next step?

depotlady
depotlady Member Posts: 1
in Esophageal Cancer #1
49 year old son just finished second round of chemo and radiation...scans in couple of weeks....what next?

Mayo's cancelled surgery because lymph node was found during ultrasound endoscopy.

need encouragement for him, wife and 3 kids...Mr. Mom for last 5 years because wife has travel job.

hearbroken mom

Comments

  • ritawaite13
    ritawaite13 Member Posts: 236
    #2
    Sounds like you're in a wait
    Sounds like you're in a wait and see mode just like we are. My husband finished his radiation on 9/9/11 and only had 3 sessions of chemo. He is stage IV with lymph node involvement too. The radiation works in his body for a couple of weeks after the last treatment and then they do the scan to see if it's had any affect before they move with further treatment. I'm relatively new to this site too but I know there are others who will weigh in with much more knowledge about EC than what I have. I do think you've come to the right site though because there are people on here who are going through the same things we are and are very helpful with suggestions and support. EC is a deadly cancer but people do survive it and live with it that's what we all need to focus on.
  • chemosmoker
    chemosmoker Member Posts: 501
    #3
    Keep hope alive...
    Dear heartbroken mom,
    I hate to use the words every time, but WELCOME to our site, and to the world of EC.
    Sounds like you have been around for a bit with the two rounds of chemo behind you already.

    I take it you are the mom?

    This is one nasty disease. I am stage IVb so surgery was ruled out for me and nothing offered but pallative care since my scans and pathology were complete.

    What STAGE was given for the cancer? Was the chemo effective in shrinking the tumor(s)? I am unfamiliar with endoscopy, or ultrasound, being used to locate or diagnose involved lymph nodes, although I am no doctor! I know they see them using Long Needle Biopsies, PET and CT scans. Having node involvement does not always rule out surgery necessarily, it just depends on what nodes and where, how far out from the localized cancer site they are usually determines whether or not there is a surgical option. There are still options depending on having more information.

    We will need MORE information to be of the most help here. There are quite a few people on here who can offer great amounts of encouragement, hope, and also hard and fast truth, which is the ONLY really useful thing when it comes to this type of cancer.

    We are all here to help. Please, post more information, post often, and ask all the questions you can. That's what we all do for each other here.
    It is a great source of support for both you and for the patient.

    I am glad you found the boards and have posted to our little group. We work hard to be here for each other. Many more will post and will also want to know more specifics about what you have already gone through, so as to help with what you have yet to face.

    I wish you all the strnegth and love we can offer, and we pray for each`other as well.

    You are truly in a wait-and-see place, as Rita said before. We will all wait and see with you, and we are all here for you.

    -Eric
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • mruble
    mruble Member Posts: 174
    #5
    Mayo
    We were told the same thing after my husband's endoscopic ultrasound at Mayo (Rochester) -- at least that's what we heard from the surgeon. But chemo and radiation knocked much of the cancer out and my husband was able to have the surgery after all. We ended up going with a different Mayo surgeon because my husband had no confidence in the one we saw originally. I don't want to give you false hope -- just letting you know what our experience was.

    Mary
    caregiver to Chad
    diagnosed IVa in October 2009 @ 43 years old

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