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Hope someone can tell me...
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Posted by grittymitts (My Page) on Wed, Dec 7, 05 at 22:17
| Hope someone can tell me if they've known of chemo and radiation therapy being given at the sme time. My dear friend has colon cancer; Drs. first scheduled her for surgery then decided it was too large so are now giving the two treatments together...isn't this unusual?
Might it mean the cancer is more aggressive than first thought?
Thanks for any input- I'm trying to keep her upbeat, positive and hopeful so would not share any negatives with her, just want to know for myself.
Suzi |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Hope someone can tell me...
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| Suzi, my friend had both, but not together. Apparently, they want to treat her in an aggressive way since they couldn't operate... I pray she has good results. Your encouragement and friendship will be a blessing. May God have mercy and minister healing to her body. ~abreeze |
RE: Hope someone can tell me...
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| I’ve heard of this, but don’t know anyone who’s been through the double whammy. My guess would be that she’ll get smaller doses of chemo and radiation because she’s getting both at once. Attacking the cancer on two fronts sounds pretty darn effective. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they think the cancer’s extremely aggressive. I think that if they were really afraid of this particular tumor, they would remove as much of it as they could before beginning other treatments, but situations vary greatly according to how the tumor’s situated. How far the cancer has spread is more important than how big the tumor is. Colon cancer is really treatable if it’s caught before it’s spread very far. Cancer treatments are changing all the time: my mother was on at least two experimental drugs for colon cancer. Your friend’s doctor thinks that the chemo/radiation combo will be more effective. They may still operate after this round of treatment is finished and the tumor is smaller. Cancer.org and the Johns Hopkins’ websites both have a lot of information. Make sure you’re mentally prepared before you start looking for information. Some of the statistics can be pretty grim for the really advanced cancers. Hang in there: no matter have great the outcome, it's going to be a bumpy ride. Don’t be bashful about asking for support for her, you or her other loved ones. Take care,
Scotland |
RE: Hope someone can tell me...
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| Has your friend simply asked her doctor why they are recommending both chemo and radiation at once? That might be the most effective route, rather than speculating and trying to guess. |
RE: Hope someone can tell me...
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| yes i've heard of people getting both. we've been at the cancer dr, and know some who are getting chemo there and leave there and go to hospital to get radiation. good luck to your friend! DianePA |
RE: Hope someone can tell me...
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| Thanks so much for all the replies. They did tell her it is "quite aggressive." I don't ask a lot of questions...she says she feels free to talk to me& has quite a lot. Unless she specifically asks my advice, I don't offer it with the exception of suggestion that she gain all the knowledge she can about the disease, pray & laugh a lot and keep visualizing the meds & radiation attacking & killing ALL those nasty little gremlins. I also try to give more mundane support like cleaning her house, doing laundry, grocery shopping & such- the things she just can't keep up with. Suzi |
RE: Hope someone can tell me...
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| Suzi, you said: "I also try to give more mundane support like cleaning her house, doing laundry, grocery shopping & such- the things she just can't keep up with." Give yourself a big pat on the back for being the best kind of friend. Things like that may be mundane to those of us who can do them, but they are mountains to your friend. You are a gem! |
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