Q
: 1
07/22/2009 |
My husband developed a fistula after having a resection of the large bowel. The fistula is connected from the anastomosis to the surface of the skin. He currently has an ileostomy which is functioning quite well. No stoma was formed during the surgery but the fistula has been draining continuously over the last eight months. What can be done?
If it has been eight months and it hasn't healed by now, then surgery is the best option.
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Q
: 2
06/21/2009 |
I am having a great part of my sigmoid colon removed due to severe diverticulosis. Is there any risk in taking homeopathic Arnica the day of the surgery?
Generally, nothing should be taken the day of surgery unless cleared by your doctor.
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Q
: 3
12/03/2008 |
My father was recently diagnosed with Colon Cancer. He had a tumor removed and the doctors have said the cancer has spread to the bottom two lobes of his liver. Is it impossible to resect that portion of the liver? Is it possible that with the removal of the tumor, chemotherapy could cure the colon cancer and contain the liver cancer? If this worked, would a liver transplant be possible or a viable option if a blood relative was a match?
The liver tumors can be resecter. I would recommend first chemotherapy to determine tumor response then evaluate for surgery.
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Q
: 4
05/06/2008 |
My grandfather had colorectal cancer and just underwent surgery 2 months ago and had a colostomy. He has episodes where the intestine will protrude in the bag and cause extreme pain. What causes that to happen and how can it be fixed.
It sounds like he has parastomal hernia or prolapse of the ostomy. Either condition will require surgery to fix. It is related to several factors including poor muscle, weight loss, poor nutrition. Will be glad to evaluate him. You may call 410-328-7320 to schedule an appointment.
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Q
: 5
04/14/2008 |
My 52-year-old brother had a partial burst appendix in Oct. of 2007. He was given extensive antibiotics and didn't have surgry until Feb. 2008. About a week post-op he was told that he had colon cancer and the tumors had ruptured into his abdomin. Now he is to undergo surgery hyperthermic chemo during surgery, and then he also will have an ileostomy. Could you tell me your view of this treatment?
Hyperthermic chemo is indicated for appendicular cancer and for select cases of colon cancer following complete tumor removal.
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Q
: 6
04/04/2008 |
My brother has stage 2 colon cancer. Doctors removed a lemon-sized tumor from his colon. They also found a few spots on his liver. What is considered the best treatment for this stage of disease?
The best treatment at this stage is systemic chemotherapy and then surgical resection of his liver tumors.
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Q
: 7
03/24/2008 |
My husband was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer 10 months ago. The tumor was removed, he received a colostomy and has since undergone 6 weeks of daily local radiation therapy followed by chemo every two weeks for 6 months. His CEA has dropped to within normal range. He has, however, developed an abcess on his chest, just below his right breast, which has since been drained surgically twice and tests negative for cancer. But after 5 months it is still there, despite all efforts of the best available wound care. Would this likely be cancer related? Possibly related to the radiation therapy? Due to his weakened immune system?
Unlikely, since it was tested negative for cancer. It is far enough from the radiation fields to not blame radiation. Inadequate surgical drainage is most likely the reason.
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Q
: 8
06/19/2007 |
I was diagnosed Stage IV colon cancer, with mets to my omentum in Feb. '05. Had colon resection and chemo. Now have a few mets to my abdominal cavity. Am scheduled to have the heated chemo operation at your hospital next month. Is the prognosis favorable with just these mets?
Compared to widespread metastasis or liver metastasis, your prognosis is favorable.
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Q
: 9
06/08/2007 |
A friend has recurrent colon cancer, Stage 4. He is in severe pain with what they think are 5 abdominal abcesses. He is having more testing to see if these may be new tumors. If this is the case, will he be permitted to receive radiation therapy? He has been on a regimen of heavy pain meds and antibiotics and the masses have continued to grow very quickly. What are your thoughts?
If what is seen is abcesses, he cannot recieve radiation. Most likely these are carcinomatosis and localized radiation may help control the pain. Palliative care should be considered if he is not a candidate for chemotherapy.
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Q
: 10
05/06/2007 |
I have Crohn's disease (no cancer). Colon removed with an ileostomy. Rectum has Crohn's; planning on traditional surgery for removal of rectum, I think sparing sphincter muscles to sew together and close area. What is the risk for sexual and/or urinary side effects? Can this surgery be done laproscroptically? And if so, is there less of a chance of side effects?
Sexual and urniary dysfunction is more of a risk for cancer surgery, due to extent of dissection and also depends on age, medical condition, psychological factors, and smoking. If the plan is for APR, you still need perineal incision. Proper randomized trials for laparoscopic rectal surgery are not complete, but single institution studies shows less side effects, mostly related to blood loss, IV pain meds, shorter hospital stay, wound complications.
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Q
: 11
04/21/2007 |
My mother is 48 and has colon cancer for the second time. We have just finished the chemo in 2/07 and PET scan showed no evidence of disease; she is only receiving Avastin. Is it OK to have colonoscopy with Avastin?
Normaly, colonoscopy is recommended at 1 year after surgery, then at 3 years unless new symptomps or findings on imaging studies. Colonoscopy can be done while taking Avastin.
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Q
: 12
03/29/2007 |
My brother-in-law was diagnosed with colon cancer about 18 months ago (he is in his mid-fifties). He first had surgery to remove a tumor in his descending colon; it was determined that the cancer had spread and he recieved oral and IV chemo; he then had a tumor removed from his liver last summer and has had chemo as well as radiation. He had laproscopic surgery to remove a few "spots" in his left lung about 6 weeks ago. After a follow up appointment, the surgeon found that the tumour has come back to the left lung. He is also complaining of feeling a dull pain in his hip bone and is having some further scans next week. Based on this limited information, what are your thoughts on prognosis and survival.
With newer chemotherapy agents, mean survival for stage IV is around 20-24 months.
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Q
: 13
01/17/2007 |
My husband, 40, just had a colon resection (Hartmann's procedure) 12 days ago. He passed stool through his rectum this morning. Is this normal after a colon resection?
If he had Hartmann's procedure, any stool through rectum is propably residual stools.
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Q
: 14
01/08/2007 |
My boyfriend was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer last April. He had a resection, radiation, oral chemo, and IV chemo. He just finished treatment in early November. He continues to have frequent BMs, and requested a CT scan last week. The CT scan showed "thickening" of the colon, and he's being scheduled for a colonoscopy. He's 42, in great shape, has no family history of cancer, and is otherwise healthy. Are there other logical explanations for the "thickening" considering everything his body has been through?
Yes, it could be inflammatory/post-surgical or related to radiation.
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Q
: 15
11/22/2006 |
My 68-year old father was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic colon cancer in July 2006. At that time, his CEA was at 3658 and another tumor marker was at 163. His tumor is in the liver, and according to two oncologists, inoperable. At that time his oncologist told us that my father would have 6 months to live if we tried chemotherapy and it didn't work. If it did work, then he'd have 18 months. The most recent CEA was 292. His oncologist is delighted with the results and told us that my father is having a "very dramatic response" to the chemo but that my father would still die. If my father's numbers keep going down, does this mean that he'll be cured? I'm not really sure if the diminishing tumor marker numbers mean that the tumor is shrinking. Would you please be kind enough to enlighten me?
The drop in CEA indicates that the tumor is responding to the chemotherapy and is a good sign. Realistically, there is no cure at this stage. He needs to continue with the chemotherapy.
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