Thursday, February 4, 2010

If a young female who is 26 years old with colon cancer

If a young female who is 26 years old with colon cancer?
Had a Partial coloectomy and Stage 1 cancer. Does that means that she will need to wear a pouch where the stoma is? What if her symptoms were she constantly having diarreha about 10 to 20 times a day with blood and mucus? Does that means she still needs to wear a colostomy bag? If she does wears one, is it so big that is it visible? Please help.
Cancer - 3 Answers
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1 :
With a stage one, the colostomy may only be temporary & she may only need to wear it for a few months. It depends on if they got all the cancer out, but usually if there is no obstruction, it can be stopped. She should ask her MD but he'll probably say he has to "wait & see" because it may depend on future testing. The bag can be hidden by loose clothes, so you won't even know she is wearing a colostomy. The bags are not usually that big & they lie right on the skin, attached by an adhesive ring.If she watches her diet she can regulate her movements to only once a day. Have her work with a medical person who will be glad to teach her.Good luck.
2 :
She will not need a colectomy or need to wear a colostomy bag not even temporarily, unless the tumor is very low (near the anus) and with a stage 1 there would be no reason not to get it all. Only a small part of the colon is removed (a partial colectomy) and the two ends are attached to each other. Imagine cutting out a 6 inch section of a garden hose. Take that 6 inch piece away and connect the two good pieces together and then you can use it again. This person is very young to have colon cancer and usually when a young person gets an older persons cancer it is more dangerous. She is going to have to be followed closely the rest of her life. She should never miss a single colonoscopy and should see her doctor at the first signs of any symptoms she may get in the future.
3 :
If the cancer is definitely stage 1, then treatment is usually only removal of the tumour. No chemo or radiation. However, if it's stage 2, then chemo is possible. The chemo for colon cancer is not as bad for other cancers, and it is common for one not to lose their hair. Once the cancer is treated, it is most likely that the symptoms will ease. I personally had pain, bleeding and constipation, and they all disappeared after. With regards to colostomy, it depends where the tumour is. If it is very low down, i.e. in your rectum, then it's possible. But otherwise, doctors try to avoid it. Again, unless it's in your rectum, if you do need to have one it is usually temporary. I had one for 8 months after my colectomy, and then it was reversed. That allowed time for the wound to heal. I can't tell from your question whether it's a what if there is a stoma, or if you're saying there already is a stoma. Obviously, if there is a stoma already, then of course she would need to wear a bag. The problem with a stoma is that you have no control over its output, and it just works on its own. So you need to keep a pouch on it at all times. The actual bag is not very visible. I was able to wear most of my clothes, apart from very tight ones. It was only when it was full it was possible to see a bulge. So I ensured it was empty all the time. It takes some getting used to, but trust me, it's possible. At first I was repulsed by it, and then by the end, it was like brushing my teeth!

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