Gastric & colorectal cancer
12 articles shown
When Scans Show "Nothing Wrong" but the Pain Persists — What a Referral to Pain Medicine Really Means, and Why Pain Is Real Even When Its Cause Is Invisible
When abdominal pain persists after surgery but scans show no structural cause, this explains what a referral to pain medicine means and why the pain is real even when its cause is invisible.
How Long Does Chemo After Colorectal Cancer Surgery Last? Understanding Why Adjuvant Chemotherapy Is a Fixed Course — Not "Forever"
Adjuvant chemotherapy after colorectal cancer surgery is not lifelong but a fixed course, usually about three to six months (often roughly 8–12 cycles), and the exact number may be adjusted for side effects and tolerance — so it helps to ask your care team directly how many cycles are planned and when it will end.
Menopause After Cancer Surgery — Weighing Hormone Therapy for Hot Flashes, Insomnia, and Joint Pain, and Understanding Non-Hormonal Options for Survivors
When a cancer survivor is offered hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms, its safety depends on the type of cancer rather than the diagnosis alone; this article explains how gynecology and oncology should decide together and outlines non-hormonal options for hot flashes, joint pain, and bone loss.
A Sudden Sharp Pain a Year After Cancer Surgery — Why New Pain Isn't Always Recurrence, and How to Tell Everyday Aches From Warning Signs
New, sharp abdominal pain a year after gastric or other abdominal cancer surgery does not always mean recurrence. This article explains common causes such as adhesions, healing nerves, and post-gastrectomy digestion, outlines the warning signs that warrant prompt medical attention, and suggests recording symptoms when moving up a follow-up visit.
When the Patch and Pills Don't Help but an Injection Does — Understanding Breakthrough Pain and the Difference Between Long-Acting and Fast-Acting Pain Medicines
Explains why pain can vary by day and by chemotherapy cycle through the framework of background pain control versus breakthrough pain, clarifying the different roles of patches, long-acting pills, and fast-acting injections, and how to recognize when baseline pain relief is insufficient.
When Your Chemo Is Switched From 'First-Line' to 'Second-Line' — Understanding 'Lines of Therapy' in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
An easy explanation of what "lines of therapy" mean in metastatic colorectal cancer, why switching from FOLFOX to FOLFIRI is a planned next step rather than a failure, and how stabbing pain relates — or does not relate — to whether treatment is working.
When CEA Ticks Up and CA19-9 Drops on a Surveillance Blood Test — Reading Tumor Markers as a Trend, Not a Single Verdict
A plain-language guide to the CEA and CA19-9 tumor markers used in follow-up after gastrointestinal cancer — why the overall trend matters more than a single value, why the two markers can move in opposite directions, and why a call to repeat a blood draw is usually routine rather than alarming.
When loose stools cluster every evening after bowel surgery — protecting your fluids, salts, and skin through repeated diarrhea
Why bowel movements often cluster in the evening after colorectal surgery or ostomy reversal, and how to guard against dehydration, manage food triggers, protect the skin around the anus, and recognize warning signs.
When Hospital Bills Suddenly Pile Up: Understanding Korea's Emergency Medical Cost Support Programs and What They Actually Cover
A plain-language guide to Korea's Emergency Welfare Medical Support and Catastrophic Medical Expense Support — how they differ, when to apply, their coverage limits, and why talking to a hospital social worker is often the fastest first step.
When an Older Loved One Suddenly Sees Things and Can't Sleep After Surgery — Understanding Postoperative Delirium in Frail, Older Patients and Waiting for It to Pass
Older patients, and especially those with a prior stroke or cognitive decline, often develop delirium within days of major surgery. This piece explains what postoperative delirium is, why it usually eases once its causes are addressed, how families can help at the bedside, and which warning signs mean the care team should be told at once.
Your First Trip Abroad After Stomach Surgery — Eating 'Small and Often' on the Road When Digestion Has Changed (Dumping Syndrome)
Practical guidance for a first trip abroad after stomach (gastrectomy) surgery: eating 'small and often' to manage changed digestion and dumping syndrome, timing fluids, pacing your days, and preparing medications, documents, and nutrition.
When Bright Red Blood Appears at a Stoma — Telling Harmless Surface Bleeding From Bleeding That Needs Care
How to distinguish minor surface bleeding from a stoma — common when the mucosa is rubbed — from bleeding that needs medical attention, such as bleeding that will not stop, black tarry stool, a color change of the stoma, or pain.