Els's Profile

Type of Cancer: Anal Cancer

Medical Term for the Type of Cancer: (recurrent )squamous cell tumor in the anal canal ,not HPV related (HPV-), basaloid type (rare type)

Diagnosis Date: June 2, 2020

Stage of Cancer: Stage 3

Tumor Size: 2.1 - 3.0 cm

Grade of Tumor: Grade 3

Lymph Node Involvement: Yes

Surgery: Colorectal Surgery

Radiation: Radiation Therapy

Chemotherapy: Fluorouracil (5-FU)

What I Hate Most About Cancer: uncertainty and pain, confrontation with death

What I Have Learned From Cancer: life's importance and happiness go beyond health.

Things My Supporters Can Do To Help: not to be too worried, just be there

Alternative Cancer Treatment: yes. homeopathy

Cancer Drugs Positives & Negatives: 5F-U (=capecetabine tablets) negative Zofran negative Metoclopramide negative Dexamethason negative

Metastasized? Where?: regionally metastasized in pelvis.

Gift Friends or Family Could Give You: to just be themselves

Cancer Center: University Hospital Utrecht The Netherlands

Tips for others on how to deal with the physical side effects of chemo/cancer: to listen to early signs of fatigue helps me to guard a certain level of energy

Tips for others on how to deal with the mental struggles of chemo/cancer: It helps if I do not judge myself in anything and encourage my needs, even if some people oppose or do not understand

Has the Cancer Come Back?: yes, tumor on the verge of the internal sphincter, 2,4cm. Polype in sigmoid colon, 2,lymphenodes involved pelvic and inguinal. Stage 3

Anal Cancer symptoms: in the end I had thrombosed hemorrhoides (never had, very painful) but surgeon did not see tumor, not even with ultra sound. After hem. was cut and cured, it still hurt. So I examined it myself and felt a rough kind of flat lump and I went back. I was sent to another surgeon and he took it away and sent it for biopsy. It was cancer. I had already had pain riding bicycle for a year, riding with 3 exta thick layers under me...and still.., I had bloody and deformed stools, pain in left cheek of the butt (therapist was wondering why her treatment did not help), I suffered tiredness and my legs seemed to have become heavy things that I dragged along. The weirdest thing I encountered was cramps in my pelvic muscles followed by involontary orgasms, very painful afterwards. I feel a bit ashamed to write this, but someone might be helped by it.. A year later, I had been free of cancer and symptoms, the hemerrhoids started again, and also the other signs, but nothing was found. Now, almost 8 months later it seems that behind the scartissue, on the other side of the anal canal, in the perineum, towards the vagina (I can feel it clearly, why did I not think of examining there before?), a large lump has developed since. So I went to the clinic. They took a biopsy and it came out positive. Scans show lymph node involvement. As opposed to what was said earlier: HPV-

Surgery Description, Dates & Side Effects: Of teh intial tumor in 2018 all was taken out, but an area of pre-cancerous cells (AIN 3)was found around it and in the cutting edges of the wound.

Chemotherapy Description, Dates & Side Effects: At recurrence now in 2020 capecetabine (5F-Utablets) and metomicine (1x) . Toxic reaction on capecetabine. (After 2nd opinion in 2018 I declined on chemo because the doctors did not agree on wether it was nessecary.)

Radiation or Proton Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects: After 2nd opinion in 2018 I declined on radiation because the doctors did not agree on wether it was nessecary. After recurrence now in 2020, 36x fractions of Radiation on pelvis... loss of continence for both ways.. skinburns, mainly vulva, scarrtissue and stenosis in vaginatract, bowelproblems, severe itching, overall fatigue, sitting/laying problems, lack of appetite, difficulty to digest most of the foods. Just oats with water.