Tumor markers again

fredswilma
fredswilma Member Posts: 185
in Esophageal Cancer #1
Hi all
Just back from the onc's and once again Marks tumor markers are sky high, I asked how much we can rely on these markers as I know from this board that EC and tumor markers are unreliable, with Mark apparently his tumor markers have been consistant with his tumor growth so before chemo really high during the chemo they come down etc, alongside this Mark has a chest x-ray every chemo round (3 weekly) unfortunately it has shown up two new spots on his lungs, I am thinking that putting these 2 results together it's not looking so good.
The Onc has arranged for a CT scan to be done and if that verifies these results then Chemo will be finished for Mark. I am trying so hard not to read too much into these 2 results because they are not really results more question marks, hard hard decisions ahead I'm thinking though there are probably no decisions to make if the Chemo is no longer effective then there's no real decisions to make, sorry thinking as I'm typing.
Anyway just wanted to let you all know, thinking of you all and I know you understand.
Ann

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #2
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • chemosmoker
    chemosmoker Member Posts: 501
    #3
    We are behind you 1000%....Question....What LINE is Mark on?
    Ann,

    I am sorry to hear about the mets to lungs.
    I feel as though I am waiting for the same type of news myself.

    I am just wondering aloud here, but what LINE of chemo is Mark on? Is this first, second, or third round? Or did they do the testing to see what chemo was most effective for him before he stared as they do sometimes these days?

    I am sorry If I missed this in another post, but I am reading your post today as though there was one line, one cocktail and that is now not working, so stop? I was told if one line didn't shrink, or keep shrinking the tumors (even though I never DID any) they would change to line 2, and so forth, until all options were exhausted.

    I am the FIRST one to understand stopping chemo, or never starting it! And I am CERTAINLY not going to say DO MORE! But I just have to ask, as you sound as though you had some success with what WAS working. Just thinking as I type too and wondering if you or Mark WANT to try more? If so, then I would want to know if there are other chemo's available, ones that target the lung tumors or all tumors, and if not, then by all means, STOP.

    I am the last one who wants to instill any false hopes, so don't read this as though I am actually advocating for chemotherapy. That's not like me. I just have to ask based on the tone of your post. Like William pointed out, sometimes the decisions are made FOR us.
    We just have to SEE them! I agree with everything William said.

    Mark will not only feel better, in my opinion, of he stops chemo, but will be able to enjoy his time with you more, as I have with Michelle. This is just my opinion.

    God bless you. I am sending love and strength as you await the CT scan results, and face some new choices now. We are all here for both of you.

    -Eric
  • fredswilma
    fredswilma Member Posts: 185
    #4
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    William
    Thank you once
    William
    Thank you once again, you always seem to have just the right words that I need to hear, you can pretend to be my dad anytime, I told you once before you remind me of him. Yes we are of the mind that if the Chemo is ineffective then it is time to say no more and to gather ourselves together to really live the life we have left together.
    I'm kind of hoping my shoulders will straighten up soon, they have slumped a wee bit and I need to garner a bit of my strength back I'm picking I'm going to need it for Mark and my kids, family and friends.
    We are taking the kids on holiday next week hoping for lots of sunshine and that the fishing will be good, one day at a time.
    Thank you from my heart
    Ann
  • fredswilma
    fredswilma Member Posts: 185
    #5
    chemosmoker said:

    We are behind you 1000%....Question....What LINE is Mark on?
    Ann,

    I am sorry to hear about the mets to lungs.
    I feel as though I am waiting for the same type of news myself.

    I am just wondering aloud here, but what LINE of chemo is Mark on? Is this first, second, or third round? Or did they do the testing to see what chemo was most effective for him before he stared as they do sometimes these days?

    I am sorry If I missed this in another post, but I am reading your post today as though there was one line, one cocktail and that is now not working, so stop? I was told if one line didn't shrink, or keep shrinking the tumors (even though I never DID any) they would change to line 2, and so forth, until all options were exhausted.

    I am the FIRST one to understand stopping chemo, or never starting it! And I am CERTAINLY not going to say DO MORE! But I just have to ask, as you sound as though you had some success with what WAS working. Just thinking as I type too and wondering if you or Mark WANT to try more? If so, then I would want to know if there are other chemo's available, ones that target the lung tumors or all tumors, and if not, then by all means, STOP.

    I am the last one who wants to instill any false hopes, so don't read this as though I am actually advocating for chemotherapy. That's not like me. I just have to ask based on the tone of your post. Like William pointed out, sometimes the decisions are made FOR us.
    We just have to SEE them! I agree with everything William said.

    Mark will not only feel better, in my opinion, of he stops chemo, but will be able to enjoy his time with you more, as I have with Michelle. This is just my opinion.

    God bless you. I am sending love and strength as you await the CT scan results, and face some new choices now. We are all here for both of you.

    -Eric

    Thank you Eric
    This is
    Thank you Eric
    This is Mark's second line of Chemo, he is on Taxol nowhere near as rough as the first round, the first round he completed just before Christmas last year and it did give us a few months of near normality, we will not be offered any more from here.
    The Onc's have talked about radiation as the next step, but I just don't see how that can help, it might reduce the tumor but at what cost and it will do nothing for the secondary tumors in his lungs or the lymph nodes that are involved. However that will be Mark's choice, I suspect he has already made that decision his father had radiation and quite frankly it killed him quicker than the cancer itself, gosh that was blunt wasn't meant to be.
    Thank you Eric for your support it is fantastic that we can go online and get help from complete strangers who really do feel like family, thinking of you and Michelle.
    Ann
  • chemosmoker
    chemosmoker Member Posts: 501
    #6
    fredswilma said:

    Thank you Eric
    This is
    Thank you Eric
    This is Mark's second line of Chemo, he is on Taxol nowhere near as rough as the first round, the first round he completed just before Christmas last year and it did give us a few months of near normality, we will not be offered any more from here.
    The Onc's have talked about radiation as the next step, but I just don't see how that can help, it might reduce the tumor but at what cost and it will do nothing for the secondary tumors in his lungs or the lymph nodes that are involved. However that will be Mark's choice, I suspect he has already made that decision his father had radiation and quite frankly it killed him quicker than the cancer itself, gosh that was blunt wasn't meant to be.
    Thank you Eric for your support it is fantastic that we can go online and get help from complete strangers who really do feel like family, thinking of you and Michelle.
    Ann

    My opinion....
    Ann,
    It is okay to be DONE with treatment. At some point, we are ALL going to be done with treatment, chemo and radiation. For some, its after surgery or cleanup after surgery, and God willing, they can stay NED and enjoy the rest of their lives. For others, it is when they are in remission and they wait, and test. For still others, like me, there was never any doubt that I was not going to benefit from chemotherapy OR radiation, and my cancer was not resectable, so I had the choice of doing chemo just for the fun of it, and maybe I get a few more months, but at the expense of nausea, fatigue, mouth sores, lack of apatite, lack of taste of my favorite foods, and so on. Not much of a choice. It took a LOT of prayer and meditation, but I still arrived at MY decision in peace and I am at peace to this day with my choices. I say this in the best of spirits. I don't mean to make light of anything as serious as our disease, but I am trying to help as well.

    I think at this point, you need to give yourself and especially Mark permission to be through with chemo, and radiation too based on the experience of your father.

    Please, make your own decision, as I know you will, as I don't wish to be responsible for anyone else's choices in such a delicate matter. But really, if you want MY OPINION, and that's ALL it is, I think it is time to focus on family, children, togetherness, closeness, and memory making. This is a very special time for us, for me. I am making the very most of it, and I highly advise it to anyone wishing to enjoy their time left on earth.

    Just one mans opinion. There are many.

    I wish for you peace and calm and some time for JOY together.
    May God bless you and keep you. Know that I will be praying for you and Mark.
    -Eric
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #7
    fredswilma said:

    William
    Thank you once
    William
    Thank you once again, you always seem to have just the right words that I need to hear, you can pretend to be my dad anytime, I told you once before you remind me of him. Yes we are of the mind that if the Chemo is ineffective then it is time to say no more and to gather ourselves together to really live the life we have left together.
    I'm kind of hoping my shoulders will straighten up soon, they have slumped a wee bit and I need to garner a bit of my strength back I'm picking I'm going to need it for Mark and my kids, family and friends.
    We are taking the kids on holiday next week hoping for lots of sunshine and that the fishing will be good, one day at a time.
    Thank you from my heart
    Ann

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • chemosmoker
    chemosmoker Member Posts: 501
    #8
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Thanks, Sherri
    Sherri,
    THAT was a beautiful post and so well worded it really touched me.
    I am reminded every day that I must live day to day, and I am grateful every day that I wake up an can manage to get though the day without too many complications.
    I just wanted to say THANKS for sharing that and what a beautiful post.
    -Eric
  • fredswilma
    fredswilma Member Posts: 185
    #9
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Hi Sherri
    Thank you for
    Hi Sherri
    Thank you for that, we will wait and see what the CT scan comes back at, I think we already know, you probably know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach that tells you things aren't going well, hoping against hope that I'm wrong but when you live with someone and hover over them (try hard not to) you notice little things and each little thing adds up to something more sinister. I don't think we will be too upset to finish with Chemo there was only going to be 2 more rounds, it will be nice, as you say, not to make Mark sick each week and not have to rule our lives around it.
    All I really want is Mark to be well and to enjoy and be able to participate in the rest of his life, I know eating is becoming more difficult again, though he doesn't complain in fact I think he thinks he is one of the lucky ones not much pain and still able to enjoy most foods, he still works everyday except for Chemo day, still whitebaits and does most things that he could before, he tires alot more easily which could just be the Chemo so all in all if it is no more Chemo then so be it, we will never give up on life and hope.
    Thank you once again for your thoughts and prayers, just wanted you to know how much I have appreciated your support and knowledge you have helped me so much.
    Ann

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