Update-Good News!

Hello Everyone,

We met with daddy's medical onc. Tuesday prior to chemo. She recommended that he begin radiation treatments. Here are the answers to some of our questions:

1. The mass in the lung is not cancer because it contains brachiograms(??) She said that over a period of time he had probably aspirated some secretions, etc. that built up and formed a mass. Apparently these brachiograms would not be present in an EC tumor. (If anyone has info on brachiograms I'd love to know about it.)

2. The cancer has not metastisized. The tumor had grown through the esophageal wall and is lying next to the subcoreanal (sp) area of the trachea. The mass that showed on the first CT was part of the primary tumor. She said that he is stage III.

3. Daddy asked about surgery. She once again said that he is not a candidate for surgery because of the size of the tumor. She said the chances of the radiation getting rid of the entire tumor were low. However, she is treating him as IF she were going for a cure. I have to give my mom some credit-When this was said she responded with " that 's a good thing because we ARE going for a cure." You could never accuse the dr. of giving her patients false hope-that's for sure!

I found this very interesting. She said the rate of success for chemo/rad/surgery was the same as chemo/rad when the treatments were successful. This statement just created more questions for me.

After the dr. appt daddy went straight to chemo. He began to ask alot of questions about his diagnosis, how he could be cancer free without surgery, another opinion, etc.

We met with the radiation oncologist after chemo. He was very personable and we all felt at ease with him right away. He spent quite a while explaining the process and listening to our questions. When daddy asked him about how much of the tumor he thought the radiation would get he said "All of it. I'm going for a cure!" That as music to our ears especially since we had not told her what his med. onc. had said. earlier. We know that only God knows what the future holds but attitude is everything!

Daddy went for a planning CT where they tatooed him to mark the area that would be treated. If everything falls into place the rad. onc. hopes to begin radiation this coming Tuesday! He will do radiation M-F for 5-6 weeks.

If anyone could provide some information on these questions that would be greatly appreciated! (I don't know what I'd do without this board!)

1. I know that there are different types of surgery-i.e. Ivor Lewis, trans-hiatal, maybe more. I don't know enough about them to even begin to explain them to him. So all you surgery veterans please fill me in! By the way, daddy has sqaumous cell. It must be located in the middle section of the esophagus.I assume this because his tatoo and marking were in line with the breast.

2. I have read and saved many stage III and stage IV survival stories. I have plenty that have had chemo/rad/surgery but none that only did chemo/rad sucessfully. I know I have read success stories with just chemo/rad. Please shared these with me so I cam pass them along to my dad. He is really weighing his options right know and I want him to have as much information as he can.

 I can not thank you enough for all your help and advice! Please know that I am praying for you all each time I pray for my dad-which is a lot!

Take care!

HEy there,

   CONGRATS! I am really glad to hear that.  It seems our Dad's are in about the same boat.  My dad just started radiation last Wed. and his first chemo this past Tuesday.  So far, so good. The same situation here, tumor too large for surgery...We're pretty sure of a stage 3 with a few questionable local lymph nodes..

Keep us posted...I'll be cheering for you!

Angie

 

Hi George's Girl - I don't post too often, but read the posts everyday.  I lost my Dad to his first round of chemo for Stage IV esophageal back in June.  Anyway, it seems  to me your Dad has a great chance of doing well.  I don't know why they won't entertain surgery if there are no mets.  I did want to tell you that in addition to this fabulous website, Cathy's EC Cafe has a lot of Stage III and Stage IV survivors (some very long term!).  Most of the people that post are the patients themselves and they share ALL their knowledge and info to others.  ANY question you may have on treatments, surgeries, foods, anything - they can answer.  Go on that site - you'll be amazed and greatly inspired.  The people on this site and that site are truly amazing!  Keep us posted on your Dad and my thoughts and prayers are with you.  karen 

My husband was diagnosed with Stage IV SSC-EC last May.  He was restaged to IVA after a CT scan determined that a met to his pancreas was actually a large involved lymph node.  He has been going to Dana Farber in Boston where he had the Ivor-Lewis operation done laproscopicly.  This involved removal of the esophagus except for the larynx and bringing up the stomach to act as an esophagus.  The original stomach is 1/3 of it's size and there is no valve to prevent reflux.  Digestion is slightly effected.  He eats more and smaller meals and takes medication for reflux.  He has been in a study using erbitux which his oncologist says has been 30% effective in curing SSC when used alone in stages IVA and under for cancer of the head, neck and stomach.  The study wants to determine if it will act the same with EC.  My husband also got cisplatin and irinotican while getting the erbitux.  Erbitux is a monoclonal antibody developed in mice by Inclone, the Martha Stuart Co., It attacks the epidermal growth factor of squamous cells.  Because cancerous squamous cells procuce more of this factor to multiply it can deactivate and hopfully kill those little bas---ds.  My husband's 3 month CT scan was clear and he will be on Erbitux also known as cetuximab for 6 months total.  You sound like a person who tries to educate themselves as much as possible.   So am I.  Sometimes my husband gets impatient with me about questioning doctors, and getting him to take alternatives etc. Your father sounds very informed and coopertive with your effforts. It makes things easier.  My husband is 66 and now is told he has a 50% chance of a cure.  We were told only 5% at the beginning.  We're working on the steady upward movement of that number.  Many people are praying for him and I thank God for each day he is with us. I hope this helps and may God be with you and your father on this very scary and difficult journey.

I hope all your dad's treatments go well! We will have to keep each other updated as radiation progresses. You and your dad are in my prayers and I am praying for great things!