Prolapse surgery with pancreatic cancer

[Jo sister]

Hello everyone. My sister has had PC for 3 1/2 years, having rounds of different chemo. Diarrhoea has been a serious side effect of the chemo and she has developed a large, painful and permanently exterior rectal prolapse. Basically, she cannot do anything but lie in bed and cannot think of further chemo until the prolapse is sorted. She was shattered to be told that the colorectal surgeon would not consider any surgery, either through the abdomen or perineum, because of her cancer. She has been signed off by him and simply left in a desperate state. I don't know yet whether laparoscopic surgery was discussed, but I'd presume he considered this and dismissed it too. Given that diarrhoea is such a common side effect of the chemo, I wondered whether anyone else had been in a similar situation.

with thanks

[PCUK Nurse Jeni]

Hello Jo sister,

Welcome to the forum - understandably, not a place anyone wishes to be, but we hope a place where you will get mutual support from others on here.

I am so sorry to hear about your sister - this sounds so painful. I wonder, has your sister considered a second opinion from a different colorectal surgeon?

Hopefully, there will be some replies on here for you, but if not, please do contact us on the support line email address of phone number below.

Kind regards,

Jeni.

Jeni Jones

Pancreatic Cancer Specialist Nurse

Support Team

Pancreatic Cancer UK

email: nurse@pancreaticcancer.org.uk

support line: 0808 801 0707

[Jo sister]

Thank you so much for your reply Jeni. She has spoken to another consultant and we are waiting for an appointment to see if he would be willing to operate. Of course, if she does get the go-ahead, she would have to weigh up the risks and benefits. From her state, I think my sister would welcome an operation without hesitation. I'd like to know more about the risks associated with surgery when there is pre-existing cancer elsewhere in the body.