from 2B to 4A in one appointment

Peg59
Peg59 Member Posts: 18
in Esophageal Cancer #1
Well, we certainly learned not to pre-guess the tests or take one doctor’s opinion.

This past Monday, June 27th, We saw the general surgeon who would be putting in the J-tube and portacath if we choose to stay with the Reading Hospital. At that apt we learned that the local lymph nodes had shown a reaction in the PET scan... Mo is not immediately a candidate for surgery and needed chemo and radiation before any surgery was considered. He staged us at 2B (T3 N1 M0). Ok, that was not what we wanted to hear but leaves room for a lot of hope.

Today we saw the oncologist. He reviewed the PET scan with us, actually went through the slides with us and found another area of “HOT” lymph nodes away from the tumor. I saw it on the slides. It’s there. He placed the staging at 4A (T3 N2 M1). He is definitely not a surgical candidate and now radiation is also not advisable.

The oncologist said Mo’s tumor is unusual in that it is adenocarcinoma but found high in the esophagus where squamous cancer is mostly found. The nodes close to the tumor are involved, as are the ones near the liver. There is no indication of organ invasion yet.

This oncologist wants to do a chemo cocktail of TPF (Taxotere, Cisplatin, 5-FU). He also wants to test for HER2 and possibly add Herceptin to the treatment if positive.

We still have the EUS coming up. That is on July 6th and then a consult with Geisinger on the 7th.

Up until this point we have been very up, optimistic and positive. I heard the number 4 and choked up. I just want to go away and cry for a while.

On the bright side he has no symptoms, is eating very well and says he feels fine. And we are very busy here so there is not much time to dwell.

Comments

  • Daisylin
    Daisylin Member Posts: 365
    #2
    sorry
    What a shock for you. Stage 4 is never what anyone wants to hear..... so please, do yourself a favour, have that cry, bawl your eyes out! Then when you are ready, get out your boxing gloves, because you have some heavy duty fighting to do! (I know you don't think you'll ever be ready, but trust me, you'll find the strength, and just do what has to be done) Your hubby must be devastated too. thinking of you, stay strong. Glad to hear that he is feeling fine and eating well. May it stay that way for a good long time.
    Chantal
  • fredswilma
    fredswilma Member Posts: 185
    #3
    Hi Peg
    You know this is one
    Hi Peg
    You know this is one cruel disease, I can't imagine going from stage 2 to stage 4 in what amounts to half an hour, believe me I understand the horror of stage 4, my husband has been stage 4 for the last 11 months and I know how you just want to go away and cry and pretend it hasn't happened. You know I used to go to the Oncologist and seriously believe that they were going to tell us it was all a big mistake, you know oops sorry we read the scans wrong, I even believed that, after Mark had been through 4 months of Chemo. If you have read the posts here for long you would have heard from Sherri , who wrote something along the lines of have a cry then pull yourself together, your in for one hell of a roller coaster ride, get in front of the cancer find out everything you can about it, and she is so right. Find out everything you can write all your questions down in a book to take with you to all oncologist visits, cause something strange happens when you go to the oncologist, your brain turns to mush, no seriously it does.
    Anyways I am so sorry that your staging has been changed, really pleased that he is feeling fine and eating well, hold on to all bright sides. There are others here that will advise you better than I could, just wanted you to know that you are not alone, and I will be thinking of you when you have more consults.
    Ann
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
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