Surgery?

Hi, I've posted on here before but I haven't been on in a while. My dad was diagnosed in April with Adenocarcinoma. He went through Chemo and Radiation for over a month and now he is faced with the decision on having surgery or not. He was only given a year without the surgery but he isn't sure if the quality of life will be there with the surgery or not. I was wondering what stories everyone had either for or against the surgery. We want to know both sides.

I am a newcomer to this site and will tell a little about My Dads situation..

He was a healthy 77 year old man with only a history of hypertension.  He had complained of mid back pain after eating for about a year.  Had a CT done, as he was worried about pancreatic cancer. (His Mom had died from this).  CT was fine.  He then had a 1 time incident of difficulty swallowing an apple.  No GERD or other issues like that.  I encouraged him to see his MD again for an upper scope.  He had the UGI in Nov 08 and was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the GE junction.  He went thru the chemo and daily radiation for 5 weeks and did pretty well besides some mouth sores and generalized fatigue.  He was given a few months to recuperate, and then had the Ivor Lewis surgery in May.  He was in surgery for 10 hours!  They removed 12 lymph nodes and they all tested negative.  PET scans show to mets, so he is considered stage 3.

He is now about 6 weeks post op and is doing pretty well.  Appetite is improving, strength improving, but is not gaining much weight.  Preop he was 191, and now is 175.  Not too bad, but he looks too skinny to me!

He has an abdominal wound that failed to heal in the center, so I have been packing that twice daily since he has been home.  (I am a nurse, which helps!).  I was initially using about 14 inches of packing and am now down to about an inch, so almost healed!

Today we return to the Oncologist to discuss starting back on chemo as a precautionary measure.  I hate the thought of it, but we will do what needs to be done.

My Dad has a great attitude and works very hard to get better.  He certainly can be cranky sometimes, especially with my Mom!  He walks 1/2 mile daily and has been going to PT to improve his upper body strength.

I think his only shot of a cure was to have this surgery, so am glad we did it.  No major complications.  It certainly will change his lifestyle ( how much he eats, has to sleep with head elevated on wedge etc..), so am glad he had it done.

There are so many options and it is hard to know what to do...

Hang in there! 

Katrina

of course everyone is different.

 after my treatment all my tests came back negative for any live cancer cells however, there was 45% chance of something being there that could not be seen without the surgery.  it was a tough decision for me, because i knew this would not be a small surgery. however, my dr.s told me i was a good candidate for surgery and recommended it to be the best way for me to go.  after a lot of thought and talking to people on this board, i decided to go for it.  i cannot lie, it is not an easy recovery...it is very gradual and there are times where you think you are not getting better, but with a lot of help from family, a positive attitude, determination and prayer, things DO get better.  i had my surgery on 9/2/08 and have been back to work fulltime since 12/8/08.  i am still recovering and still have some nausea issues at times, but i am much much better than i was and I AM CANCER FREE!

i also think it is important to have a good surgeon...this is not a common surgery and it is not an easy surgery either... i am not sure where you are located or the kinda dr.s you have access to, but do your research and make sure you find the best dr. to do the job.

i wish your dad all the best...keep us posted and bring any questions you have to the board...there are some remarkable people here with lots of knowlege and some great stories!

be well and God bless!

-Stacey

I was diagnosed with EC on March 21, 2008.  I had radiation and chemoin May/June 2008.  I had minimally invasive esophagectomy on August 6, 2008 so I am almost 11 months post op and doing well.  I went to a major medical area to have my surgery and had great surgeons and caregivers.

The surgery and recovery are a bit tough but worth it.  I still have energy issues and I am constantly learning what I can or can't eat.  My weight has finally stabilized and I have returned to most of my physical activities although not as intense as before.

From my perspective I would recommend surgery if you can find a good surgeon that can perform the minimally invasive procedure at a reputable medical center.  Also find a good team for follow up.  Continue to ask questions here as no one tells you the whole story of what to exoect and how the body will react to all the abuse.

Good luck.

Jim

Everyone is different and only your dad can make the decision. I won't lie to you this is a hard surgery and recovery is slow. I was dx April 2008, had Chemo, no rad, and Ivor Lewis surgery Aug 14, 2008. I went back to work alittle under 2 months, slowly at first but now after 10 1/2 months I am working 40 hours a week. So far all my test are clear of cancer, I do have some eating issues and still face nausea and dumping syndrome now and then but I would do it over again in a heartbeat. Please let us know of your dad's progress and if we can answer any questions you may have.

Take Care and Be Positive

Evelyn

Hi,

I agree with the other posts I have read.  I am a 5 year + survivor.  I was a slow healer, everything that could go wrong did go wrong.  I also had an incision that became infected and needed a home health nurse to come in daily for 6 weeks until it was all healed up.  But,  my oncologist just told me that he considers me "cured".  I still have all the side effects of the surgery and always will have some problems as a result of the radiation and surgery.  The good part.......most of the time I forget the past, I enjoy life, I am now turning 64 and have had 5 years that I would not have had.  I have peace of mind that the trouble spot has been removed and thrown in the trash somewhere with a whithered up cancerous tumor that was shrunk with radiation and chemo.    It is tough treatment. 

Only your Dad can make the decision.  During my recovery (about 6 months to recover from my surgery) there were days I thought it wasn't worth it, but I persevered and now I KNOW IT WAS worth it.

God Bless you and your Dad and family.  Keep in touch with the folks here.  They will give you good "been there, done that" advice.

 

there are some things the doctors often don't tell you about the Ivor-Lewis surgical procedure.  first, it is an extremely difficult operation - i've actually heard that it's more complicated than bypass surgery - and people do die from it, especially if your surgeon is not experienced in this procedure. second, it does not necessarily "cure" your cancer. third, many people report that their quality of life is diminished as a result. i was told by three different doctors that i had to have an esophagectomy even though my EC was only stage 1. after doing some research, i discovered studies which indicated that chemo and radiation alone were just as effective as having an Ivor-Lewis. that's the route i took, and so far i am cancer free and i still have an intact esophagus. everyone's case is different, of course, but you should be aware that the surgery is not for everyone, despite what the AMA says. 

Hello toadhall:

 Your story sounds idential to my husband's case.   Like you, he was diagnosed at Stage 1.   We did much extensive research and he decided NOT to have the surgery.   We were told that it does not guarantee a cure.  He has had chemo and radiation and has had an excellent response and is currently cancer free, and still has his esophagus.   In addition, he has some other health issues so the surgery was not in his best interest.   Thanks to excellent doctors, presently he is doing very well, working, exercising and can eat whatever he pleases.  His doctors are amazed at how well he looks and his response.    God bless the people who undergo this surgery, as I am sure it is very difficult.    Each person is different, and you had to do what you feel is best for you.   Surgery is not for everyone.   It was refreshing to see your post, so I wanted to reply to you to let you know of this case as well.   We need to offer hope in all areas of treatment, not just the surgical aspect of it.

 

Wow toadhall, I think it must have taken a lot of courage to stand up
to three doctors and say no, I'm not having the operation. My mother is going to have the op and she is not even 100% stage 1 - she has
barrett's with high grade dysplasia and some "signs of malignancy"
although none of the biopsies have been able to catch the cancer cells which the doctors believe are hiding there.  We have done so much reading and I can see that there are other options but it seems to me that they are really only offered to people who are deemed unsuitable for surgery. It is an extremely hard decision to make. What a massive operation for such a small thing.

 

On 7/16/2009 Silvie wrote:

Wow toadhall, I think it must have taken a lot of courage to stand up
to three doctors and say no, I'm not having the operation. My mother is going to have the op and she is not even 100% stage 1 - she has
barrett's with high grade dysplasia and some "signs of malignancy"
although none of the biopsies have been able to catch the cancer cells which the doctors believe are hiding there.  We have done so much reading and I can see that there are other options but it seems to me that they are really only offered to people who are deemed unsuitable for surgery. It is an extremely hard decision to make. What a massive operation for such a small thing.

please tell your mom not to do it until you've looked into a procedure called EMR (Endoscopic Mucosal Resection) or maybe BARRX (for Barrett's). this operation sounds like it is completely unnecessary. you are your own best doctor. especially do not listen to surgeons. they cut. that's what they do and that's all they know.