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Living with cancer (and madwullie memorial thread)


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What does it mean if a doctor finds a mass that they want checked, and ticks the box on the sheet that says "suspected cancer"?

I assume it just means he's found something he would like to biopsy, as I was under the impression no one can tell by looking. Am I wrong?

This isnt me btw, but its a worry nonetheless

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13 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

What does it mean if a doctor finds a mass that they want checked, and ticks the box on the sheet that says "suspected cancer"?

I assume it just means he's found something he would like to biopsy, as I was under the impression no one can tell by looking. Am I wrong?

This isnt me btw, but its a worry nonetheless

There are rapid cancer diagnosis pathways, suspected cancer will be fast-tracked down one of these dependent on what/where the mass is plus other symptoms.

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7 minutes ago, Cyclizine said:

There are rapid cancer diagnosis pathways, suspected cancer will be fast-tracked down one of these dependent on what/where the mass is plus other symptoms.

Is "within 4 weeks" fast track?

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45 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

What does it mean if a doctor finds a mass that they want checked, and ticks the box on the sheet that says "suspected cancer"?

I assume it just means he's found something he would like to biopsy, as I was under the impression no one can tell by looking. Am I wrong?

This isnt me btw, but its a worry nonetheless

My diagnosis for prostate cancer started with a finger up the bum and a blood test, followed by an appointment with an oncologist which I delayed because I'd booked a holiday, they seemed a bit shocked. Got back and got the news, blood showed a very high PSA count which is a pretty solid indicator, and they did a biopsy to be 100% sure. Was put straight on chemo and hormone treatment pretty well immediately, after a couple of scans. This was January/February 2020 and the treatment brought the PSA down to near zero. Never felt ill throughout apart from a little bit during chemo, on holiday again now and feeling fine. :)

Edited by welshbairn
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On 04/05/2022 at 12:25, scottsdad said:

Turns out it was not so simple. 

He says it was the worst, most traumatic experience of his life. They put a cream on the cancer (which is on his face). Waited, then did the light therapy. It was, he says, like getting a red hot poker held to his skin. He was in absolute agony during it and afterwards. 

And...they didn't get it all. They want him back in 6 weeks to do it again, but he isn't going to go. He has a very serious heart condition, and a lung condition, and frankly the stress of this is too much. The heart is the main concern now and subjecting himself to this again is just a no-go. He cannot take that kind of stress these days. 

Sorry to hear about your dad.

Anyway, I got this light treatment (can’t remember the proper term) 2 years ago for skin cancer on my back and had to sit for about 20 minutes with this light directed on to the affected area. To be honest, it wasn’t too bad. Just a bit hot. 
Maybe because your dads got it on his face that’s making it so bad.

Anyway, hope he’s made the right decision as it took a few sessions to kill my cancer.

All the best

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44 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

My diagnosis for prostate cancer started with a finger up the bum and a blood test, followed by an appointment with an oncologist which I delayed because I'd booked a holiday, they seemed a bit shocked. Got back and got the news, blood showed a very high PSA count which is a pretty solid indicator, and they did a biopsy to be 100% sure. Was put straight on chemo and hormone treatment pretty well immediately, after a couple of scans. This was January/February 2020 and the treatment brought the PSA down to near zero. Never felt ill throughout apart from a little bit during chemo, on holiday again now and feeling fine. :)

Mine was a blood test (the PSA level was picked up as a side issue) then finger up the bum time, biopsy, appointment with oncologist, hormone treatment (ongoing), and then radiotherapy (finished). At least 2 scans, can't remember where they fitted into the timeline.

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2 hours ago, Bairnardo said:

Is "within 4 weeks" fast track?

I have no specific knowledge outside my own treatment, but I imagine the timeline will vary a lot to do with severity, treatability and how accessible the suspected lump is. My biopsy just involved a specialist nurse with some kind of cutting instrument that he shoved up my arse as an out patient. I don't want to talk about it. :babe2 The targets they set are probably about worse case scenarios where they need a whole team of surgeons and specialists to get at it. My diagnosis and treatment went very quickly, the only delay was me insisting on going on holiday as I thought it might be my last one. :whistle

Edited by welshbairn
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On 04/05/2022 at 11:25, scottsdad said:

Turns out it was not so simple. 

He says it was the worst, most traumatic experience of his life. They put a cream on the cancer (which is on his face). Waited, then did the light therapy. It was, he says, like getting a red hot poker held to his skin. He was in absolute agony during it and afterwards. 

And...they didn't get it all. They want him back in 6 weeks to do it again, but he isn't going to go. He has a very serious heart condition, and a lung condition, and frankly the stress of this is too much. The heart is the main concern now and subjecting himself to this again is just a no-go. He cannot take that kind of stress these days. 

That sounds horrible. I had a Basal Cell removed from my hairline last year and they just cut it out with little hassle.

When I saw your first post I was expecting to read something similar. I'm sorry to hear it wasn't.

If your father has Basal Cell I can't blame him for not wanting to go through that again tbh - depending on his age the benefit of having it removed would be almost zero.

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3 hours ago, welshbairn said:

I have no specific knowledge outside my own treatment, but I imagine the timeline will vary a lot to do with severity, treatability and how accessible the suspected lump is. My biopsy just involved a specialist nurse with some kind of cutting instrument that he shoved up my arse as an out patient. I don't want to talk about it. :babe2 The targets they set are probably about worse case scenarios where they need a whole team of surgeons and specialists to get at it. My diagnosis and treatment went very quickly, the only delay was me insisting on going on holiday as I thought it might be my last one. :whistle

So did mine - initial doctor concern October, examination by specialist shortly after, biopsy December, diagnosed end of December, oncologist consultation March, hormone treatment started almost immediately.*

* This is administered at my doctor's surgery which was never closed even at the height of Covid, so my treatment has just rolled on. Very fortunate in that regard and also the timescale between doctor getting concerned and diagnosis.

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16 hours ago, Bairnardo said:

What does it mean if a doctor finds a mass that they want checked, and ticks the box on the sheet that says "suspected cancer"?

I assume it just means he's found something he would like to biopsy, as I was under the impression no one can tell by looking. Am I wrong?

This isnt me btw, but its a worry nonetheless

Found a lump in my left baw a number of years back. GP checked it & I was up at the hospital for an ultra-sound really quick.

Thankfully it turned out to be nothing.

Worst feeling ever.

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31 minutes ago, Venti said:

Found a lump in my left baw a number of years back. GP checked it & I was up at the hospital for an ultra-sound really quick.

Thankfully it turned out to be nothing.

Worst feeling ever.

When I was 19 I had the same thing. Turned out to be a cyst - got it removed on the Friday, back to work as a door to door salesman on the Monday. 

But for the months (yes, months) it took me to build up the courage to go and see the doctor, I was shitting myself. Nowadays I'd be there like a shot. 

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45 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

When I was 19 I had the same thing. Turned out to be a cyst - got it removed on the Friday, back to work as a door to door salesman on the Monday. 

But for the months (yes, months) it took me to build up the courage to go and see the doctor, I was shitting myself. Nowadays I'd be there like a shot. 

It's the worst feeling ever. All the stuff that goes through your head.

Not just the fact you might have cancer, but losing a testicle. How will the GF react etc.

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Turns out it was not so simple. 
He says it was the worst, most traumatic experience of his life. They put a cream on the cancer (which is on his face). Waited, then did the light therapy. It was, he says, like getting a red hot poker held to his skin. He was in absolute agony during it and afterwards. 
And...they didn't get it all. They want him back in 6 weeks to do it again, but he isn't going to go. He has a very serious heart condition, and a lung condition, and frankly the stress of this is too much. The heart is the main concern now and subjecting himself to this again is just a no-go. He cannot take that kind of stress these days. 


I appreciate this might sound simplistic with his conditions, but is there anything that your dad could take to control the stress/anxiety to get him through the second treatment?
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1 minute ago, Jeff Venom said:


 

 


I appreciate this might sound simplistic with his conditions, but is there anything that your dad could take to control the stress/anxiety to get him through the second treatment?

 

The doc says there is no point in going for any treatment. I've mentioned this in the depression thread, but this cancer frankly isn't a health concern for him right now. 

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I was in hospital for neurosurgery to remove a tumour from my lower back. They removed part of my spinal chord, removed the tumour without damaging any nerves and fused the spinal chord back in. Pretty amazing what they can do. Waiting to hear back from the biopsy.

Now get 6 weeks or so watching Netflix and playing footie manager on full pay. Will be a shambles when I go back but can worry about that another day. Although I am a bit bored already and only been a week

Missing doing stuff with my kids and also missing the gym. Feeling constantly hungry which I’m putting down to my body recovering.

Tbh the worst bit was that I didn’t do a shit for ten days. Was rather uncomfortable. My cock has never seen so much action as the week in hospital as was getting a catheter in and out for first few days. NHS was unreal. Nurses have a pretty thankless task

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  • 1 month later...

Bit of a strange juxtaposition this week with the very sad deaths of both Deborah James and Andy Goram, but both Adele Roberts and Janey Godley announcing they are cancer free after successful treatment.

 

Thinking of everyone who’s been affected by this c**t of a disease. 

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Regarding Andy Goram and his decision not to take chemo because of what a bad time his Mother had on it, every case is different. I'm not trying to say he made the wrong decision, but people shouldn't decide on the basis of one case they know about. There are a multitude of cancers types and stages, and different chemo drugs to treat them. When I was told the average increase in life expectancy I might get from chemo I was tempted to say no, I didn't and it turned out the side effects were pretty mild and the effectiveness combined with other treatment was stonkingly good. The average contains ranges from near instant death to a full life term, so if anyone gets bad news, think about it properly before turning chemo down.

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