Stomach Cancer Treatments - Avastin

Hi there,

My husband is 44 years old and was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer 11 May 07. It isn't inside any other organs but is a whopper we were told, spreading and attaching itself to the omentum and encapsulating his pancreas and around major blood vessels.  He has had ECX at Manchester England which didn't work and is now on irinnotecan and xeloda.  Much better quality of life but I am always worried I may be overlooking a better treatment for him.  I have been looking on the internet for hours and hours and treatment in USA is sometimes Avastin in conjunction with chemo.  Has anyone tried this and to what effect.  Avastin in not allowed to be prescribed in England for stomach cancer and I am considering selling everything I own to get this drug for my wonderful husband who just wants to be around to love me and watch his kids grow up.  I know that is asking for a major miracle - I would be happy with just a few years - a couple of years - a few more months even - I just don't want him to die now - he doesn't deserve this horrid nightmare that is happening to us.  If Avastin is a way forward I will do all I can to get it for him. 

Please tell me any information about this drug if you know anything.  I am desparate to do something positive I feel so helpless.  I haven't been able to find one message which says chemo has shrunk their stomach cancer or held it at bay for any length of time.  Please someone - give me some hope!

Elaine

So very sorry to hear about your husband.  I do not have any information about Avastin but my mother was diagnosed with stomach cancer in Nov 06.  She first had chemo to shrink the tumor and then had a complete gastrectomy(Mar 07) to remove her stomach.  She had some positive nodes that were removed during surgery so she had to have more chemo after she recovered from the surgery.  She had a PET scan after chemo and so far there is no signs of any cancer.  She is trying to adjust to small frequent meals but so far she is doing relatively well considering all she has been through.  I hope your husband finds the right treatment and he gets through this very rough time in his life. Hang in there and fight this disease will all your strength and faith.  My prayers are with you and your family.

 

On 9/12/2007 jacquiernj wrote:

So very sorry to hear about your husband.  I do not have any information about Avastin but my mother was diagnosed with stomach cancer in Nov 06.  She first had chemo to shrink the tumor and then had a complete gastrectomy(Mar 07) to remove her stomach.  She had some positive nodes that were removed during surgery so she had to have more chemo after she recovered from the surgery.  She had a PET scan after chemo and so far there is no signs of any cancer.  She is trying to adjust to small frequent meals but so far she is doing relatively well considering all she has been through.  I hope your husband finds the right treatment and he gets through this very rough time in his life. Hang in there and fight this disease will all your strength and faith.  My prayers are with you and your family.

Thanks for your reply.  I am glad your mother is having a positive outcome  My husband is being given irinotecan and Xeloda as a second line treatment even though in England they don't seem to have a standard second line treatment.  We are hoping it will have some effect and shrink or hold at bay the cancer.  His symptoms are better at the moment which offers some quality of life which is what we all need.  Keep taking care of your mum and don't forget yourself.   Regards Elaine

 

On 9/6/2007 Elaine Upstage wrote:

Hi there,

My husband is 44 years old and was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer 11 May 07. It isn't inside any other organs but is a whopper we were told, spreading and attaching itself to the omentum and encapsulating his pancreas and around major blood vessels.  He has had ECX at Manchester England which didn't work and is now on irinnotecan and xeloda.  Much better quality of life but I am always worried I may be overlooking a better treatment for him.  I have been looking on the internet for hours and hours and treatment in USA is sometimes Avastin in conjunction with chemo.  Has anyone tried this and to what effect.  Avastin in not allowed to be prescribed in England for stomach cancer and I am considering selling everything I own to get this drug for my wonderful husband who just wants to be around to love me and watch his kids grow up.  I know that is asking for a major miracle - I would be happy with just a few years - a couple of years - a few more months even - I just don't want him to die now - he doesn't deserve this horrid nightmare that is happening to us.  If Avastin is a way forward I will do all I can to get it for him. 

Please tell me any information about this drug if you know anything.  I am desparate to do something positive I feel so helpless.  I haven't been able to find one message which says chemo has shrunk their stomach cancer or held it at bay for any length of time.  Please someone - give me some hope!

Elaine

Dear elaineI am so sorry to hear of your husbands diagnosis, unfortunatley i have not heard of that type of chemo as my husband had ec cancer, he had radiation as well as chemo which the radiation is what shrank his tumor, did they mention if this was possible?I am an ex pat  from grimsby i now live in dallas and have done for many years, so i know what the nhs is like, i lost my dad to ec cancer 4 yrs ago and radiation was not mentioned, chemo did not work for him as he was too far advanced.With my husband we went to m,d anderson in houston texas, they are one of the biggest and best, you could try contacting them for advice on that type of chemo or what type they would prescribe, we had them prescribe the treatment and had it done here in dallas but always went back to them for check ups.If you tell them of your plight you never know (if you do not ask) sometimes here in the usa people come and if they can't be helped in their country, i'm not saying he can't, they often do it free of charge, if you can't get hold of anyone email me to this message board or i will go back and email you private as they wont post on line our addresses for obvious reasons, i will contact the people that took care of gary and see what if anything they can do.With the nhs now i'm sure you know that you can now go anywhere in the country, have you checked on line for who is the specialist in this area of cancer, like london etc with the nhs you have to push and scream and fight like heck, i know i've been there many times with family ilnesses we have lots of cancer history,unfortunately!!I am so sorry you are going through this we all know on here what it is like, please hang in there and let me know if there is anything i can do to help,please let me know!!!!Love and healing hugsLinda

 

 

On 9/16/2007 Garbomer wrote:

 

On 9/6/2007 Elaine Upstage wrote:

Hi there,

My husband is 44 years old and was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer 11 May 07. It isn't inside any other organs but is a whopper we were told, spreading and attaching itself to the omentum and encapsulating his pancreas and around major blood vessels.  He has had ECX at Manchester England which didn't work and is now on irinnotecan and xeloda.  Much better quality of life but I am always worried I may be overlooking a better treatment for him.  I have been looking on the internet for hours and hours and treatment in USA is sometimes Avastin in conjunction with chemo.  Has anyone tried this and to what effect.  Avastin in not allowed to be prescribed in England for stomach cancer and I am considering selling everything I own to get this drug for my wonderful husband who just wants to be around to love me and watch his kids grow up.  I know that is asking for a major miracle - I would be happy with just a few years - a couple of years - a few more months even - I just don't want him to die now - he doesn't deserve this horrid nightmare that is happening to us.  If Avastin is a way forward I will do all I can to get it for him. 

Please tell me any information about this drug if you know anything.  I am desparate to do something positive I feel so helpless.  I haven't been able to find one message which says chemo has shrunk their stomach cancer or held it at bay for any length of time.  Please someone - give me some hope!

Elaine

Dear elaineI am so sorry to hear of your husbands diagnosis, unfortunatley i have not heard of that type of chemo as my husband had ec cancer, he had radiation as well as chemo which the radiation is what shrank his tumor, did they mention if this was possible?I am an ex pat  from grimsby i now live in dallas and have done for many years, so i know what the nhs is like, i lost my dad to ec cancer 4 yrs ago and radiation was not mentioned, chemo did not work for him as he was too far advanced.With my husband we went to m,d anderson in houston texas, they are one of the biggest and best, you could try contacting them for advice on that type of chemo or what type they would prescribe, we had them prescribe the treatment and had it done here in dallas but always went back to them for check ups.If you tell them of your plight you never know (if you do not ask) sometimes here in the usa people come and if they can't be helped in their country, i'm not saying he can't, they often do it free of charge, if you can't get hold of anyone email me to this message board or i will go back and email you private as they wont post on line our addresses for obvious reasons, i will contact the people that took care of gary and see what if anything they can do.With the nhs now i'm sure you know that you can now go anywhere in the country, have you checked on line for who is the specialist in this area of cancer, like london etc with the nhs you have to push and scream and fight like heck, i know i've been there many times with family ilnesses we have lots of cancer history,unfortunately!!I am so sorry you are going through this we all know on here what it is like, please hang in there and let me know if there is anything i can do to help,please let me know!!!!Love and healing hugsLinda

 

 

Hi Linda,

Many thanks for getting back to me.  I will heed what you have told me and contact the hospital to see what they say.  You can only try as you say.  I was sorry to read you are having a lot to cope with in your family.  It is such a pig of an illness.  Anyone suffering with cancer got my sympathy but now they get a greater understanding from me about what they are going through.  I will keep you posted about any response I get from the hospital and any other developments.  Thank you for caring.  Will write soon.  My kindest regards to you and your family.  Elaine