Hello - my aunt was diagnosed with anal cancer in December - she is 69. It is stage 2. SInce then she has had one round of slow release chemo and was hospitalised for most of it.

The morphne and Codine made her very confused and her platelets and white blood count went so low. She was also covered in a rash and sore legs and ulcers all over her mouth and throat. She also had to have radiotherapy every day and that has now finished. The doctors won't give her the second round of chemo. (I am not sure why)

They say that as she was so ill - they are hoping for a full cure.

She is now home but cannot walk or move well, is in huge pain with burns on her skin - and the pain killers mean she cannot speak and sleeps most of the time. She has lots so much weight and cannot even drink much

My question is this. Is the treatment often this devastating?

And is the recovery very slow like this?

How long after treatment finishes does it take people to recover - even a little? (I appreciate everyone is slightly different).

At this point - it is 7 days after her final radio and 3 weeks after the final chemo - she does not seem to be getting any better at all.

I am not sure how they can say she is cured until she generally gets better and can have a scan. 

I've been lucky enough to not have known anyone go through this kind of treatment in the past - so I am not sure if this level of illness due to the treatment is all part and parcel of what happens before recovery.

Many thanks everyone in advance