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Mass found Suspected Stage 4 Esophageal Cancer squamous cell
Esophageal Cancer | Last Active: Jun 22 9:46am | Replies (36)Comment receiving replies
Hello,
I have posted in the last week regarding my Husband's diagnosis a couple of you were kind enough to give me their contact but after the barrage of tests we've went thru this week I don't have it in me we've had CT/Pet Scan/Endoscopy with CT and a lymph node biopsy on the 15th. We saw the Oncologist today as the Endo CT was staged at 3A2 she told us there are a few lymph nodes in the sub clavicle that although don't seem enlarged lit up on the Pet Scan she told us that if they come back positive, he's basically a stage 4 and incurable they don't do surgery I'm all for honesty but really did not like her demeanor I told her from what I've read and the GI guy that initially did the biopsy said squamous cell is very sensitive to Chemo/radiation and why wouldn't proton be an option for the lymph nodes this is a University hospital we do live in a Chicago suburb and could go to Mayo Rochester for a consult needless to say we are beside ourselves any positive stories I can show my Husband.
Replies to "Hello, I have posted in the last week regarding my Husband's diagnosis a couple of you..."
Good morning. I would go to Mayo. I was diagnosed stage 3 in 2020, did their radiation and proton beam radiation followed by esophagectomy. I was told the same thing about not operating on stage 4 but my surgeon told me she would operate even at stage 4. 4 years later I am healthier that I was pre-diagnosis. Eating habits changed but there is life after cancer. Quality of life is good. I am 70 years young. I will pray for your husband as he deals with his battle.
Thank you Henry
Great News! Thank you for your prayers can you tell me the name of your surgeon?
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Don't worry about any doctor's demeanor... because statistically she is correct. But it matters little. What matters is getting treatments going and see how he responds... who've no doctor can predict. They just prescribe the treatments and then wait til the next scan comes in... as they live scan to scan, just like us patients do. I know many stage 4s who are doing just fine 3, 4, 5, 6 years later... totally NED! You wanna chat with a few? Just pop on our free Zoom calls... we hold these twice-weekly. Next one is Sunday at 9am Eastern. But even these stage 4s still think of themselves as stage 4s... they know their cancer got out of the esophagus and has appeared in far off lymph nodes and organs. Nothing can change that fact... other than they find a chemo and immunotherapy regimen that took care of business. They no longer do chemo, but some continue their 30 minute immunotherapy infusions every 3 or 6 weeks as they believe it is what is keeping them NED. Sure, they probably don't have to any longer... but can't say I blame them. I think one guy is on his 83rd Herceptin infusion... another is on his 103rd Keytruda infusion. But since they see little to no side effects they figure why not. Don't ask me about insurance and the 1 to 2 year infusion protocol... I have no clue! They just keep paying... nice!
Ok... I'm not a stage 4... just a plain ol vanilla stage 3, T3N1M0 staged EC patient, still on my own journey. But I'm in my 4th year post-op... gotta shot now... eating fairly normally... sleeping and pooping pretty normally too. Go figure. But... we don't sugarcoat on our Zoom calls... we give you real tangible advice and guidance... because we've talked with hundreds of our fellow patients and caregivers. Not much we haven't seen.
Hang tough,
Gary
Southern California