DEAR DR. GOTT:
I’ve waited an extraordinarily long period of time before deciding to describe my experiences with colo-rectal cancer because I wanted my very fine doctors to have every opportunity to deal with the long-term effects of the treatment I received. I now feel it is time to related my experiences and provide reasons for the conclusions I have reached.
A brief medical history is called for. In September 1995, at the age of 55 I was diagnosed with colo-rectal cancer and surgery was performed to remove the diseased areas. I had 31 radiation treatments and one year of chemotherapy. In August 1996 I was able to return to my teaching position. However, in February 1997, I developed an intestinal blockage due to the radiation treatments and needed surgery. Due to the effects of the surgery and radiation, I was forced to resign. I was diagnosed with radiation enteritis and am now classified as permanently disabled.
The long-term effects of the above treatments began to develop and a gradual loss of independence and freedom followed. I started having frequent, urgent and sudden bowel movements on a daily basis. I continue to have bouts of diarrhea and most frustratingly, I have episodes of fecal incontinence. I have been prescribed Asacol, Colozal, Rowasa, and Cortenema all with little or no relief. The symptoms I’ve described continue to be debilitating and almost paralyzing. I’m now reluctant to leave my house and if I do, it is for very brief periods of time. When doctor appointments are needed, they must always be scheduled late in the day and no food can be consumed until after I return home. I am forced to have people run many errands for me and must request other people to transport my wife to her appointments. Needless to say, attending church services and social gatherings are now an impossibility. In short, I’ve lost almost all independence and freedom of choice.
These many years of living in the way I’ve described have led to a few conclusions. Medical science may have saved my life but it certainly didn’t restore it. I never expected to be the person I was prior to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, but I didn’t expect to be one step removed from becoming a shut-in either.
I now firmly believe that individuals in the various fields of medical science who develop treatments and therapies for diseases such as cancer also have an equal responsibility to develop ways to deal with the long-term effects of the treatments that are applied. Failure to do so almost gives one the impression they have become the “victim” of a cure, left to fend for themselves now that they are cancer free. I would like to see the treatment for the long-term effects of cancer therapies be as aggressive as the treatment for the disease itself. I wonder if cancer survivors who read about declining death rates for those diagnosed with cancer become curious about the quality of life that may result. Certainly, my experiences tell me that surviving cancer can come at a very high price.
I cannot predict your reaction to my letter and you may or may not offer a reply. That is your choice and I realize you are under no obligation. Nevertheless, I believe that experiences like mine should be made known not so much to be merely critical but to encourage the development of more refined and less debilitating treatments.
DEAR READER:
I have chosen to print your letter in its entirety because you have made many valid points.
As far as science has come in understanding and treating cancer and other serious conditions, it still has that much farther to go to develop treatments that are not as potentially harmful. You have experienced very serious side effects from your life saving procedures. I am not an oncologist and therefore cannot say if the severity of your problem is common as a result of your treatment. I hope it is not.
Physicians have a duty to explain the potential harmful effects of any given treatment as well as the benefits. This simple step can help a patient decide if the risks outweigh the benefits and if they are willing to take that gamble. Thankfully, most treatments are benign and side effects are minimal but as the disease becomes more severe, so do the treatments.
I urge you to speak to your oncologist or gastroenterologist about any new therapies or procedures that may be available to combat the side effects of your radiation and chemotherapy. He or she should be up-to-date on the latest breakthroughs and treatments. For example, you might consider surgical removal of the colon followed by a colostomy bag. This will allow you to function in public in a normal fashion and those around you will be completely unaware.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Constipation and Diarrhea”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
About Dr. Gott