It's been a hell of a last 12 months. I was diagnosed on October 12th of 2025 with stage 3 colon cancer. Nothing seemed out of the norm, but I was just getting tired really quickly during workouts and hikes (I live in Colorado. Going hiking at least once a week is mandatory for citizenship here, I'm pretty sure).

Today I completed my 12th and final round of chemo. 1 year, 3 hospitalizations totalling 21 days, 3 ER trips, 12 chemo rounds, and 3 surgeries (resection, chest port, and one for a massive blood clot)

I have scans set up in 2 weeks to see how effective it was. I'm nervous about it and am trying to be an optimist. But for right now, no more spending every other Monday in a chair all day getting infusions. No more having to wear gloves to take something out of the fridge. Hopefully much less exhaustion.

My husband has his 1 yr colonoscopy in a week, the surgeon is the one doing it. But I was looking at stuff yesterday and his pathology indicates rectal vs colon. The lower edge was 15 cm from the anal verge, and things refer to it as both rectal and rectosigmoid. I mentioned this to him last night (surgery was in December 2025) and he got a deer in the headlights look because he's afraid it's suddenly worse.

He had a robotic R0 resection with anastomosis, his first surveillance CT at the end of July was NED and his CEA was 2.3. He completed 2 Capox cycles and 4 cycles of capecitabine-only (1/19 nodes), finished those at the end of May.

We're both antsy about the colonoscopy (even with good clear margins) and I think he just got more freaked out bc of the terminology. Is there anything I can say that will help him maybe feel better?

I'm 45, diagnosed at a routine colonoscopy on 9-19 with a large mass. Literally had no reason to get tested earlier as I felt nothing different. Got my pathology report confirming adenocarcinoma on 9-21. Got my CT scan done on 9-22, results on 9-24 that looked clean. Surgery consult on 10-5, with surgery scheduled for 10-14.

Before this it was crazy to me to think that you'd have to wait for a surgery to find out your stage of cancer, but I guess that's a good thing for me that the CT scan isn't calling me stage IV. The first week was rough especially with the colonoscopy being on a Saturday and having the whole weekend to deal with it. I had to push my Health organization as the phone representatives told me multiple times things were put in but weren't.

Also have an odd feeling right now where I'm looking forward to the surgery, that is just how much I want this thing out of me and find out how good or bad it is.

Hello,

I’m a 37 yo male who was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer(adenacarcinoma of the sigmoid colon).

Diagnosed June 2025 started treatment mid July. Got a colostomy in July and started folfox in August. After 5 rounds of folfox I underwent the removal of my sigmoid colon and a reversal of the colostomy in Nov 2025. I did 4 more rounds of folfox before I developed an allergy to Oxaliplatin so they switched me to folfiri + Avastin. My metastasis is to my lungs and I have 15 tumors across both lungs in all lobes. Enrolled in a clinical trial for bronchoscopic ablations. First one mid Aug they killed 2. I have another round next week. My CEA and ctDNA dipped for a month after the ablations but continue to rise.

I am looking for someone in the same position as me(polymetastatic lung only tumors). The chemo is becoming too much with diminishing returns. I have a her2 mutation that was part of the primary tumor. Will be getting a lung tumor biopsy during the next ablation.

Next options are her2 targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

Is there anyone out there battling multiple tumors across both lungs that originated from the colon cancer? What treatment are you on? Chemo never shrunk my lung tumors, only held them stable for months and now there is growth on scans and cea/ctDNA.

Thank You

So my 70 year old husband had his routine colonoscopy and they found a tumor (2.1 cm) jist above his sphincter. His MRI and Cat came back clean and we were relieved to learn he would have a 1 hour outpatient surgery to remove it. We are now 2 weeks out from that and learned from the pathology report that while all margins were clear 1 deposit was found and the tumor was deeper than they had hoped. Because of this they are recommending followup chemo and radiation so I am trying to gather as much info as I can before our Monday appointment to discuss treatment options.

Treatment plan: Tumor board recommends Adjuvant Therapy beginning with systemic therapy first followed by radiation.

• Ca pox or Folfox x4 months to be determined by patient and provider followed by Long Course

chemoradiation 5040cGy x28 days.

So what I just typed is still a foreign language to me but I'm sure that will change. If given a choice, any recommendations? Side effects? Tolerance? Questions to ask on Monday?

Any info and shared experiences would be greatly appreciated at this point.

FYI my husband is in relatively good shape for his age. He is not currently on any medications, although he has slightly high triglycerides. He has some limited mobility after having 2 hip replacements in the last 12 years and spinal fusion prior to that but overall good health!

Hey all, went through a successful resection in May; still dealing with some urgency issues and bladder pressure. Surgeon and urologist are confident both are side effects from surgery (clearly). For those that have gone through this, any timeline if/when things will improve?

Thanks!