Help!

My dad has bile duct cancer. We have been told it's inoperablle and he will have to go through treatments the rest of his life since theres no way to remove the cancer. I find that hard to believe when we have found many people that have had the surgrey and are still living!  My dad is curently at UAB in Birmingham, AL and we think he needs a second opinion but he seems there the best there is but we all still feel he needs to seek other help from some other Dr. If you can please respond to this message and please help us get treatment for my dad so he can be like all the others that have had the surgrey and are fine! We will travel where  ever is needed to get my dad cured from this horrible battle he's going through.

Hello,

 I am sorry what your dad and your family is going through. My father did not have bile duct cancer but had duodenal cancer that was partially blocking his bile duct and by the time he was in the preop area it was completely blocked. I would suggest that you go for another opinion. I can not say definitely that he is a candidate for surgery but getting as many opinions as you can should be a priority. I live outside of Philadelphia and took my dad for opinions in Philadelphia and also New York. He did end up have what is called a Whipple procedure at Sloane Kettering Hospital in New York by Dr. Fong. He was excellent. Duodenal Cancer is a rare cancer that can be treated but not cured. It has a high rate of reoccurance. My father did receive treatment for 2 years off and on.

I can only suggested going for more opinions. Do not stop. There are some doctors that have more experience with surgery than others.

Good luck and many prayers for you and your family. The road is difficult but stay with it and you may find physicians that will be able to help your dad. Feel free to email me at

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Sherri

Sherri thank you so much for replying back! this gives me hope that we can find someone to make him better than he is now! We are all trying to find a dr no matter where it is that will accept his insurance and then we will be going there as soon as we can, that seems to be the only hold back of getting other opinions right now is the insurance thing. Thanks again and i hope that your family is doing well.

I have gallbladder cancer which very much like what your father has. A second opinion is good, but keep in mine it will be based upon the same data as the first opinion. I had 3 separate opinions and they all were the same. The treatment that I have received for my cancer over the last 6 years is NOT that bad. I receive treatments each Thursday for 2 week and off the third week. I am given GEMZAR each time, and take a pill called TARCEVA one a day. All the Dr's gave me a limited life time of 6 to 12 months. That was in Jan 03. The most important point is that everyone is different. If you care to contact me please do so. Bill Mitchell

Hello!

 My grandfather is fighting the same thing (bile duct)! I agree with the other posters that you should absolutely seek as many second opinions as possible and maybe have tests done at other facilities to see if they come up with the same results.

 That said, about 2-3 weeks ago, I put together a whole email of modern and alternative treatments for bile duct that I had researched. If you will do a private reply and/or send me an email to

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, I'm happy to forward the email to you! It has a lot of great info, and if I remember correctly, one link specifically mentions a Dr. and facility in Minnesota who has done a lot with this particular type of cancer.

 Talk with you soon.

Cameron

Hi everyone,

 

My mother-in-law was just diagnosed with late stage bile duct cancer.  It is inoperable and spread to lymphs, vena cava and stomach front and back.

 Doctor is going to start giving her chemo which we know can kill rather than cure.  It's only a palliative measure.  Very difficult situation.  For those of you who may be interested, I ordered a book from Ty Bollinger from a site called Cancertruth.net.  It was a very wise investment.  Talks about the cancer industry pharma, and discusses alternative therapies.  Gives you websites and clinic locations.

We are presently trying Goji Juice and Essiac Tea.   She was just released from the hospital so this is the first week we've tried these things.  I'll let you know how they work.  I certainly am not going to tell her to forgo chemo and focus on alternatives, because I don't want that to backfire on me, but these two therapies can compliment chemo and possibly minimize the damage from the treatment.

If anyone on this site has bile duct cancer and has used either of these remedies or any others successfully, please email me privately or post your experiences and I will pass them on to the family.

 

thank you

kesime

 

 

I have bile duct cancer, am 70 y/o male, was diagnosed last July, was told it's inoperable, second opinion [Mayo Clinic, Mn.] was told it was operable, they went in and just was able to take my gallbladder out, they said it hadn't spread. Have been through 3 months chemo [Gemzar] 3 Mondays on and 1 off, started that the 1st of Dec. last year, just finished 6 weeks of radiation and chemo [5-fu] last Friday, scheduled for a CT scan the 18th of May, then more chemo. They can't get rid of the tumor but are trying to shrink it and hopefully give me more time. If I can provide more information, feel free to ask. God Bless all of you.

I have not been on this site for some time. I have been treated for bile duct cancer and have survived since being given 3-6 months to live at IU hospital in Indiana. YOU NEED TO GET A SECOND OPINION The only way that I am still alive in MAYO in MN. You should contact Dr. Gregory Gores. If the cancer has not spread to other areas of the body it may be possible to remove the cancer and get a liver transplant. Dr Gores, Dr Charles Rosen have saved my life.I made a one page website in their honor. www.bileductcancer.org. email me at another email that I check more often.

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 if I can be of further assistance.

 

I failed to say I was given 3-6 months in 2000 and am now cancer free due to Mayo, radiation, chemo, and a transplant. 

 

On 4/24/2009 swarty wrote:

I have bile duct cancer, am 70 y/o male, was diagnosed last July, was told it's inoperable, second opinion [Mayo Clinic, Mn.] was told it was operable, they went in and just was able to take my gallbladder out, they said it hadn't spread. Have been through 3 months chemo [Gemzar] 3 Mondays on and 1 off, started that the 1st of Dec. last year, just finished 6 weeks of radiation and chemo [5-fu] last Friday, scheduled for a CT scan the 18th of May, then more chemo. They can't get rid of the tumor but are trying to shrink it and hopefully give me more time. If I can provide more information, feel free to ask. God Bless all of you.

 

Hello, My bile duct cancer was not resectable. I saw Dr. Gores and Dr. Nagorney was my surgeon also Dr Daniels and Dr Berfera, not sure that's spelt right. was at Mayo for a total of 18 days 3 different times [in-patient] and a few days as an outpatient for my first tests.