EC and esophagectomy questions

A friend on another board told me about this discussion board and suggested posting to it. I appreciate the suggestion and am glad to find it! I posted the following to another group so please forgive the duplication if you follow other EC groups. Just 'widening the net' so to speak. And thanks for the feedback!

My dad is being treated for Esophageal Cancer. After many years of chronic heartburn, a reduced ability to swallow prompted the first visit (Nov. 2010) to the doctor followed by the EC diagnosis in late December 2010.

He finished 28 treatments of radiation on 3/9/2011 and finished chemotherapy on 4/22/2011. Chemo consisted of (4)-7 hour days 4 weeks apart of cisplatin and the same 4 weeks’ Monday thru Friday '5FU' via pump. Before chemotherapy and radiation we understood surgery to be a possibility afterward. It was explained that one of the reasons to do chemo and radiation first, should surgery still be necessary, was to reduce the cancer, thus reducing the scope, severity, recovery etc of the surgery.

Although none of the post-treatment tests show cancer, "activity" (barretts is what I think they mean by that) in the lower esophagus has caused his main cancer doctor to recommend surgery (esophagectomy), to prevent (as much as possible) the return of the cancer.

First we talked to a pair of surgeons that would do the surgery together - one said it was necessary to prevent it coming back. The second was concerned with the surgery because of the scar tissue resulting in the delay after chemo and radiation and was leaning 'against' surgery.

For a second opinion, we went to a dr recommended by a friend. He seems very knowledgeable, the scar tissue doesn't bother him that much, he just says it will complicate/lengthen the surgery a little. Indicates we are already on the outside edge (timeline) of the window of opportunity for surgery. And holds nothing back as far as the complicated nature of the surgery and the possibility of the cancer returning w/o surgery (nearly certain) and with surgery (maybe as high as 50% still due to cells having spread up till now.) While some complications are surely worse than others, we understand there's a 90% complication rate with the surgery.

Several other personal contacts have highly recommended Scott and White Cancer Institute in Temple TX.

Where does one go to find out who/where the experts are in this field?

What about statistics, national and otherwise? Is it possible to get hospital specific stats or even doctor specific stats?? Is it possible to get anything like that? I understand the complexity of mere statistics but I am just trying to get a broad sense of what we are up against and who/where might be best suited to help us.

Although our current understanding seems to make surgery the better of the options, another Dr might have a different take on the whole situation. In my early research on EC, I thought I remembered that EC was one of few cancers that was NOT *quite* as likely to spread.??

Just want to have a better understanding of the options, pros/cons, risks, etc. /before/ the decisions need to be made...and they need to be made very quickly!

Would anyone have experience to share concerning either Dr. Paul Kana1y (Oklahoma City) or with Scott & White Cancer Institute (Temple TX)? Of course stats on outcomes and a list of complications and their occurrence would be nice too. Any information is appreciated and adds to our ability to make the best decisions. Thanks!