Colorectal Cancer: Elizabeth's Survivor Story

What happened, in summary

Elizabeth had put off her first colonoscopy for 5 years because she dreaded the preparation. When her sister needed one in 2014, Elizabeth finally scheduled her own. The procedure itself was easier than she expected, but the result was not: she was told she had colorectal cancer. After researching specialists, she chose MSK surgeon José Guillem because he offered a path that could preserve her anal sphincter and help her avoid a permanent ostomy. Her treatment plan used chemotherapy and radiation first to shrink the tumor and address possible microscopic disease before surgery. Chemotherapy was not simple. Elizabeth had an allergic reaction to the medicine at first, but her team adjusted the dose and used antihistamines so she could continue. She also had a reaction to anesthesia during MediPort placement, plus rashes, neuropathy, weight loss and poor appetite. Radiation was emotionally hard for her to accept, but she completed about 1 month of treatment. Surgery then removed the cancer while preserving sphincter function. Elizabeth wore a temporary ostomy bag for 3 months and had a second surgery to remove it in September 2014. After 5 years of close follow-up, she had no evidence of disease, good GI function and strong quality of life, while continuing CT scans and colonoscopies.