Early detection of second cancer

[Eric]

To all the people who had radiation

I would like to know a few things

What your doctor said to you about second cancer and of the odds ?

Like me have you heard about stomach and colon cancer that are the most probable ?

Have you ever thought or have the suggestion of your doctor to have a gastroscopy or a colonoscopy at every year or every 2 years ?

How many years after treatment we can think about doing this ? Because i have heard that second cancer can happen as early as 5 years after treatment.

I would like to have your opinion on it. Do you think about doing a screening for a second cancer or you prefer to live your life without thinking about it ?

Thank you

[TCLEFT]

See my post titled Reflux. I'm going for an endoscopy next week. My Onc doesn't seem concerned about secondary cancer. Hopefully, this won't be the cause of my discomfort. I'm assuming the endo will give me some answers. I'll keep everyone posted.

[Eric]

I wish you the best of luck for this test

I did have reflux a couple years before TC and it last only a week and never came back.

[LoneNutTheorist]

My doctor just prescribed a colonscopy for me and I'm 34, going on 35. She said it's not a bad idea to do it based on the radiation therapy. So, I guess it's "periscope up" time.

[TCLEFT]

Man, they get you coming or going, don't they? Best of Luck!

[Eric]

Lonenut

do you have an idea of what frequency you have to do the colonoscopy ?

I heard about every 5 years.

And what about gastroscopy?

Is there some other cancer in the radiation window that we can early detect?(like blader pancreatic)

[Mom]

It usually takes 5 years for a polyp to grow and another 5-10 years for it to turn malignant. If you have colon cancer history in your family (parent) you should be tested 10 years before your parent was diagnosed. Base line colonoscopy is usually at 50 years old with no family history. If there is no family history and no polyps in your colon the doctor usually lets you go 10 years. With exposure to radiation this protocol may change. However, regardless of the exposure to radiation you must always be vigilant. My husband had TC when he was 35. He had a RPLND. No metastisis. At 53 he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He had no RT. He is doing fine but is checked every 3 months by way of a very unpleasant test. He has had two reoccurrences of the bladder cancer. That is the nature of that disease and that is why he is checked so frequently. So listen to your body and respond. BTW, my husband doesn't smoke, drinks wine, works out at the gym every day, eats healthy, unfortunately, his body just makes those little buggers. (My mother had colon cancer at 38, she is 90 now, my father never told her the diagnosis because "she had 3 little kids to raise and didn't want her to worry." He just worried.) I think you are wise to be tested. Dianne

[Eric]

Mom

How did this happened for your husband? Did he has symptoms for is bladder cancer or it what just a routine check?

And are you saying that your mom has lived about 40 years with colon cancer?

[Mom]

My mother indeed has lived 52 years after having colon cancer. She had a resection of the colon, removing the area with the tumor(s). They did not have chemo in those days. You either lived or died. She went on to have my youngest brother a year later at 39 years old! My husband was a soccer referee. One day after a game I happened to be doing the laundry and he threw me his dirty, sweaty clothes. I noticed a pinkish stain. "DO YOU HAVE BLOOD IN YOUR URINE????" He was at his doctors the next day. His urologist "scoped" him and saw four tumors. He was operated on within the week. The tumors were "superficial" which means that they did not penetrate the bladder wall. Bladder cancer is also very curable if it is caught early. The bad part about it though is that is does reoccur. There is a treatment (live tuberculousis into the bladder) which is an option if the tumors come back too frequently. BTW, after begging him to have a colonoscopy and finally denying him sex until he got one, he finally went. They took a "peach-size" polyp out of his colon. Only one polyp but what a doozie. There was a 50/50 chance is was malignant because of its size. It wasn't. He dodged the bullet, however, he has to go and have another colonoscopy in a couple of weeks to make sure it isn't growing back. I am dedicating my life to keeping my husband alive!! So, stay vigilant. Dianne

[Scott]

BTW, after begging him to have a colonoscopy and finally denying him sex until he got one, he finally went.

Geez, the drastic steps one has to take to get a man to pay attention!

[Eric]

Wow mom

Should i call your husband unlucky(because of his 3 cancer) or lucky(because each was caught in the nick of time)? I suggest him to buy a couple of lottery tickets. I wish to be lucky like him if i get a second cancer or lucky enough to never have cancer again.

[Mom]

I think my husband is very lucky. He does buy lottery tickets for just that reason! Dianne

[Scott]

I think my husband is very lucky.

Well, clearly! Just look at who he's married to!

[Mom]

That is nice of you to say, Scott. Thank you. Dianne