Question:
I had a colonoscopy this week and the polyp they removed turns out to be
cancerous. This polyp was first detected via a sigmoidoscopy, so I am
assuming it is not too far up the colon. I'll have a consultation with the
surgeon next week. I am looking for some intelligent questions to ask him
(aside from, "can I see your medical license?) -:))
I suppose he wouldn't know how far, or if the cancer has spread, until he
has a look at the colon and biopsy of the lymph nodes. Can he tell just
from the biopsy of the polyp or from the pictures they took during the
colonoscopy?
What other tests or procedures can he use to detect how advance the cancer
is? If the cancer had not spread to the lymph nodes, what's the prognosis?
Any other questions I should be asking?
Answer:
Some of the questions you could ask may not be as appropriate for the surgeon
as they are for your oncologist. What type of cancer is it? Are they
anticipating doing chemo and radiation before or after surgery or both? What
will the surgery entail? Are they thinking any type of ostomy? There are
several types of chemo administration regimen (e.g., some days on, some days
off, continuous infusion through a pump, etc)...what type are they considering?
And prognosis if cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes is pretty good!
Another test that is sometimes used is the PET scan. It's expensive and
sometimes, however, the insurance companies don't want to pay for it.
These are just laymen questions. Any doctors on board could offer more
professional information.
Hang in there, Peter. Gather as much information as you can from reputable
sites and sources. Write down any questions you think of for your doctor (we
often forget the question we want to ask the doctor if we don't write them
down). Stay positive.
