"Bowel cancer diagnosis and surgical treatment"

Following abnormal results from a bowel cancer screening test, I had a colonoscopy on 6th August which revealed a cancerous tumour. This was sensitively explained to me and my son by a nurse and a doctor and we were given time to digest this information and to ask any questions. Before leaving the hospital I had CT scans to see if the cancer had spread to other organs. I was also given a contact number if I needed to speak to anyone. The following Wednesday we met with the surgeon, who gave us the CT results (no spread to other organs) and explained the surgical procedure, hemicolectomy, with the date being set for the following week, 19th August. The surgeons nurse carried out all the necessary pre-operation tests and assessments, and I was given clear instructions about how to prepare for the surgery. From the time I walked through the door of Kettering General Hospital on 19th August, I received the best possible treatment from everyone I met and I went home on the 5th day after surgery. On Thursday 3rd September, I received a telephone call from a member of the Multidisciplinary Team, telling me that tests carried out on the tissues removed were negative, showing no trace of cancerous cells. Exactly 4 weeks from finding cancer to being declared free of the disease must be the best outcome that anyone could hope for.