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Earlier initial symptom of Esophageal Cancer?
EC literature almost universally cites as a reason for the common severity of this disease as its lack of early detection. By the time symptoms manifest themselves the tumors are entrenched, making treatment more complicated at best. I recently had a recollection which possibly sheds a little light on this issue and I'd welcome input from anyone who may have had a similar experience. I had always traced my first awareness of what was diagnosed as stage 3 adenocarcinoma to a "catch" in my swallow in mid-December, 2024. However, my wife noted that several months earlier I had commented that my many-decades old morning mug of coffee habit had declined and ultimately ended because "it no longer tasted good." I'm curious if this change in perception was an early sign of my disease. Parenthetically, and perhaps totally coincidentally, we both recalled that more than 4 decades ago my wife's initial perceived symptom of her first pregnancy was her fairly sudden aversion to her morning cup of Joe as well. Hardly a likely medical advance, but anyone else have a similar event?
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Hi Scott.
I hope your results in June are A-OK!
I don’t think that my stage 2 esophageal cancer could have been diagnosed earlier. I had hurriedly eaten a piece of dry toast and scratched my throat, or so I thought. The scratch didn’t go away and my primary doc recommended the I take Zinc, which I already was doing. It was right before a vacation trip so I didn’t spend much time being concerned. A month later and back home, I still had that pesky scratchy feeling so I got set up for an endoscopy. The diagnosis was stage 2 to stage 3 esophageal cancer. My primary doc was upset she hadn’t been more proactive but I assured her that it was a common symptom of scratched throat. I don’t think I could have discovered it sooner.
Because I had DNA markers, my type of cancer doesn’t respond to chemo and radiation. Two months prior to my diagnosis, immunotherapy was approved as a standard treatment for this type, so my timing for what was a year of infusions and a successful outcome was perfect!
Best wishes to you. Scott.
How has it been after surgrey? Any complications or problems swallowing or scar tissue?
Did you have surgrey?
After my surgery was good. It was nice to eat again. I could eat only soft foods for about 3 weeks for me. Then could eat more hardy foods. That changed for me after starting up 4 more chemotherapy treatments to make sure cancer was gone. Now that treatments are done. Getting back appetite. Still can only eat smaller meals get full fast. Being that they had to use part of my stomach to make new esophagus. Also doesn’t work like my esophagus did. Doesn’t have the muscle to help food go down as your regular esophagus does. Doctor said probably won’t work like normal esophagus. But I can eat pretty much everything. Just not as much and much slower eating. But everyone is different. Hope this helps.
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