Pelican Cancer Foundation

Pelican Cancer Foundation

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Improving quality of life

For patients diagnosed with low rectal cancer, many are faced with the prospect of living with a permanent colostomy (or stoma) and impaired sexual function.

However, here at Basingstoke we have a long-standing interest in avoiding this, by offering restorative surgery (joining the bowel back up again) in selected patients with low rectal cancer. Currently, less than 10% of our patients end up with a permanent stoma (colostomy).

One thing to bear in mind is that low rectal tumours are associated with poorer post-operative bowel function than higher tumours, because more of the rectum is removed. For those patients whose bowel is joined up again, there is a significant risk of having some degree of incontinence, which is worsened by having pre-operative radiotherapy. It is up to the individual to decide what is the best solution for them along with advice from the multi-disciplinary team – very low rectal surgery and radiotherapy can leave patients with little control and each individual has to decide whether a colostomy will be the right decision.

One factor that is critical is how many centimetres the cancer is from the lower edge of the anal verge. If the answer is less than 3 cm, then a permanent colostomy is almost certainly necessary.

Whilst there remains a widespread belief that avoiding a permanent stoma affords a better quality of life, our own research has shown that patients with permanent stomas can enjoy an equally good quality of life. With simple techniques such as colostomy irrigation that patients can do for themselves, it is possible to live a full and active life. To read about one man’s very active life using irrigation, see Richard Allardyce’s story, written August 2010.

We strongly believe that every patient should be treated according to their individual circumstances and beliefs, with the aim of achieving the best possible outcome – both with respect to cancer survival and bowel function. We are dedicated to improving all aspects of care for low rectal cancer.

Pelican Cancer Foundation Follow

Driving innovation and advancing surgery to help patients live well, for longer.

Pelican_Cancer
pelican_cancer Pelican Cancer Foundation @pelican_cancer ·
28 Nov

👇 Available now - http://pelicancancervideos.org
🎥Complexity and decision making for patients with low rectal cancer

Mr Mark Gudgeon, Professor Heald & Mr Moran
@MGudgeon @ProfessorHeald @Brendan92855812

Reply on Twitter 1597119096096784384 Retweet on Twitter 1597119096096784384 2 Like on Twitter 1597119096096784384 2 Twitter 1597119096096784384
pelican_cancer Pelican Cancer Foundation @pelican_cancer ·
26 Nov

👇 Available now - http://pelicancancervideos.org
🎥Complexity and decision making for patients with low rectal cancer

Mr Mark Gudgeon, Professor Heald & Mr Moran
@MGudgeon @ProfessorHeald @Brendan92855812

Reply on Twitter 1596393313757642752 Retweet on Twitter 1596393313757642752 1 Like on Twitter 1596393313757642752 1 Twitter 1596393313757642752
pelican_cancer Pelican Cancer Foundation @pelican_cancer ·
25 Nov

👇 Available now - http://pelicancancervideos.org
🎥Complexity and decision making for patients with low rectal cancer

Mr Mark Gudgeon, Professor Heald & Mr Moran
@MGudgeon @ProfessorHeald @Brendan92855812

Reply on Twitter 1596159243203350528 Retweet on Twitter 1596159243203350528 2 Like on Twitter 1596159243203350528 5 Twitter 1596159243203350528
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