40 year old with stage 4 adenocarcinoma - signet ring cell

I assume you go to Roswell

I assume you go to Roswell Park.  They are among the best, and know these cancers well.  I say "these" because mine is a rare appendix cancer, and while I wasn't treated at Roswell (I went to Memorial Sloan Kettering) I do know that they are among the very few places in the country with excellent experience with HIPEC, which is a standard of care for appendix cancer.

Hang in there, work with your drs.  I know it is terrifying, but hopefully, you can get this beaten.

By the way, other centers for this type of treatment (or related - MSK doesn't do HIPEC, they do a series of IP treatments) would be MSK (Dr. Nash, Dr. Paty, Dr. Guillem), UPMC - Dr. Bartlett, in Worcester, Mass - Dr. Laura Lambert.

Wishing a healthy outcome for your husband and family,

Alice

TR said:

To Chelsea

Thanks for your post.  I had heard that HIPEC was being offered in Montreal.  Please tell me how your husband is doing....I am hoping that the surgery was positive for him?

TR

The surgery went well. Ten
The surgery went well. Ten hours. Able to achieve a complete cytoreduction. Pathology report indicated no lymph node involvement. Surgeon was positive. Scan four month later. Liver metastasis. Otherwise, peritoneal cavity is still good (as far as we know). Hopefully he will have a liver resection in a couple months. The surgeon was Dr. Lucas Sideris. Loved him. Big recovery. Didn't develop any complications. Would do it again if we had to. Four weeks passed between last chemo and surgery. They wanted to do it two weeks after chemo but the surgery got bumped by a higher priority situation. PM me if you have any specific questions.

Chelsea

TR said:

good news

Thanks for sharing.  I am thinking that they just left him waiting too long for that HIPEC.....eight weeks with this kind of cancer is too much.  Just found out his CEA went to 81.  It was 13 two weeks ago.  I pray that the chemo can get it down again.  I hope that your husbands journey continues on an up-swing.  The liver resection will work!

TR

Welcome to the forum.  We are

Welcome to the forum.  We are sending our thoughts and prayers for a positive outome.

 

Nutrition and Hydration are going to help a lot!  Keep eating no matter how he feels. Bananas, atmeal cookis, Ginger snaps got me through a lot of tough times. I added Juicing to get the added nutrition that I was missing. We eat Med Diet, Juice, and add supplements. Then I was able to icrease my exercise.  I am in better shape thant when I started my cancer journey. Mine was caught a week before my 43rd bithday.  Now, rolling up on 50 and waiting for HIPEC in San Diego.  

 

Keep fighting the good fight!

 

Best Always,  mike

Signet Cell also

TR,

I too am signet cell.  Was dx'ed Jan 13, 2012 with colon cancer 3 B with 3 nodes out of 19, and had rt hemicolon surgery 1/31/12.  Followed by 6 months of Oxpl and 5FU.  I was dinconnected August 24, 2012.  I have had 2 clear ct scans since then, small polyp removed this past Jan (non cancer) and my CEA is great.  In addition, and since I had the polyp situation, I had the genetic tests for Lynch.  Was done initially with tumor at surgery but with the polyp, my Onc suggested.  It came back negative for Lynch, again.

I was 49 at Dx.

I have neuropathy.  It was in hands, feet, face, lips, teeth and tongue.  Yikes!  But now 6 months later it is only slightly in hands/feet.  I have tried to stay very active.  What really helped with the neurpoathy was embroidery, since I also love to sew.  I would bring to the chemo treatments.  I do not know if your husband would like, but it really helped.

I eat better then ever before with a mediterrian(spelling??) diet and organic.

I have been told "signet" = rare.  My Onc says less common, yet they are seeing alot more often now.  I see it as aggressive.  But remember all cancer is aggressive, because of what it does to us.

I would get a 2nd and 3rd opinion.

I never stop asking questions!

Best of luck and keep us posted.

 

So sorry you are going through all of this.......

I don't have any experience with hipec but wanted to give my support. I was diagnosed stage IV in Nov.2011 and have 5 children. The spark will come from your precious children and from knowing you and the children need him. Just do everything the doctors suggest, and that may mean a second opinion, and fight. When things seemed bleak to me I would look into the eyes of my children and it would give me strength. He is at a hard place right now and I am sure you feel totally overwhelmed ....take baby steps. For his neorapathy my doctor gave me Lyrica, helps a little but mine is bad also. I know you are scared because it is scary....especially with 4 young children, but iit is a time when you have to be strong, and hopefully somewhere down the road he will be strong and hopeful again. Last spring I missed all my son"s baseball games...last fall I went to all of his football games and so far all his baseball games this spring. I know I am rambling, sorry but I want you to have hope and know it can get better. I am still in treatment, chemo and radiation, but happily functioning. Thinking of you and sending positive thoughts your way....~ Ann

I'm so sorry.

It's devastating to find out you have cancer in the first place, and then to get your hopes up for a procedure, only to be told it can't happen just yet...that is very, very hard.  But the key here, I think, that there is still hope.  If your DH can get through more chemo, it sounds like his docs will try to get him back to a place where he can have HIPEC.  And that procedure has helped many patients.

It might be a good time to get a 2nd opinion. Sounds like you've got good docs, but it never hurts to have a second set of eyes on things, especially when it's a more complicated case.  

Pls. keep us posted on how things are going.  And try to take care of yourself as best you can.  I have three kids myself, and I know it was pretty overwhelming for my husband as my caregiver, trying to juggle everything.  Sending hugs and strength your way~Ann Alexandria

TR said:

annlousie

thanks for telling me that you are a mom of five.  God love u....I am happy that you are functioning well.  Please keep me posted - my husband has not recieved any radiation - just chemo.  Its the stage four that scares me.....today he was offered Lyrica....but I dont think he will take it.  He is afriad of side effects and because they told him it is used as an anti-depression as well.  As soon as he heard that - I knew he would avoid it.  He is so stubborn and proud.  I want him to take it - it is so hard to see someone you love in pain.

TR

Lyrica.......

I am not a doctor but I don't think Lyrica is used as an antidepressant, The doctors wanted me to also go on an antidepressant because they can help neuropathy, in addition to the Lyrica. I don't do well on antidepressants so that was not an option for me. Look up Lyrica on the internet and then have him make an educated decision, because it really may help him. Another option is physical therapy. It doesn't make the neorapathy go away but helps with muscle tone. You guys are at a hard place right now...try and take one day at a time, then maybe it will be one week at a time, then months and of course what we would all like is years' This is my first radiation....been on chemos, liver resection, SIRT, and now chemo and radiation. Today I left radiation and went straight to my sons baseball game......the sparkle in his eyes when he saw me there, gives me hope. I am also stage IV, mets to liver(gone for now!), mets to lung (working on that) and to abdominal wall(working on that too). Hope things get better for you and it is hard to watch someone you love go through this. Any questions, anytime, please post or email me.....~Ann