1. < Esophageal Cancer

My sister was diagnosed today. Is the Mayo the best place for surgery.

Posted by reneemb @reneemb, Sep 29, 2023

My sister needs surgery for the cancer. It is in all 4 layers and hot the lung tissue. Is the Mayo the best place?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Esophageal Cancer Support Group.

pellaw | @pellaw | Oct 9, 2023
In reply to @mrgvw "I tend to look at our EC journeys in separate stages. The ability to get quickly..." + (show)
@mrgvw

I tend to look at our EC journeys in separate stages. The ability to get quickly dx'd (and a full and complete diagnosis) is one thing. Having knowledgeable oncologists and a tumor board to prescribe treatments and plan of attack... is another. Expertise in dealing with EC... many many cases of EC... is paramount. But doing treatments... in this case maybe just a chemo regimen (is she stage 4? Or just growth thru the esophagus, but no spread yet outside?) Can typically be done anywhere. A bag of chemo is a bag of chemo... can be administered anywhere.

But surgery (esophagectomy) is a separate ballgame. It is worth shopping for... this is about as complex a surgery as there is... open heart surgery is child's play by comparison. You want a surgeon who has done many. What is many... doesn't have to be 3 a week... but don't want it to be 5 a year either. And all surgeons aren't proficient at all the different ways this surgery can be done. But what does matter is that they are proficient at the way they know how to do it!

So... first things first. Can your sister even get to surgery? That will be determined in 2 to 3 months, as her treatments are done and she is then re-scanned to be sure all is looking as it should to get to surgery. But right up front her doctors will tell her if she, at this point in time, is a surgery candidate. And this can change, either way, as she progresses thru treatments.

So... the question is... is Mayo a good place to be for ALL her esophageal cancer care? I did not do any of my care at Mayo as I'm in southern California and did all of my stuff just 15 minutes from my house (I lucked out!)

But yes... Mayo is first rate... a good place to be for the entire EC journey.

Be well... and all the best.

Gary

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Mayo Rochester was best for us with excellent results due to an amazing team.

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gdj | @gdj | Oct 10, 2023

I agree.

The team I had at Mayo was wonderful. Very knowledgable, professional, specialising in such cases. Chemo, radiation, and surgery. Excellent results.

I wish the very best as you move forward. Stay strong through all of it!!

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dalestackable | @dalestackable | Oct 15, 2023

I’m very new to this group, and I am very impressed with the responses. I am not new to Esophageal Cancer as I am “no evidence of disease“ after three years. Very good response from Gary. Ditto and God bless you both.

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dalestackable | @dalestackable | Oct 15, 2023

I am obviously very new to this group as I forgot to say that I received my care at MD Anderson, Houston Texas. Very impressed with the quality of care, organization and follow up. I’ve heard nothing but great things about Mayo as well.

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gdj | @gdj | Oct 16, 2023

I agree with those complimenting Mayo which is where I had my treatment with excellent results.

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puprluvr | @puprluvr | Oct 17, 2023

I had proton radiation-25 rounds over 5 weeks and 5 chemotherapy treatments over 5 weeks at Rochesters Mayo Clinic. I also had the Ivor Lewis surgery at St Mary’s in Rochester. I will be 5 years cancer free the middle of April of 2024. I’m alive today because of the team of Dr’s and nurses that cared for me. What an awesome Clinic and hospital.

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sosereal | @sosereal | 6 days ago
In reply to @dave640 "Gary's advice, above, is correct, in my opinion. My wife decided on having her esophagectomy performed..." + (show)
@dave640

Gary's advice, above, is correct, in my opinion.

My wife decided on having her esophagectomy performed by Shanda Blackmon at Mayo/Rochester. Excellent choice for many reasons. You will find interviews with Dr. Blackmon online.

Dave

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Hello Dave, I wish that things are going well. I have recently been diagnosed with T2B. I live in Minnesota and have begun my journey at the Rochester Mayo. I have learned about Shanda Blackman and have briefly spoken with her. Dr Blackmon is no longer at Rochester Mayo. In your opinion would I be best served to have Dr Blackmon perform the surgery which would mean traveling to Houston.
Rick

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1 reply
dave640 | @dave640 | 6 days ago
In reply to @sosereal "Hello Dave, I wish that things are going well. I have recently been diagnosed with T2B...." + (show)
@sosereal

Hello Dave, I wish that things are going well. I have recently been diagnosed with T2B. I live in Minnesota and have begun my journey at the Rochester Mayo. I have learned about Shanda Blackman and have briefly spoken with her. Dr Blackmon is no longer at Rochester Mayo. In your opinion would I be best served to have Dr Blackmon perform the surgery which would mean traveling to Houston.
Rick

Jump to this post

Rick,
I believe that Dr. Blackmon’s surgery on my wife was extremely successful.
I also know how much Dr. Blackmon appreciated the benefit, in Rochester, of having a wing of nurses at St. Mary’s dedicated to recovery from Esophagectomies.
If I were you, I’d follow Dr. Blackmon’s own advice on this. If she suggests a surgeon at Mayo/Rochester, I think you can stay close to home with complete confidence. Mayo has volume, experience, expertise, and a steady rhythm with esophagectomies.
If Dr. Blackmon advises you come to her, well, I would suggest you do that if it’s manageable.
Very best wishes. I hope you’ll be well for a long time. - My wife is 3 years out from her operation; right now, things are good.
Dave

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lionsfan | @lionsfan | 5 days ago

I felt like I was in a great spot at Mayo for my stage 4, mostly localized EC. My cancer had spread only to one neighboring lymph node so it was more of stage 3 and 6 cm in size. I was on a clinical trial using Folfox 5 chemo and proton beam radiation. Unfortunately, Medicare called me a day before starting proton beam telling me they wouldn't cover it and only cover photon beam. I decided to go ahead with photon, but developed pericarditis after 4 sessions. After escalating to Medicare, they finally approved the proton beam, which worked well with no side major effects, just a bit of fatigue. My chemo/radiation was so successful, only very tiny micro cells of cancer remained. I then had IVOR LEWIS surgery done to remove the damaged area and it was very successful, with clear margins and full recovery. Dr. Wigle and his team were great through the entire process. I always felt comfortable and confident with their team. Don't get me wrong though, recovery was tough. I was in the hospital for 10 days and on a feeding tube at home for a month. I strongly suggest your nursing team provide thorough training on feeding and medicine delivery if you're the caretaker. Also, assuming your insurance covers it, have your at home nurse meet you at home at time of arrival. This will make your transition more productive and less stressful. I'm 4 months out from surgery and my first scan showed no signs of recurrence. It's extremely early, but I'm optimistic I'll be cured in the long run. For additional assurance, I'm doing Optdivo immunotherapy for a year which decreases odds of recurrence. I highly recommend Dr. Wigle and the Mayo team. Remember though, if you have a long drive to get there, you'll want to ensure your local provider is totally in synch with your follow up care plan too. They can play a big part in your recovery. Best thoughts to you and your sister. Send me a note privately if you have any questions. Thanks Geoff

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1 reply
ollusam | @ollusam | 5 days ago

My husband had his surgery and chemo treatments at Memorial Sloan Kettering in NY

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