At the moment of a cancer diagnosis, you instantly have in front of you a long list of long- and short-term things to do, consider and act upon. From your mental health to your financial health, not to mention your physical health, cancer runs the gamut in how it may impact your life.
As a gastroenterologist, I work with patients who are diagnosed with every type of cancer, not just those in the digestive tract. That’s because the symptoms of cancer and the side effects of treatment may impact your ability to eat, digest food and absorb nutrients.
But I most often work with patients in the prevention, screening and treatment of colorectal cancer —cancer of the colon (the large intestines) and rectum. Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men and women, after breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. But with the right approach it can be treated successfully, with a minimal impact on your quality of life.
In this article we’ll explore the five things to consider if you’ve been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, including:
- Understanding your emotions
- Learning about your cancer
- Considering a second opinion
- Knowing your colorectal cancer treatment options
- Having a plan to control colorectal cancer
If you’ve been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and want to get a second opinion about your diagnosis or treatment options, call us or chat online with a member of our team.
Understanding your emotions
Receiving a cancer diagnosis may open the flood gates to a wave of emotions—fear, sadness, anger, depression. Emotions will ebb and flow depending on the news of the day, whether you need to prepare for a doctor visit or a scan or when you’ve completed a treatment cycle.
Understand that the emotions you are going through are normal. And remember you are not alone.
Also, it is not unusual for your memory or cognitive skills to be affected, either because of stress or as a side effect to chemotherapy.
Take time to process, write things down and ask for support from loved ones.
See if your cancer care center offers behavioral health care, which helps patients take charge of their emotional health. Behavioral health providers and counselors may offer a variety of strategies to help better cope with your diagnosis and the stressors related to your treatment.
Learning about your cancer
Cancer isn’t just one disease, but hundreds of complex diseases that may affect almost any part of the body. If you have colorectal cancer, you may never know the cause of your disease, but it’s important to understand the stage of your cancer and the variety of genetic mutations and other factors that may be driving its growth.
The cancer stage is determined by how extensive your cancer is and how much it has grown or spread from its place of origin. Talk to your doctor about advanced genomic testing, which may identify mutations fueling your cancer. The stage and identified biomarkers may help determine your treatment options.
Cancer has a language all its own, so don’t hesitate to ask about words or phrases that are unfamiliar to you. Remember, the course of your care plan will help determine the future of your health and quality of life. It’s important to take a vested interest in the direction of your cancer journey.
Considering a second opinion
The doctors and clinicians who treat cancer have gone through extensive training to get to where they are. But that doesn’t mean you can’t seek the opinion of another doctor, especially when there is no emergency and there is some time to consider treatment options.
Look for institutions that offer multidisciplinary care where team members with varied expertise collaborate to give you treatment recommendations.
Also, know what your facility does well. Are they accredited for a specific type of treatment? Do they have good outcomes in a specific area of expertise? For instance, it is important to know what surgeries a cancer care center performs more often. These are likely the ones that are more successful, as surgical volume is important for good outcomes.
Your care team should support your decision to get a second opinion.
Knowing your colorectal cancer treatment options
Colorectal cancer has many treatment options and survival rates have significantly improved in the last decade. Treatment options vary, depending on the stage of your cancer, whether it is a recurrent cancer and/or whether it was found in the colon or the rectum.
Let’s explore some of the treatment options that have produced positive outcomes for patients with colorectal cancer.
Resection
Resection is when we remove the tumor, usually with surgery. Some early cancers may also be removed with colonoscopy or trans anally without external incisions. These early cancers are often small and superficial not invading deep into the wall of the colon.
Other forms of resections include:
- Open surgery, when a large incision is made in the abdomen to access and remove the tumor
- Laparoscopic surgery, when very small incisions are used to insert tools that allow the surgeon to remove the cancer
- Robotic surgery, used especially in rectal cancers given the small space in the pelvis
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy may be a treatment option for colorectal cancer, especially in combination with other treatments. For instance, radiation therapy may be delivered before surgery to shrink tumors so they are easier to remove. Or it may be used after surgery to help kill cancer cells left behind.
Radiation therapy may also be an option for patients who have conditions that may them poor candidates for surgery. It may also be given in conjunction with chemotherapy.
Ablation
Ablation uses tiny electrodes to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Like radiation therapy, it may be a good option for people who cannot have surgery. It also may be used for cancers that have spread to the liver.
Chemotherapy and immunotherapy
These treatments may be considered when the cancer has metastasized or spread outside of the colon wall. Immunotherapy, using immune checkpoint inhibitor drugs, is a relatively new tool to treat colorectal cancer and may be used to treat some tumors that have specific genetic features. It is often better tolerated than chemotherapy and associated with better outcomes.
Multiple lines of chemotherapy may be an option for colorectal cancer, meaning if one drug doesn’t work for you, we often have other options to try.
Clinical trials
In some cases, when standard-of-care treatments have not produced a good outcome, qualifying patients may be candidates for a clinical trial. Trials offer drugs and treatment modalities that may not otherwise be available.
Talk to your cancer care team about the characteristics specific to your cancer and what treatment options may be best for you.
Having a plan to control colorectal cancer
Finally, develop a plan and develop goals. Planning for your future after a cancer diagnosis is very personal. But it is important to communicate to those close to you about your goals and desires. For instance, it’s a good idea to:
- Open up to your care team about your treatment goals
- Talk to your employer about your treatment schedule
- Consider the costs of your care and how best to handle your finances
- Identify care team members who may help manage the side effects, including the impact on your mental health
- Get support from friends and family and know who you can lean on
- Consider connecting with Cancer Fighters to share experiences and gain insights from others who have faced similar challenges
A cancer diagnosis may be a very scary experience when so many things are out of your control. Take control of the things you can.
If you’ve been diagnosed with colorectal cancer and want to get a second opinion about your diagnosis or treatment options, call us or chat online with a member of our team.
