Need all the Help I can get (including Second Opinions)
I am new to the board, but I need some help. I am as scared and distraught as many of the members here. My dad is suffering from Stage IV Esophageal Cancer with Mets to his liver. He has been going for chemotherapy at Sloan Kettering and so far the chemotherapy has not been working. They are saying it is Terminal and that he doesn't have much longer. If anyone can help me try something new or different I would greatly appreciate any advice. Dos anyone know of any places in the NYC area that I can go to for a second opinion?
My dad's case is a little different. His cancer was caught at Stage I in June of 2009. He was going for a procedure to remove his gall bladder and they found his cancer. He went for chemotherapy which shrank the tumor by 60%. In January of 2010 he went for surgery (I dont remember his name) which took out his stomach by 50% and also shrank his esophagus by 50%. He recuperated at Sloan Kettering for 2-3 months and then he was fine for 6 months until October of 2010 when they ran a CT scan and we were told his cancer was back in 2 lymph nodes and it spread to his liver. It was now Stage IV.
He is a little bit anemic. He now weighs 130 pounds and he has had to go for blood transfusions to get stronger. He is somewhat weak and lethargic.
Is there anything I can do? Are there any treatments or doctors I can speak to?
I am devastated, but I am trying to be as strong as I can for my family. Please help. Thank you very much!
Jonathan
Comments
-
Thanksunknown said:This comment has been removed by the Moderator
What is a Jtube? I do not believe that my dad has it right now. We have never heard of Therespheres before. How does it work?
Right now their course of action is to provide him with hospice care because he is too weak to go for any more chemotherapy or radiation. My dad is turning 61 on Thursday. His chemo regimen was Fu5 and Cytoplastin I think. He had it 6 weeks on and then 6 weeks off. He went to speak to his doctor today and they said it was terminal. I dont know what to do.
Would you recommend contacting other hospitals?
Jonathan0 -
WelcomePrismpunk said:Thanks
What is a Jtube? I do not believe that my dad has it right now. We have never heard of Therespheres before. How does it work?
Right now their course of action is to provide him with hospice care because he is too weak to go for any more chemotherapy or radiation. My dad is turning 61 on Thursday. His chemo regimen was Fu5 and Cytoplastin I think. He had it 6 weeks on and then 6 weeks off. He went to speak to his doctor today and they said it was terminal. I dont know what to do.
Would you recommend contacting other hospitals?
Jonathan
Hello Jonathan and welcome to our discussion board. We welcome you dad as well. I was a caregiver for my dad. He passed from EC with mets to the liver in March 2010. Everyone is different. Everyone fights this cancer in a different way. Sloan is an excellent hospital. I always suggest that people get a 2nd opinion. I also agree with him getting a feeding tube. This will help him stay hydrated and gain some needed weight. Do not give up just because these drs. did. Are you and your dad able to travel to get a second opinion? You could go to another excellent hospital in Pittsburgh PA. There are many out there. These drs. at Sloan are saying terminal, but another dr. may not. There are also great places in Florida. They offer the Therespheares treatment for liver cancer. Take a few deep breaths, stay strong, do the best you can. Keep us up to date. We will be thinking of you and your dad, as well as praying.
Tina in Va0 -
Second OpinionTina Blondek said:Welcome
Hello Jonathan and welcome to our discussion board. We welcome you dad as well. I was a caregiver for my dad. He passed from EC with mets to the liver in March 2010. Everyone is different. Everyone fights this cancer in a different way. Sloan is an excellent hospital. I always suggest that people get a 2nd opinion. I also agree with him getting a feeding tube. This will help him stay hydrated and gain some needed weight. Do not give up just because these drs. did. Are you and your dad able to travel to get a second opinion? You could go to another excellent hospital in Pittsburgh PA. There are many out there. These drs. at Sloan are saying terminal, but another dr. may not. There are also great places in Florida. They offer the Therespheares treatment for liver cancer. Take a few deep breaths, stay strong, do the best you can. Keep us up to date. We will be thinking of you and your dad, as well as praying.
Tina in Va
My dad right now is pretty weak. He currently weighs 130 pounds and his red blood cell count was so low they thought he was going to have a heart attack. He had 4 blood transfusions last week. I am not sure if he wants to travel to Pittsburgh or Florida. Are there any other hospitals in New York that I could take him to? I am praying for him everyday. I am only 24 years old. I graduated from college 2 years ago and never thought I would be dealing with this right now.
Jonathan0 -
Second OpinionTina Blondek said:Welcome
Hello Jonathan and welcome to our discussion board. We welcome you dad as well. I was a caregiver for my dad. He passed from EC with mets to the liver in March 2010. Everyone is different. Everyone fights this cancer in a different way. Sloan is an excellent hospital. I always suggest that people get a 2nd opinion. I also agree with him getting a feeding tube. This will help him stay hydrated and gain some needed weight. Do not give up just because these drs. did. Are you and your dad able to travel to get a second opinion? You could go to another excellent hospital in Pittsburgh PA. There are many out there. These drs. at Sloan are saying terminal, but another dr. may not. There are also great places in Florida. They offer the Therespheares treatment for liver cancer. Take a few deep breaths, stay strong, do the best you can. Keep us up to date. We will be thinking of you and your dad, as well as praying.
Tina in Va
My dad right now is pretty weak. He currently weighs 130 pounds and his red blood cell count was so low they thought he was going to have a heart attack. He had 4 blood transfusions last week. I am not sure if he wants to travel to Pittsburgh or Florida. Are there any other hospitals in New York that I could take him to? I am praying for him everyday. I am only 24 years old. I graduated from college 2 years ago and never thought I would be dealing with this right now.
Jonathan0 -
Robert Wood Johnson - Cancer Institute in NJPrismpunk said:Second Opinion
My dad right now is pretty weak. He currently weighs 130 pounds and his red blood cell count was so low they thought he was going to have a heart attack. He had 4 blood transfusions last week. I am not sure if he wants to travel to Pittsburgh or Florida. Are there any other hospitals in New York that I could take him to? I am praying for him everyday. I am only 24 years old. I graduated from college 2 years ago and never thought I would be dealing with this right now.
Jonathan
Please check out RWJ Cancer Institute in New Brunswick, NJ. Right off NJ Turnpike - Exit 9... VERY easy to get to.
Here is a link to their web-site:
http://www.cinj.org/
Call Dr Salwitz... He was my dad's doctor and he is the most compassionate oncologist I have ever met!!!!!!!!
James Salwitz, MD
Central Jersey Oncology Center
205 Easton Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: (732) 828-9570
Fax: (732) 828-7638
Primary Office)Brier Hill Court
Bldg J2
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
Phone: (732) 390-7750
Fax: (732) 390-7725
(Secondary Office)
Dr. Langenfeld is thoracic surgeon...
John Langenfeld, MD
UMDNJ-RWJ Medical School
125 Paterson Street - MEB 534
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: (732) 235-7802
Fax: (732) 235-8150
Please keep us posted and please call these doctors!!!!!!!!! They may be able to help and are not too faraway.
best wishes to you, your father and your family,
-Melissa0 -
Dr SalwitzMRapp226 said:Robert Wood Johnson - Cancer Institute in NJ
Please check out RWJ Cancer Institute in New Brunswick, NJ. Right off NJ Turnpike - Exit 9... VERY easy to get to.
Here is a link to their web-site:
http://www.cinj.org/
Call Dr Salwitz... He was my dad's doctor and he is the most compassionate oncologist I have ever met!!!!!!!!
James Salwitz, MD
Central Jersey Oncology Center
205 Easton Avenue
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: (732) 828-9570
Fax: (732) 828-7638
Primary Office)Brier Hill Court
Bldg J2
East Brunswick, NJ 08816
Phone: (732) 390-7750
Fax: (732) 390-7725
(Secondary Office)
Dr. Langenfeld is thoracic surgeon...
John Langenfeld, MD
UMDNJ-RWJ Medical School
125 Paterson Street - MEB 534
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: (732) 235-7802
Fax: (732) 235-8150
Please keep us posted and please call these doctors!!!!!!!!! They may be able to help and are not too faraway.
best wishes to you, your father and your family,
-Melissa
I spoke to Dr. Salwitz and he was very helpful, but I couldn't find any hope for my dad. Dr. Salwitz was very compassionate and I would recommend him to others.
I am trying to get in touch with Dr. Langenfeld as well. I hope I am not grasping at straws. I would do anything to help my dad survive this disease.
This is so difficult.0 -
Columbia?Prismpunk said:Second Opinion
My dad right now is pretty weak. He currently weighs 130 pounds and his red blood cell count was so low they thought he was going to have a heart attack. He had 4 blood transfusions last week. I am not sure if he wants to travel to Pittsburgh or Florida. Are there any other hospitals in New York that I could take him to? I am praying for him everyday. I am only 24 years old. I graduated from college 2 years ago and never thought I would be dealing with this right now.
Jonathan
Hi Jonathan,
Before moving to Sloan Kettering, we were directed to Columbia Prespitarian in uptown as they have a pretty good gastrointerology/cancer department. You may try them. But my understanding (and I might be wrong) is that they specialize on earlier stages.
Olya0 -
Hi, Keep grasping atPrismpunk said:Dr Salwitz
I spoke to Dr. Salwitz and he was very helpful, but I couldn't find any hope for my dad. Dr. Salwitz was very compassionate and I would recommend him to others.
I am trying to get in touch with Dr. Langenfeld as well. I hope I am not grasping at straws. I would do anything to help my dad survive this disease.
This is so difficult.
Hi, Keep grasping at anything, until you know all there is to know and you've done all you can do. I would be doing the same thing. There is so much to learn about this disease. Praying you will have piece soon, knowing for sure that the drs have done all that can be done.
Praying for God to give your and your dad comfort to face the days ahead, Sandra0
Discussion Boards
- All Discussion Boards
- 6 CSN Information
- 6 Welcome to CSN
- 121.8K Cancer specific
- 2.8K Anal Cancer
- 446 Bladder Cancer
- 309 Bone Cancers
- 1.6K Brain Cancer
- 28.5K Breast Cancer
- 397 Childhood Cancers
- 27.9K Colorectal Cancer
- 4.6K Esophageal Cancer
- 1.2K Gynecological Cancers (other than ovarian and uterine)
- 13K Head and Neck Cancer
- 6.4K Kidney Cancer
- 671 Leukemia
- 792 Liver Cancer
- 4.1K Lung Cancer
- 5.1K Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin)
- 237 Multiple Myeloma
- 7.1K Ovarian Cancer
- 61 Pancreatic Cancer
- 487 Peritoneal Cancer
- 5.5K Prostate Cancer
- 1.2K Rare and Other Cancers
- 539 Sarcoma
- 730 Skin Cancer
- 653 Stomach Cancer
- 191 Testicular Cancer
- 1.5K Thyroid Cancer
- 5.8K Uterine/Endometrial Cancer
- 6.3K Lifestyle Discussion Boards