My dad

Naomi,I am so sorry to hear
Naomi,

I am so sorry to hear your news but welcome to our family. My father was diagnosed in December of 2009 with Stage III, T3,N1,MO cancer. He has survived for 13 months and celebrated his 79th birthday in November and this last Christmas. He had some setbacks with his chemo and treatment and this summer the cancer had spread to his liver and he became Stage IVb. He was given perhaps months to live this summer.

Right now he is participating in a clinical trial for Stage IV patients at MD Anderson (out of every 3 patients only 2 get the experimental drug and we don't know if he is getting the drug or the placebo). In fact I will be traveling to meet him in Houston, he is traveling as well to find out how he is responding to the treatment. We meet with the doctor on Thursday to find out the results of the scan and will find out if he will continue in the trial or what his next step is. My dad has a wonderful attitude about fighting this cancer, but is also concerned about the quality of his life.

I will write you a longer post later but wanted to ask you a few questions so you can help us help you.

1. First can you tell us where your dad is being treated, what hospital, what doctors?
2. What tests have been conducted on your dad - diagnostic and biopsies?
3. What type of espohageal cancer has he been diagnosed with? Where is it located in the esophagous?
4. Have you gotten a second opinion from a doctor who specializes in espohageal cancer, its treatment and diagnosis at a major cancer center hospital?
5. Has your dad been able to eat? does he have a J-tube?
6. Have they tested your dad's tumor for the HER2 gene?
7. What kind of chemo are they going to administer? Why have they done radiation before any chemo? Usually they start with chemo, then do a combination of chemo and radiation and then perhaps more chemo. Also have they told you how many radiation treatments they are going to do on your dad?
8. Are they recommending any type of treatments for the liver tumors?
9. Is your dad on regular Medicare or an Medicare HMO? If he is on an HMO you have less than a week to change his insurance to regular Medicare . . . this is essential. Medicare HMO's will not allow your father to get the best care and treatment. I know it sounds counterintuitive but regular Medicare is much better. You will need to get supplemental insurance and prescription drug coverage but believe me this is necessary. You have until the last day of January to opt back into the regular Medicare program and get out of any private Medicare HMO program.

Each person is just that, a person not a statistic, and we don't know how they will respond to treatment or how long they have left on this earth. This is a very serious, dangerous and deadly cancer. That is why you will see advice on this board to get second opinions, seek the best care, go to the best doctors. Don't let concern about being close to home determine your treatment or care, nor that you like the doctor at home. This cancer requires everything you can do and it is essential to be where the doctors deal with espohageal cancer every day ---- it isn't even okay to go somewhere where the doctor is a specialist in breast, or other cancers. You need someone who is a specialist in treating esophageal cancer.


Good luck and prayers with you and your dad. If you have any questions please feel free to email me personally.

Cindy