get well soon and hope somehow this answers some of your question in mind.
They can tell by the look of the pollups because they are an extremely unusual color and shape etc. I took a friend in for the procedure when she had colon cancer. It was only 30 min long and she didnt seem to be affected badly. She went back to her normal routines the next day and made sure to take all the medicine she was directed to take. Then she would repeat this routine in a few weeks and keep doing so until it was all clear. What makes it better for them is the love and support of family and friends. Just be there for them and help them get through it.
I assume when you say he had his colon checked, you mean a colonoscopy. They no doubt did a biopsy, but I doubt they would have to wait for the results if it was more than a polyp. Think about this: If a doctor sees something in a colon, how many things could it be?
It is pretty tough to figure out how fast it would spread or anything else without further information.
it sounds like he doesn’t want to talk about it if he didn’t tell you what his appointment was for.
I’m sorry for you because things are going to be up in the air for the next few days until you get the whole story. I wish I could help you with that.
Hang in there until you find out what his prognosis is. The last person I knew with colon cancer had it taken care of in a single operation the next week.
8 months, its too long time but cancer spread very fast as the appearance shows its a cancer after 8 month.
If u really want to know more details about colon cancer. Pls try this site it will help u
he probly had a colonostomy, that is were they put a tube up in the rectum.