Another bump in the road

Mtngirl7533

It has been awhile since I've posted and just wanted to give alittle update! Some of you folks have been wonderful giving info and advice and I will never forget your kindness! My husband of 33 years was diagnosed last October 2017 with Stage 111 Esophageal cancer, Adenocarcinoma at the GE Junction! He went through chemo and radiation for weeks and then underwent the Ivor Lewis surgery March 5th, 2018. It was definitely a tough recovery as expected but after about a month he showed signs of getting well! Pain started subsiding, ect. He has been followed very closely of course since and chemo doc ordered a CT Scan. He just found out today that they found a spot on his Liver! He will have a Pet Scan the 29th. I felt like I was hit by a ton of bricks all over again. He has actually been doing pretty well and even went back to work 5 weeks after surgery, light duty of course as he is a Power Lineman! He did have trouble with nausea, feeling full quickly and some vomiting so the Endoscopic doc started him on Reglan, which almost immediately worked and no more nausea! I was elated, until tonight of course! I realize there are no guarentee's and they couldn't be 100% that cancer wouldn't return! So now we wait! We've been here before! I may be afraid but I will never give up hope! Hope is all we have to hold on to! I feel God has been with us and will see us through! None of us ever know when our time will come but I will continue to pray for my husband that his life will be spared and he will have more years to live on this Earth as I pray for people I don't even know! I will try to chek in more often. Have had other things on my plate as well. A Mom who hasn't been well and a step Mother that has cancer, along with a full time job and caring for my dear husband! I am going to do alot of research, again! Thank you all for kindness and special thanks to dear Loretta, ( My adopted Grandmother)

paul61

So sorry to hear about your latest news

Hello Mtngirl,

I am so sorry to hear your latest news. You said they found a “spot on the liver” have they done a biopsy to confirm it is indeed metastasis? If not, it could be other things like a cyst etc. If it is a met there are a number of ways to address metastasis to the liver. I know it must be frustrating to have this additional “bump in the road” after all you have both been through so far but your husband is young and otherwise recovering well so one more hill to climb.

There are lots of treatment options including but not limited to systemic chemotherapy, laparoscopic surgery, and radioembolization where radioactive beads are injected into the hepatic artery. They lodge in the liver near tumors and give off small amounts ofradiation that travel only a short distance.

I am hoping they find a treatment option to smooth this “bump in the road” soon.

Best Regards,

Paul Adams

McCormick, South Carolina
DX 10/2009 T2N1M0  Stage IIB - Ivor Lewis Surgery  12/3/2009 - Post Surgery Chemotherapy 2/2009 – 6/2009
Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU – Eight Year Survivor

 

Deathorglory

Hello Mtngirl

Hello,

Sounds like you guys did remarkably well after surgery.  Five weeks and back to work after an open surgery is exceptional.  I was out for over two months and I had a desk job.  Seems like the side effects have been pretty manageable, too.  

Unfortunately you've run into some dicey news.  A spot on the liver is scary.  Especially right now, when you don't know what it is yet, just thoughts running through your minds.  As Paul mentioned, there are other explanations for a spot rather than it being cancerous and I hope that's what your further testing shows.  About a year ago I had a nodule in a lung show up on my regular CT scan.  My doctor wasn't too worried, said it could be a number of things and that it was too small to even biopsy.  Last month I had my latest CT scan and it has grown a little.  That's very upsetting to my wife and me.  There's no real concern from the medical professionals, but it's scaring the hell out of us.  Last time I had something in my lung I was given a few months to live.  I have no interest in going through all of that again.  I'm just babbling my story to let you know that you're not alone and that there are folks who understand the limbo you're currently in.  Soon enough you'll get the PET scan and will know more surely what you are dealing with. 

Best Wishes and Hoping Nothing Lights up on the Pet Scan,

Ed

kbdarnall

Take heart

One (or even a few) metastatic spots can be treated. Patients are increasingly being diagosed with "oligometastatic disease" due to better surveillance with frequent CT/PET scans. Patients are living longer with cancer diagnosis. A new spot means the battle goes on. You might want to get acquainted with "The biology and treatment of oligometatstatic cancer."  This terminology is relatively new. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4496163/

 

Mtngirl7533

paul61 said:

So sorry to hear about your latest news

Hello Mtngirl,

I am so sorry to hear your latest news. You said they found a “spot on the liver” have they done a biopsy to confirm it is indeed metastasis? If not, it could be other things like a cyst etc. If it is a met there are a number of ways to address metastasis to the liver. I know it must be frustrating to have this additional “bump in the road” after all you have both been through so far but your husband is young and otherwise recovering well so one more hill to climb.

There are lots of treatment options including but not limited to systemic chemotherapy, laparoscopic surgery, and radioembolization where radioactive beads are injected into the hepatic artery. They lodge in the liver near tumors and give off small amounts ofradiation that travel only a short distance.

I am hoping they find a treatment option to smooth this “bump in the road” soon.

Best Regards,

Paul Adams

McCormick, South Carolina
DX 10/2009 T2N1M0  Stage IIB - Ivor Lewis Surgery  12/3/2009 - Post Surgery Chemotherapy 2/2009 – 6/2009
Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU – Eight Year Survivor

 

Radioembolization

The doc said she doesn't think these 2 spots, leasions are related to his esophageal cancer? And I feel you're right that they could be something else. Part is wishful thinking but how could this have been missed with all the scan's before? He sustain a fall years ago with internal injuries, could it be scar tissue? The doc seems to think it's cancer however! She did mention biopsy but also one spot couldn't be reached. I was assuming she meant by biopsy! I have doing research all weekend regarding this matter! It will be good to know exactly what we're dealing with for sure! It can't be soon enough. Doc said, she is waiting on approval of Pet Scan from insurance co. Loretta, Grammie also mentioned this procedure. I read about Chemoembolization but not sure if it's the same thing, or maybe basically the same? I will look in to it. I am writing everything down for the next visit! I so appreciate your response and words of wisdom! I hope to get back here next week with definitive results! Again, thank you so much!

Mtngirl7533

Deathorglory said:

Hello Mtngirl

Hello,

Sounds like you guys did remarkably well after surgery.  Five weeks and back to work after an open surgery is exceptional.  I was out for over two months and I had a desk job.  Seems like the side effects have been pretty manageable, too.  

Unfortunately you've run into some dicey news.  A spot on the liver is scary.  Especially right now, when you don't know what it is yet, just thoughts running through your minds.  As Paul mentioned, there are other explanations for a spot rather than it being cancerous and I hope that's what your further testing shows.  About a year ago I had a nodule in a lung show up on my regular CT scan.  My doctor wasn't too worried, said it could be a number of things and that it was too small to even biopsy.  Last month I had my latest CT scan and it has grown a little.  That's very upsetting to my wife and me.  There's no real concern from the medical professionals, but it's scaring the hell out of us.  Last time I had something in my lung I was given a few months to live.  I have no interest in going through all of that again.  I'm just babbling my story to let you know that you're not alone and that there are folks who understand the limbo you're currently in.  Soon enough you'll get the PET scan and will know more surely what you are dealing with. 

Best Wishes and Hoping Nothing Lights up on the Pet Scan,

Ed

Thank you

I appreciate all of you who responded! You have all been through so much! You all have good advice and it is comforting! I hope to be back on later next week with concrete results! Again, thank you very much!

Mtngirl7533

Thank you

I so appreciate the link and info! Yeah, another resource! Thank you so very much! So appreciated! Will have more concrete answers later next week! Take care!