J client colorectal cancer survivor
He ignored poor bowel habits and symptoms of faecal blood for six months
He was diagnosed with rectal cancer in May 2013
Get a second opinion at the SCCA colorectal cancer specialist clinic
In the SCCA FOLFOX treatment chemotherapy, surgery and more chemotherapy studies
The rear view gives people a perfect view. In retrospect, client J saw that he might have been able to recognize earlier that it was a serious health problem. But in middle age, when J's symptoms began, he was still young and feeling invincible.
Of course, there was blood in his stool. Yes, for about six months, there was an urgent need to use the bathroom, but customer J didn't think it was a big deal. His wife. He arranged for client J to see a doctor later in the winter of 2012. Client J had a colonoscopy at the end of May 2013. "I didn't have an authoritative diet," said J. "I ate fast food and went to a lot of restaurants; Fast and convenient I assume my diet is not good to catch up with me. "
Diagnosis: rectal cancer
Colonoscopy results: colorectal cancer, at least stage II and possibly stage III. Looking for a treatment, customer J first went to the same medical center where his stepfather was being treated for esophageal cancer, but customer J was not satisfied with the doctors there. "They have no sympathy! J customer said. "This is all clinical, running mill. I want more than that; I told my boss I wanted to see other places, and she told me about the Seattle cancer care alliance (SCCA). "At his boss's suggestion, J customer saw it on the SCCA website and he decided to make an appointment.
Client J was seen at the SCCA colorectal cancer specialist clinic, where he met with A group of doctors, including Dr. A, A nationally renowned colorectal surgeon from UW medicine, A medical oncologist who specializes in colorectal cancer, and Dr. G (md, client J), A radiation oncologist, Dr. E.
J client said: "it's amazing to get all the attention. "Another medical center made me wait two weeks between each scan. When I went to SCCA (my full evaluation and meeting with three doctors) it took four hours! "
He said the team offered two potential treatments to J's clients. He decided to come to SCCA to take care of him.
Treatment regimen for rectal cancer
J's top three options are to provide standard care for his disease: four to six weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy to shrink the tumor, followed by surgery, followed by six months of chemotherapy FOLFOX, a calcium folic acid (folic acid, Wellcovorin), fluorouracil (5-fu) and Eloxatin.
His second option is to participate in a clinical study, where he will have three months of FOLFOX, undergo surgery, and then complete three months of FOLFOX, without radiation. "The main idea behind this trial is that there is no benefit from radiation because there are long-term and short-term side effects when you have radiation," said J.
A question on J's client's mind, and his doctor's, is whether FOLFOX will shrink the tumor before surgery so his surgeon can remove it. "This will need to shrink by 30 percent," said J.
In the study
With the facts that the doctor could provide, J client decided to participate in the clinical study. If FOLFOX doesn't shrink the tumor enough in the first three months, he can still receive radiation therapy to reduce the tumor further. But it wasn't necessary - after three months, J's tumor shrank by 80 percent.
Client J underwent surgery in November 2013. "I was ready for a temporary ostomy," he said, "but when I woke up, I didn't. The tissue is healthy because I don't have radiation, and I don't need it! I understand that it is very rare for a patient receiving radiation to receive at least a temporary ostomy. "
Wife is the time that client J left for the whole hospital one night, including when client J learned that his operation was successful. Dr F was able to remove cancer with a good (cancer-free) edge. J recovered from his illness for six weeks and received his three-month contract from FOLFOX.
"Everything at SCCA is going well. "FOLFOX is not one of the more toxic [chemotherapy regimens], so I didn't lose my hair, but I did have nausea," said J.
At SCCA, 'the better way'
"What I love about SCCA is that when I started chemotherapy and a nutritionist came to see me and she walked by and I was eating something healthy, I should have avoided better chemical tolerance. "I had more preparation and education to get into this than my stepfather had cancer treatment," said J. "SCCA has a better way."
The more difficult part of customer J's whole treatment may be the recovery period after the operation, because he does not sit alone for a long time and is used to cooking for his family. Another challenge came a week after the start of postoperative chemotherapy, when he developed appendicitis. Although he did not return to work until two days after the appendectomy, the next chemotherapy had to be delayed by two weeks.
His chemotherapy was completed in March 2014, and client J received a full explanation from Dr. C on May 5. A few weeks later, client J took his family to Disney World and universal studios to celebrate cancer free.
Life after cancer
Customer J didn't discover his grandmother, uncle and uncle had cancer until he was diagnosed with the family history of cancer. His mother had colon polyps that sometimes became cancerous.
Since his experience, J's clients have changed their diets, eating more fish and less red meat and processed foods, and he talks to SCCA nutritionists when he has a problem. Every three months, he gets a checkup. After his follow-up the year before last, he will be less every six months, and eventually only once a year.
In the course of his father's treatment, his wife and the son of client J met the doctor of client J and even helped take care of his father. Now that client J is cancer-free, he and his family are happy to get back to their normal lives and play football again - they're season tickets to the Seattle seahawks, as well as camping and hiking together.
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