On 1/9/2007 Rsnapple wrote:
my father (62) was just diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the lower third of the esophagus. i was trying to understand the endoscopy report and as far as i know the bloodwork and cat scans revealed that the cancer has not spread to other organs but that it is "inflilrating the stroma"...i'm assuming of the stomach. we are meeting with 2 oncologists tomorrow and i was wondering if anyone had any advice on important questions we should be asking. also if anyone has any survival stories, id love to hear them...i have been pretty down since researching the cancer on the internet and am scared to see my father go through treatments.
I am a male, 62 years old. Two years ago I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. It was caught early. I had most of my espohgus removed and a stomach pull-up procedure. I am alive and well. I had chemo following surgery. I am 60 pounds lighter than before surgery.(I needed to lose this weight.) A little difficulty swallowing, but not too bad. Just watch what you eat. I had great surgeons. I get scanned every 3-4 months. It's always scary waiting on results, but you feel good when it turns out negative. Post op tests indicated that I actually had both esophageal and small cell cancer. Small cell is typically found in lungs. My case was very unusual, so that it why the chemo was done. Finding it early is key to success. I would also recommend making sure that your surgery team has a good track record. There are surgeons, good surgeons and great surgeons. Go for the great. Mayo clinic is a wonderful place. I have been back there 4 times since my surgery for scraping of the bad dysplasia of my remaining sophagus portion. I had acid reflux for many years and later developed Barretts Esophagus condition. Barretts can turn into low grade dysplasia. Low can turn into high, and then that goes to cancer. BEst wishes to you. The internet can be a scary thing. When I was first diagnosed I went to the net and felt very doomed. Like I said, catching it early, before it spreads is the key. Today, health is a big numbers thing. If you're lucky enough to get the right number you'll be OK. You do the best you can do and pray a lot. God bless.