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Esophageal Cancer & Dilations

Posted by aimeef @aimeef, Jan 16, 2023

I am 58 and was diagnosed with upper Esophageal cancer in May of 2022. I am blessed after 6 rounds of Chemo & 35 radiation treatments I am in remission. The problem I have now is the radiation caused heavy scar tissue. I have dilations every 4 to 6 weeks at this point as it begins to close in again. Has anyone else had this issue, and if so, did your Dr. have any other options to keep it open longer? They did try a stent however the stricture is so high up. It was painful to keep in and had to be removed a few days later.

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puprluvr | @puprluvr | Nov 20, 2023
In reply to @moro "My husband is 4 years out from treatment of Stage II (T3 N2 M0) HPV positive..." + (show)
@moro

My husband is 4 years out from treatment of Stage II (T3 N2 M0) HPV positive oropharyngeal (base of tongue) squamous cell carcinoma. He had 7 weeks of chemo and radiation, no surgery.
He is still not eating enough to get rid of his feeding tube. In the last 6 month or so it's been harder for him to swallow, plus he is getting heartburn lately as well.
Did a swallow study in the Twin Cities in Oct and they found there is Esophageal impairment present as the barium tablet did get stuck at C6 level. But now I feel like they are just shoving us round to different places and not really doing much about it. Was really hoping that they would do a balloon dilatation to stretch his esophagus so he has an easier time swallowing and maybe then he would be able to eat other foods that he currently doesn't because it gets stuck. Even some of the pills (smaller than the barium tablet) have been hard for him to swallow. Why is it so hard for someone to say yep let's stretch it................we're the ones paying for it so why the runaround.
Just so frustrated and was hoping that someone here could give some suggestions as to what we can do.

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I had chemo and radiation at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and an esophegectomy at St Marys Hospital in Rochester. A month or so after surgery I did have an issue with swallowing and went back to Mayo for a dilation. I have had no swallowing issues since then and I eat a variety of proteins, raw and cooked vegetables.
My question to you is did you have the chemo and radiation in the Twin Cities as well as the swallow study?

REPLY
mrgvw | @mrgvw | Nov 21, 2023

Hi Aimee... let me know how you're coming... your quality of life with your current esophagus and the state it is in. And if you are still NED... doing any further treatments, immunotherapy, etc.

I have known another patient who was technically never diagnosed with EC (might have gotten to a low or high grade dysplasia stage)... but whose esophagus was in such poor shape... she was offered and in fact did have, the esophagectomy. Weird to even think of this scenario... but if your current esophagus ain't gettin' the job done... your stomach makes an acceptable replacement. And guess what... it's fairly impervious to stomach acid... so it makes for a nice esophagus! I'm pretty much back to normal, eat what I want, and I actually eat a fair amount at one sitting now... like a Big Mac, some fries, and half a shake.

Be well,

Gary

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