Well, I've seen just about everything. I've been talking to hundreds of patients and caregivers the past 3 years... they have taught me much. My own stage 3 journey counts for something as well (chemo, radiation, esophagectomy, a year of immunotherapy), but not as much. It's learning from others from around the world that has taught me the most.

So yes, I've seen some crazy sht. Quite a few stage 4's who have come back to have both radiation as well as surgery... to stage 1's who went straight to surgery... and woke up stage 4's... due to many positive lymph nodes. It's cancer... it doesn't play by the rules.

His oncologist knows what the data says for patients similar to dad. But he doesn't know exactly what's coming for your dad. But if nothing is done, we all know what's coming, and that is true for just about every one of us, regardless of stage.

So his first line treatments have stopped working. So this must now be abandoned, or at least changed up somewhat, if not totally. Between Folfox, FLOT, CAPOX, Epirubicin, Ramucirumab, Keytruda, Herceptin, Enhertu, and yes, even palliative radiation on the esophageal tumor, to maybe help eating... to maybe buy more time... many things can still be done. And getting into a clinical trial, anywhere in America, can also offer hope.

Statistically, yes, the odds are against dad. But that has not changed. I am also in the group that has maybe a 20% chance of seeing 5 years. But now that I'm closing in on 4 years from diagnosis as well as 42 months post-op... my odds are starting to get in my favor.

So when does dad start his new treatments? And yes... moving the wedding would be smart, if that matters greatly to both you and dad. And like @dave640 said, I too am on the SmartPatients site. We host twice weekly free Zoom calls for us EC patients, all around the world. Be well...

Gary