Esophageal Cancer: How do I get started with Mayo?

Ohh ohkk noted

@shilpa, welcome. I see that your husband has had chemo to help shrink the tumor before surgery, but that you would prefer to not have surgery. Please note that this is a public forum where you can meet other patients and caregivers living with esophageal cancer. For this reason, I removed the attached medical reports since they included personal identifying and medical records. If you’re looking for a second opinion from Mayo Clinic experts, please click this link to submit a request http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63

How did your husband do on chemo?

My husband detected with esophagas cancer 2 months back....we have done 3 chemo cycle. now doctor suggested surgery...plz suggest any other option than surgery

I have attached the latest reports

Hi there Colleen. The video appointment went as well as can be expected. We actually also had an on campus appointment yesterday to do a laparoscopy and port placement and are VERY anxiously awaiting a call back from them to let us know when our next appointments are and with who so we can get this treatment started. I'm not the patient but I'm the one who is in need of the mental counseling, still an anxious, tear filled wreck for more than a month now. Need to know our plan and get it started.

How are you doing @dtaylor75? How did the video appointment go?

This is likely a medical appointment @dtaylor75. Appointment screening and scheduling are done by phone. You can call Mayo Clinic to confirm and put your mind at ease.

I don’t know. I sure hope this video appointment isn’t some type of interview or screening process to see if they will treat her. That’s what I’m scared of at the moment.

So sorry to hear of this diagnosis. I was tagged in this discussion though I do not have esophageal cancer, but head and neck cancer and I sought treatment at Mayo Rochester 10 1/2 years ago due to the rarity of my cancer location. We have been so happy with my treatment there since. I know things are now different in applying for an appointment than they were back then but I suspect your video visit will be to learn more about your wife's case to proceed in the correct direction. I believe that a referral from your doctor is valuable also to get a quick appointment. The different specialties work so well together at Mayo, and it is all arranged for you according to what you need. Dr. Katharine Price is my head and neck oncologist and our hero. She has been amazing from the first time we met her in the hospital after surgery. I know that the oncology team that you end up with will be the best. I also know the panic that you feel knowing there is a cancer growing in her body but it is so important to pursue your best options even if some delay is involved. It sounds like you are doing just that. I hope she can be seen at Mayo soon and you can start your treatment with such a wonderful organization. Best wishes to you.

That sounds like you're on the right path to getting care at Mayo Clinic. I would start gathering the questions you would like to ask about treatment options and next steps.

Thank you Colleen. Still trying to navigate what to do and such. We do have a zoom appointment with a nurse practitioner at Mayo next week, I am hoping that means we’re going to discuss a plan for this and set up some follow up appointments and start treatments and not some kind of interview to see if we can be treated/admitted to Mayo. Not sure what to anticipate there.