Cholangiocarcinoma - Bile Duct Cancer - anyone else dealing with this?

Posted by krishh @krishh, Jul 15, 2017

I'm on my fourth line of treatment. What treatments are others receiving for this? Thanks ~

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

@jerrydrennan

@afrancesca
So UHS Transplant is under MD Anderson. The are the local care for me as mentioned earlier.

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Jerry, When I read my patient notes, I am often confused by the medical language and notations. I have asked what is means, even after I've returned home from a long distant visit. My coordinator has taken my concern to a higher authority to get answer for me. It is worth the peace of mind to hear her tell me what it means, as well as why it was included.
However, if I were in your situation, with prior cancer diagnosis and treatment, I believe I would act more aggressively to get my question asnwered.
Do you have any appointments coming up? Have you messaged your coordinator? Does your local doctor communicate with Mayo transplant?

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@jerrydrennan

@afrancesca
I started with UHS in SAn Antonio. They sent my case to MD Anderson. I was declined. UHS is Governed by MD ANDERSON . They sent me to the Mayo Clinic.

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@afrancesca
So UHS Transplant is under MD Anderson. The are the local care for me as mentioned earlier.

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@afrancesca

Jerry-if you are interested in getting a second opinion in Texas, Dr. Miland Javle at MD Anderson in Houston is one of the best known oncologists in the country for treating Cholangiocarcinoma.

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@afrancesca
I started with UHS in SAn Antonio. They sent my case to MD Anderson. I was declined. UHS is Governed by MD ANDERSON . They sent me to the Mayo Clinic.

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@jerrydrennan

@afrancesca
I am going to the Mayo in Rochester Minnesota
I also at university Transplant Center in San Antonio Tx for my local care.

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Jerry-if you are interested in getting a second opinion in Texas, Dr. Miland Javle at MD Anderson in Houston is one of the best known oncologists in the country for treating Cholangiocarcinoma.

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@afrancesca

I’m unfamiliar with treatments available post ptransplant. However, There are many patients connected with the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation who have undergone transplants. I strongly encourage you to call the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation and request to be assigned to a patient mentor and assigned to someone in the cholangioconnect program. They will match you up with people who have also gone through a transplant and can help connect you to resources that are specific to post transplant treatments . At which Mayo location are you being treated? At the mayo clinic here in Phoenix, you can request to see a social worker ( I recommend Elizabeth Matthews she is helpful and knowledgeable about how the Mayo works) To help you to re-open/repair communication between you and your healthcare team. If you are at another location, maybe this site’s monitor can make a recommendation for who the experienced social workers are at your location ? Furthermore, It is standard for many patients to get second opinions at 2 different major cancer centers at transition times in their treatment plans. While all the major centers have similar transplant protocols, different centers might offer different clinical trials/treatments for patients post-transplant. You are doing the right thing by staying on top of this now and searching for answers. I have recently just discovered this site and it is wonderful. However, this is such a specialized area even within colangiocarcinoma and again I urge you to contact the Foundation as they know all the transplant specialists and what is offered, including, of course, what is available at the different locations of the Mayo Clinic . I’ve learned that as a patient, it is my job to be my own advocate. Once you contact the foundation please let us know how it goes as maybe there will be others who come to the site who have the same questions.

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@afrancesca
I am going to the Mayo in Rochester Minnesota
I also at university Transplant Center in San Antonio Tx for my local care.

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@jerrydrennan

@afrancesca
Thank you for the information . I was diagnoised with CC in 3-2017 i under wnt the chemoradiation brachey theraapy to have a liver transplant. I was transplanted sept 2018. I have found out by reading my record that my explant tested positve or active adenocarcinoma resedue. Positive for perinuerl invasion. When i asked my Dr about what was going on they want to start me on chemotherapy / antirejection. Now that i have had the tranplant are these tratments a option for me. I had volunter for several studys . But nothing was told to me about the results. Thank ou fr your time
God Bless

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I’m unfamiliar with treatments available post ptransplant. However, There are many patients connected with the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation who have undergone transplants. I strongly encourage you to call the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation and request to be assigned to a patient mentor and assigned to someone in the cholangioconnect program. They will match you up with people who have also gone through a transplant and can help connect you to resources that are specific to post transplant treatments . At which Mayo location are you being treated? At the mayo clinic here in Phoenix, you can request to see a social worker ( I recommend Elizabeth Matthews she is helpful and knowledgeable about how the Mayo works) To help you to re-open/repair communication between you and your healthcare team. If you are at another location, maybe this site’s monitor can make a recommendation for who the experienced social workers are at your location ? Furthermore, It is standard for many patients to get second opinions at 2 different major cancer centers at transition times in their treatment plans. While all the major centers have similar transplant protocols, different centers might offer different clinical trials/treatments for patients post-transplant. You are doing the right thing by staying on top of this now and searching for answers. I have recently just discovered this site and it is wonderful. However, this is such a specialized area even within colangiocarcinoma and again I urge you to contact the Foundation as they know all the transplant specialists and what is offered, including, of course, what is available at the different locations of the Mayo Clinic . I’ve learned that as a patient, it is my job to be my own advocate. Once you contact the foundation please let us know how it goes as maybe there will be others who come to the site who have the same questions.

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@rosemarya
Well , there has been a communication breakdown for me and the n.c. what I listed above is just part of what happen or did not happen on my 4 month check up. What I listed above I found in my portal in notes and documents. I had not known about this until I got home.
God Bless
Jerry.

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@jerrydrennan

@afrancesca
Thank you for the information . I was diagnoised with CC in 3-2017 i under wnt the chemoradiation brachey theraapy to have a liver transplant. I was transplanted sept 2018. I have found out by reading my record that my explant tested positve or active adenocarcinoma resedue. Positive for perinuerl invasion. When i asked my Dr about what was going on they want to start me on chemotherapy / antirejection. Now that i have had the tranplant are these tratments a option for me. I had volunter for several studys . But nothing was told to me about the results. Thank ou fr your time
God Bless

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Wow, Jerry. That is an interesting question.
Have you considered asking your doctor to explain this to you? If you are not due for an appointment in the near future, why not send the question to your nurse coordinator thru the patient portal?

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@afrancesca
Thank you for the information . I was diagnoised with CC in 3-2017 i under wnt the chemoradiation brachey theraapy to have a liver transplant. I was transplanted sept 2018. I have found out by reading my record that my explant tested positve or active adenocarcinoma resedue. Positive for perinuerl invasion. When i asked my Dr about what was going on they want to start me on chemotherapy / antirejection. Now that i have had the tranplant are these tratments a option for me. I had volunter for several studys . But nothing was told to me about the results. Thank ou fr your time
God Bless

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@afrancesca

This is a very promising new first line trial. Glad you are on it. Who is your doctor here in AZ? I've been on a clinical trail here @ Mayo in AZ (Pemigratinib-a gene inhibitor drug that targets the FGFR2 mutation) and on it I've have stable disease with a high quality of life for 18 months now. See my post earlier this morning about all the available resources at the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. Happy to connect with you locally---I've been through the gem/cis regimen(back in 4/18) and come out the other side so happy to offer you some hopeful words if you need them. ---Andrea

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Andrea, Welcome to Connect and for sharing this information. I am not experienced with any of this and I appreciate seeing the promise of treatment options for those who are affected. Words of hope and encouragement are vital to positivity during a serious medical diagnosis.
Andrea, This is a publicly viewed sight, and for your own protection and privacy, I urg you not to post your personal contact information.

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