Recurrent esophageal cancer

Cometsmom

Hello to you all. My husband was initially dx w/stage IV EC in April 2018, at age 55. After 2-1/2 years of aggressive chemo, he's been in remission since mid-2020. He was declared NED and we were elated!! Other than neuropathy in his feet which is quite bad, no swallowing problems or other symptoms.

He had a routine surveillance endoscopy in late February. Bx showed the cancer has recurred. Met with the oncologist, had the PET scan which didn't show anything outside the esophagus thankfully and he's going to have a consultation with radiation therapy to see if he's eligible for that this time (did not have radiation the first time). He's scheduled for the port placement this Thursday. He's completely asymptomatic, although has been less active for the past 5 months or so due to fatigue (looking back).

He is a survivor of a major heart attack at age 48 and has cardiomyopathy and other complications from that. I'm concerned about him having radiation...the tumor abuts the right atrium of the heart. RT is considered very cardio toxic and I'm afraid about this. It would be horrible if he ends up having another heart attack after going through all this. I feel like this is a very aggressive plan.

Has anyone had this experience? Any cardiac problems after RT? We meet with the oncologist Monday and he's going to go over our options. I guess I'm just getting anxious and need some reassurance and answers.

Thanks in advance for any replies, and best wishes and prayers to everyone dealing with this

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Cometsmom

Just an update: we saw radiation oncology yesterday. He wants a diagnostic laparoscopy (which they did at his initial dx in 2018). Biopsies at that time were positive for spread to the peritoneum and other areas n the liver, lymph nodes, etc. The CT scan and PET were both negative then, but then this was found at time of laparoscopy. His CT and PET were also negative this time but because of the mets found before, he's going to repeat it. If positive for mets, the treatment plan will probably go back to palliative chemo again with no radiation. We see the surgeon tomorrow to discuss next steps. He was supposed to start chemo on 4/10 but I think that may get pushed depending on how quickly they do the laparoscopy.

To add to the saga, he woke up with terrible tooth pain today necessitating antibiotics and probably tooth extraction Thursday. The dr said this has to be under control before surgery.

I'm frustrated and anxious about all of this. He's overwhelmed by all the phone calls, voicemails, be here, be there. I'm feeling a little hopeless even though he's beaten all odds by surviving this far. Just feeling scared and down. Thanks for letting me express myself here. I appreciate any comments.

jlrice

You are in my prayers! My son is fighting this battle also. It's hard to watch your loved ones go through these trials.

Cometsmom

Thank you for your prayers. I will keep your son and your family in my thoughts and prayers as well ❤️

Cometsmom

After being found to have a recurrence of SCC of the esophagus in February, my husband began chemo and radiation at the end of April. He completed 6 weeks of treatment on 6/7/24, consisting of once a week chemo and five days a week of radiation. His cancer was in the distal esophagus, stage 3 this time. He'd originally been stage 4 at the time of his original diagnosis in 2018 with mets, and after 2+ years of chemo alone, went into remission mid-2020 for almost 4 years before this returned. We were offered radiation as well as chemo together this time and decided this was the best option at this point. He was not a candidate for surgery at the time of his original diagnosis bc of the spread and due to his pre-existing cardiac disease.

On repeat endoscopy in July, his tumor was no longer detectable and biopsies were negative! I'm not sugar coating this by any stretch of the imagination. We are cautiously optimistic about this news. Jeff had a difficult time getting through this regimen, with the usual nausea, vomiting, weakness and extreme fatigue. Towards the end of radiation and for about 3-4 weeks after it ended, he developed radiation esophagitis which caused pain and near complete inability to swallow. Weight dropped as he was not able to keep up intake by mouth but he had close follow up and was living on 6 Ensure daily along with whatever puréed foods he could tolerate. He was hospitalized for several days with dehydration and weakness. This is resolving and he is able to chop up most foods to be able to take small bites. His weight, although not going up, has remained stable. His energy level is slowly improving.

In the meantime, he developed symptoms of heart failure and was started on 2 more meds for that. We are hoping that his heart function shows improvement on the next echocardiogram in October. If it does not, he will need some type of implantable device. This is very concerning, but we are trying to focus on the fact that he is back in remission at this time, taking one issue at a time It's so hard to watch someone you love suffer…I just wanted to update everyone on where we're at and try to offer some hope for anyone who needs it. Please let me know if you have any questions I might be able to answer.