Cancer aside - what could this be?

[dejags]

DH's young cousin (21 year old girl) has been having chronic Irritable Bowel Syndrom symptoms for a few months now (the past two months have been really, really bad).

Anyway, she was referred for a scope so that the surgeon could look inside the colon. He found a very large ulcerated mass and is in his own words "incredibly worried".

From what I can see on the www - it is very, very rare for a very young person to develop colorectal cancer.

I have been reading about Ulcerative Colitis - are there any Mnetters who suffer from this - and do her symptoms sound as if they may fit this?

Any help would be appreciated as the whole family is very worried.

PS: she is having a CT Scan and Chest X-Ray today, they have already biopsied the mass and await the results.

dejags I'm sorry to hear this. there is a few very long threads on the macmillan cancer support website on colorectal cancer and dealing with the operations etc. Some of the contributors are young also. I think they find it very helpful (alot of relatives use it as well).

I hope she has a speedy recovery.

i'm sorry to hear that

Really sorry, dejags, please keep us posted. Will hope for a positive outcome for her.

Thank you all.

She's fairly calm. The rest of the family are pissing me off - crying and wailiing and generally acting as if the next step is the cemetary. DH has gone to see them tonight with DS2 to try and add a semblance of normality.

I have a friend who is one of the most respected Physicians in Cape Town. He says that it is very possible that this cancer has spread from elsewhere - ovarian cancer is a possibility. He was telling me that because this cancer is so rare in youngsters it would be his first thought upon surgical investigation. They have been told that even though the CT scan was clear, it's impossible to say what they will find in the surgery on Monday.

God we all need to be more thankful I really hope you get good news monday

omg, dejags, just seen this. I'm so sorry. Will be thinking of you and your family, and hoping for the best possible news on Monday.

I haven't been online for a bit, hope Carys is totally well now..xxx

Hi Elibean, I did post a thank you on an old thread about C along the lines of...

By dejags on Wed 13-Jun-07 09:44:15
We are going home

Elibean - thank you so much for sharing your experiences with Mischa. The pattern was so very similar. To know somebody else went through it and came through fine has been a godsend. I have tried a number of times to type this message but each time I do the mobile connection drops out. Will CAT you when I get home.

dejags, you're so welcome - thanks for taking the trouble to re-post, am sorry I missed the original. I knew Carys was on the mend, but then our internet connection got dodgy (still is) and the dds got big colds and, well, you know how it is.

I'm so very glad she's home and well.

Oh I am so sorry for your niece. Hopefully it won't spread and that they can remove the tumour easily!

Dear lord, that's unbelievable, Dejags. Your cousin is only a year older than my dd1. I wish your cousin all the best for Monday - please come back and let us know how she is.

Dejags - so sorry to hear this . Hope Monday brings the best news possible.

Dejags, if your neice would like to ask me any questions, my email is [email protected].

If she needs chemo, tell her to ask about oral chemo. I had a drug called capecitibine which consisted of 8 tablets a day and meant I didn't have to go to hospital to have it administered by drip.

sending your niece every good wish for a full recovery.For the family get strength from each other.

Thinking of your cousin today, Dejags.

Thinking of you and your neice, Dejags...how did yesterday go? xxx

cousin, even. Sorry - no sleep. xx

Thank you all.

She eventually had the surgery on Tuesday (she had a cough so they delayed by a day).

They managed to resect the bowel and remove the tumour (which was very large) intact.

The surgeon confirmed today that all 18 lymph nodes which were removed and tested were free of the cancer and that the cancer had not penetrated the bowel wall.

He calls it a miracle .

She is being referred to an oncologist - it's unclear at this stage what or if there will be a need for chemo.

Thanks for your good wishes. The family are thrilled with the outcome .

dejags so glad that the surgery went well and the result about the lymph nodes is extremely positive.
I am currently working in a chemo unit and have seen lots of colon cancer patients and some of them make a good recovery. I imagine the oncologist will weigh up the risks as to whether to offer the chemo even though the nodes were negative, sometimes they like to be extra cautious and perhaps mop-up anything they may have missed.

Dont wish to disrespect your friend but the histology would show whether this is a primary or secondary cancer, so if it has spread from the ovary they would know this as the cancer cells would be ovarian cells not colon cells IYKWIM.

HTH thinking of you all

Thanks MossChops.

My friend hadn't seen the histology results. Was just responding to what I had told him.

Sadly - my cousin isn't the most "switched" on of people. Her info is vague at best - she didn't know that they had removed lymph nodes (I asked her at 4pm this afternoon and she said she thought that they hadn't ).

How one can have major abdominal surgery to remove a malignant tumour and have no idea as to what they are doing is amazing to me (and more than a little frustrating).

Love her to bits but I get crazy mad with her at times. Just no sense.

I asked her about what changes she would be making to her diet - she replied "erm... none" ??? She eats abysmally... sigh.