Colorectal Cancer – a phrase none of us want to hear from our doctor……but let’s begin at the beginning.
In the summer of 2024, I visited my GP for a persistent cough. She diagnosed it as a reflux cough and prescribed omeprazole tablets. However, a few days later, I noticed blood in my stools. This prompted an urgent appointment with the doctor. Subsequent tests, including an FIT test, revealed abnormal cells. The doctor promptly initiated the cancer two-week-pathway. I was scheduled for a colonoscopy at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. The results were positive, with some striking images of a small/medium cancer at the junction of the sigmoid colon and the rectum.
At this stage, I had no symptoms. The “blood in stools” was actually a reaction to omeprazole. I felt a bit of a fraud, as most people were surprised that I wasn’t experiencing pain. Shortly after the positive diagnosis of colorectal cancer, I was referred for a CT scan and an MRI scan. These scans help identify the location and extent of the problem. This turned out to be Stage IIIb adenocarcinoma. In more detail it is written as T3d, N1a, V1, M0. This means:
T3d – the tumour has grown into the outer lining of the bowel wall, but no further.
N1a – at least one lymph node is involved but no more than three.
V1 – one blood vessel is involved.
M0 – this means that there are no metastases.
For more information on this I suggest you refer to the following website:
https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/bowel-cancer/rectal-cancer
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