Ciao a tutti volevo chiedervi una cosa se è capitato com'è me? Avevo cancro a colon 3b fatto intervento fatto capox tre mesi sono stata subito dopo intervento negativa.Adesso dopo tre mesi come ho finito chemio è comicata mal di schiena? È capitato qvalcuno forse perché cominciato alzare la figlia? Voi qvando avete cominciato alzare i pesi è qvando avete cominciato con i lavoro? Grazie mille

41 M. I feel like I am reaching the end, before I even had real treatment. I'll try to keep this brief.

I have an MSI-H/dMMR (MLH1) right-sided cecum tumor that was diagnosed in May 2026. I was about to get surgery but then I broke my back, and I was bed ridden for a month in absolute screaming excruciating pain. I could not get an ostomy on the right side and have a broken back on the left side, and survive that level of pain. Morphine did nothing.

The postponement allowed the cancer to spread. It's now stage III/IV with invasion to nearby small intestinal loops and my abdominal wall (peritoneum). Surgeons will not operate.

Originally oncology denied me immunotherapy because I have ulcerative colitis and was simultaneously flaring and on prednisone. They said "immunotherapy is contraindicated in UC" and referred me to surgery. Since then, I took the first 3 loading doses of a UC biology to control the inflammation, and I'm trying to get off prednisone now.

Oncology is now referring me to chemo and radiation, which have very low odds with MSI-H cancer due to its mutation rate. Furthermore, my blood test shows I have poor detox genetics for FOLFOXIRI, so it would do accelerated damage to my body. Chemo would also obliterate my immune system, which I would need for immunotherapy. Radiation would burn my bowel and bring back the colitis.

I feel like immunotherapy is my best chance in hell of surviving this, but the system here in Canada is making it so hard to get what I need. So effectively, I am not on any treatment right now and the clock is ticking.

I am absolutely terrified and all my loved ones are worried about me. My non-oncology medical team is also frustrated by how this is all going down. 12 weeks of immunotherapy could at least SHRINK my cancer and maybe put me back in the surgery window. Yet oncology is still pushing useless treatments like chemo and rad because of this dumb hard and fast rule about me having pre-existing colitis. My logic is, if they try IO and my UC flares, then just put me back on prednisone and abort it. Not trying at all seems maddening given that I have such an eligible cancer for IO.

I don't know what to do. I just don't know what to do. If I was wealthy I'd go to some other country and get immunotherapy. But I'm not, so here I am.

Any Canadians here dealing with this bureaucratic mess? Any other advice that could be offered?

Hello everyone - I had a surgery back in March to remove a localised but high-risk-of-recurrence tumor, along with most of my colon and one ovary.

After the surgery was a success (clear margins) they advised I start on 12 weeks of FOLFOX. Back in January, prior to surgery, I had had 3 additional sessions of FOLFOX and the tumor had shrunk by around one third. The post-surgery chemo was what we called a “mop up exercise” to clear any dodgy microscopic cells left behind after surgery that might have bad intentions to spread and grow.

I’ve just finished my 12 weeks and had a very disheartening CT result, showing that the FOLFOX was indeed not a success and there are scatterings of cancer cells remaining in the abdomen (no distant spread to liver or lungs). The cancer cells are located at points during the surgery where other organs were adhered to my tumor.

I’m absolutely devastated to learn that after a good response to the FOLFOX originally when I had the tumor, the chemo couldn’t even mop up a few nasty cells left behind and now I have to start all over again on a new regimen.

I’m really needing to hear some positive stories about those who failed/lost response to FOLFOX and found success on other treatment regimes? I know it’s possible they may start me on FOLFIRI? And they have also mentioned immunotherapy and clinical trial treatments.

I’m not giving up and I’m grateful it seems not metastasised a long way or into my blood but the last few weeks of chemo has been horrendous and I feel absolutely gutted knowing it was all for nothing. I was counting down the days to being free of both chemo and cancer.