Sandro Zambonin

Back in 2022, I was diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer, I was 54 at the time.

I had always showed signs of blood after going to the bathroom since my college days and back then I was told that the blood was due to a rectal fissure. This was mostly likely due to a not so healthy diet which caused straining during my bowel movements. Seeing some blood on the toilet paper was my “normal” as it came and went.

When I turned 50 in 2017, I knew that I should have had a colonoscopy but the thought of having one and what the possible outcome could be (possible cancer and the possible need for a colostomy bag) scared me so I kept putting it off. July 2022 rolls around and I am noticing more blood in my stool. I requested a FIT test knowing full well that a colonoscopy was in my future and sure enough one was scheduled for August. After I awoke from the colonoscopy, the Doctor said that we needed to talk. He had removed four polyps but there was one at my anus that he took a biopsy of and sent it foe screening. He told us that based on his experience, he thought it would be cancerous. Having been the caregiver for my Father’s during his cancer treatment, I was prepared for what was about to happen and who I would be seeing so I at this point in time was not scared or panicking. I just wanted to know when the next steps would start.

Fairly quickly after the colonoscopy, I went through the MRIs and the CT scans and it was confirmed that I had stage 3 rectal cancer, fear #1 had been confirmed. The scans showed that it had not spread to any surrounding organs or to the lymph nodes. My surgeon was my team lead for my treatment and after some pretty intrusive and embarrassing to me physical exams, he along with my radiation and medical oncologists recommended that based on my age and relatively good health that I would be a perfect candidate for the OPRA protocol. The OPRA protocol has good clinical trial results and would hopefully avoid the need for any surgery which would have resulted in a colostomy bag for life; fear number 2 could be possibility.

My treatment consisted of six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy (pills) for five days a week, had a few weeks off and then started 15 weeks of chemotherapy which started on my birthday; nice birthday gift. My chemotherapy consisted of a 2-3 hours of chemo IV on the first day and then taking the chemotherapy pills every day for two weeks, one week off and then repeated the cycle.

The doctors, nurses and technicians were absolutely phenomenal to me. They took the time to explain every aspect of my cancer, where it was located, and my treatment plan. They explained this all to me in a simple way that I could understand. They explained the possible side effects of the radiation and chemo and what I could do the limit the side effects that could happen to me; which I followed to the letter and it helped. I found that writing down what was happening to me physically and mentally not only helped the doctors and nurses track my treatment but it also allowed me to put down what I was feeling so I could relay that to the doctors and nurses as well as it helped me to generate questions to ask. I felt tired, naturally, and lost weight and only had limited nausea due to the medications I was provided. I had no hair loss but I did and still have some numbness in my fingertips and on the bottom pf my feet as a side effect from the chemo.

I finished my treatment in March 2023 and went for my follow-up MRI, CT scan and flexible sigmoidoscopy. I am fortunate to say that the OPRA protocol worked and there is no signs of the tumor. No surgery was required.

I have been in what I like to call “maintenance mode” for almost a year now. I am still under going MRIs and sigmoidoscopies every three months to ensure that nothing start to grow back.

Looking back on this, I am grateful to my family for their unwavering support, to the doctors, nurses technicians for their professionalism, honesty, compassion and patience.

Note: The OPRA (Organ Preservation for Patients with Rectal Adenocarcinoma) study aimed to investigate the efficacy of the watch-and-wait (non-surgical) strategy to achieve organ preservation in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant therapy (therapy such as radiation or chemotherapy given as a first step to shrink a tumour before the main treatment, which is typically surgery).