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Crista1
Crista1 Member Posts: 1
in Esophageal Cancer #1

My cousin is 58 years old. A year ago he was diagnosed with Esophageal cancer. He had surgery but 1 year later he's down 80lbs and is basically starving. He's had a balloon put in his throat to stretch his esophagus 4 times but now he has stomach cancer as well. He can only eat tiny amounts but when it hits his stomach, he's in great pain. The doctors are about to put him back on a feeding tube. Does anyone have any suggestions for what he can eat and how to help with the stomach pain? Thank you!

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  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,391 Member
    #2
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    It sounds like his doctors are doing the right thing

    Crista,

    You mentioned that your cousin had surgery, but did not state what kind of surgery. If he had the typical surgery given to esophageal cancer patients, he had an esophgectomy with gastric pull up. This approach removes the esophagus and part of the stomach; and then modifies the remainder of the stomach, to act as a replacement for the esophagus. If your cousin has developed cancer and tumors or lesions in what remains of his stomach the best approach to provide nutrition and reduce pain would be to place a jejunostomy feeding tube (J-tube).

    https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000181.htm

    Once the stomach has been modified in an esophagectomy with gastric pull up the remainder of the stomach is formed into a tube to move food to the small intestine to be digested. Those of us who have had this surgery know, even without recurrent cancer, eating can sometimes cause discomfort because it is purely gravity feed system. The nerves that previously stimulated peristalsis (those rhythmic contractions that process food in the stomach of a person with normal anatomy) have been severed.

    A j-tube would deliver nutrition directly to the small intestine, bypassing the stomach, and providing sustenance without further irritating the modified stomach.

    It sounds like his doctors are doing the right thing to provide him some quality of life in the short term.  

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams

    McCormick, South Carolina

     

    DX 10/2009 T2N1M0  Stage IIB - Ivor Lewis Surgery  12/3/2009
    Post Surgery Chemotherapy 2/2009 – 6/2009 Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU
    Five Year Survivor

     

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