Esophageal cancer: How do you manage gastro and swallowing effects?

For all of us here... having difficulties swallowing, and especially if we're older now... get an endoscopy... a quick and painless procedure. Being diagnosed with esophageal cancer is still pretty rare... but nothing to mess around with. Like all cancers, the sooner it is found, the better your chances. And physically going in to have a look-see is the easiest way to know if something's amiss. And if things don't look right... 3 things are usually done to get a complete EC diagnosis (dx). A biopsy of what doesn't look right inside will be done... and looked at under a microscope. Then, a more advanced endoscopy called an EUS (with ultrasound) will be done, where the GI doctor can take a deep look around... seeing thru the esophageal layers, looking at nearby lymph nodes and other structures. If cancer, this doctor will see exactly how invasive it is and this will lead to more accurate staging. And finally, scans will be done, CT and/or PET scans... to see if there's any spread outside the esophagus. This will also provide a baseline for where the patient is at... since if you do have EC, you will be scanned many more times in the coming months and years (I've probably had 10 already, at 3 years post-op).

And mucus problems... yes, we all pretty much see this somewhere on our EC journeys. A pain in the ass... but pretty much normal. Even when we're totally healthy, our bodies are constantly producing mucus (a quart or two a day!). We just don't know it, it's doing its job... we swallow lots of it without even knowing it. Mucus is our flypaper that catches everything... and helps us dispose of things that irritate our insides, things that cause inflammation, etc. And obviously our EC irritates things inside us. And so does chemo... radiation... surgery... immunotherapy. So... get ready, it's coming, sooner or later. Excess mucus may last a few days, weeks, even months. But it will pass.

Be well everybody.

Gary

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For all of us here... having difficulties swallowing, and especially if we're older now... get an endoscopy... a quick and painless procedure. Being diagnosed with esophageal cancer is still pretty rare... but nothing to mess around with. Like all cancers, the sooner it is found, the better your chances. And physically going in to have a look-see is the easiest way to know if something's amiss. And if things don't look right... 3 things are usually done to get a complete EC diagnosis (dx). A biopsy of what doesn't look right inside will be done... and looked at under a microscope. Then, a more advanced endoscopy called an EUS (with ultrasound) will be done, where the GI doctor can take a deep look around... seeing thru the esophageal layers, looking at nearby lymph nodes and other structures. If cancer, this doctor will see exactly how invasive it is and this will lead to more accurate staging. And finally, scans will be done, CT and/or PET scans... to see if there's any spread outside the esophagus. This will also provide a baseline for where the patient is at... since if you do have EC, you will be scanned many more times in the coming months and years (I've probably had 10 already, at 3 years post-op).

And mucus problems... yes, we all pretty much see this somewhere on our EC journeys. A pain in the ass... but pretty much normal. Even when we're totally healthy, our bodies are constantly producing mucus (a quart or two a day!). We just don't know it, it's doing its job... we swallow lots of it without even knowing it. Mucus is our flypaper that catches everything... and helps us dispose of things that irritate our insides, things that cause inflammation, etc. And obviously our EC irritates things inside us. And so does chemo... radiation... surgery... immunotherapy. So... get ready, it's coming, sooner or later. Excess mucus may last a few days, weeks, even months. But it will pass.

Be well everybody.

Gary

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Oh my gosh Gary!!! Your comment is excellent and spot on!!!!
I was dx'd with EC (large tumor /middle) Oct. 2019. Esophagectomy at MN Mayo April 2020 after extensive radiation & chemo. 2 week as a guest at above hospital, J tube, the whole 9 yards.

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How are you doing now? My husband has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and because of where cancer is cannot eat or drink. Right now in ICU, but hoping to get him a temp trac and get him into 2 weeks of radiation to see if can shrink tumor

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Good Morning
I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer at the junction of my esophagus and stomach back in February of this year. I underwent radiation and chemo in late May and early June (2023). I had been unable to swallow anything since very early January.

They installed a tube through my nose and initially in to my duodenum. Appx 1 month later, during an endoscopy and biopsy done at Mayo in Rochester MN. the location of the tube was moved so that it fed directly into my stomach. It was determined at that time that the tumor was malignant and still growing.

Because of my condition and inability to swallow, I was restricted to tube feeding Until late July (3-1/2 weeks ago) at which time I discovered that apparently the radiation and chemo has to some degree reduced the size of the tumor, and I was able to swallow liquids if sipped slowly. This ability to now swallow, seemed to improve on a almost daily basis. Skipping ahead, over this past week end, I pulled out the over 3 foot long feeding tube that had run through my nose and into my stomach for the past 5+ months. This morning I had my first cup of coffee in 8 months. In addition, I swallowed and enjoyed my first non liquid breakfast in 5+months, consisting of 2 fried eggs, hash browns, and 2 maple flavored breakfast sausages.

I am schedule for another endoscopy and biopsy on August 21st. (next Monday) to determine exactly what is going on with the tumor, and to see if is still malignant. I like all of you, that are stricken with this disease, are praying that the cancer is gone, or at least in remission. I am extremely encouraged by the (at least, temporarily), sudden and apparent improvements in my recovery process.

I would like to add a note to all that are interested. During the time of, and after the radiation and chemo treatments, 1 began inhaling Hydrogen for 2 to 3 hours a day through a cannula, (that is typically used for administering oxygen), on the advice of a scientist/biologist friend of mine. I do not know with any degree of certainty, how large a role the Hydrogen inhalation aided in my recovery process. My scientist friend claimed that inhaling Hydrogen or Hydroxy, would "Greatly" help in reducing the size of almost All Tumors. I do know that I have noticed other physical improvement since I began inhaling Hydroxy. My arthritic pain has all but gone away for at least 15 to 17 hours after inhalation. My vision has actually improved. For me being a 85 year old man, this is amazing. My blood pressure has dropped to NORMAL without taking any/my blood pressure meds.

Bless you all, and hang in there. Mayo (in my opinion) is the very best.

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Hi Everyone I am new here my Dad has being diagnosed just now and I am devastated and so scared , questions I wonder If I can prepare to my Dad a green vegetable just everyday , who else is taking it . Now that he can swallow .

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That's great to hear. My husband has a feeding tube as his tumor is blocking his stomach. I am hoping after he has radiation and chemo it will shrink enough for him to eat. Where do you get the hydrogen from? Thank you

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