how long after chemo/radiotherapy combo finishes to the op to remove the oesophagus

Hi W1cky

Do you have a squamous cell oesophageal cancer?

That was what I had and I had chemo/radio for five weeks, then six weeks to recover, the oesophagectomy. Twenty five weeks sounds like a long time unless they're planning on more chemo/radio after surgery?

I had my surgery at the Churchill in Oxford.

Hope you don't have to wait much longer for treatment to start, the waiting is tough.

Best wishes

Mutti

god my brain, 25 sessions

sorry mutti, exactly same as you and at the same place, so thank you for the information much appreciated

Hi w1cky

From memory, I had about six or so weeks notice of my op date. So when you start your chemo/radio you may get your op date shortly afterwards. It gives you a timeframe to work around.

Best wishes

Mutti

sorry mutti, was it 6 months before the op after the chemo/radio, and if that was the timescale, did you take long to recover, thank you so much for your help

Hi w1cky

Chemo radio finished end of January, op was the middle of March. 

My recovery has been slow but I do have other digestive issues which really haven't helped my progress. Weight loss has been a problem for me too but only really since the op, no real issues during chemo/ radiotherapy other then for the last two weeks due to the radiotherapy when swallowing became painful. That took two or three weeks to get better.

Best wishes

Mutti

thank you Mutti just trying to plan and even control the little that i have left, thank you again, really helps. appreciate your replys, hope you are out the other side.  gives me a rough idea of time scales, will check when with the radiotherapists thursday when they think the treatment train will start, then at least i can work roughly around your timescales, if treatment goes well, havent even thought of work implications, one step at a time i suppose, bigger pictures going on, sending you my best thank you again, those timescales have really helped take some of this anxiety from me.

Hi W1cky have you tried blending normal food, that’s what I did for the first part till the op. Even Sunday dinner  

you can add gravy to thin it down. 

thanks Clive.d, think as husband is just having his meal for one, where as before i would could a larger portion and freeze, or now possibly blend, not really happening.  and as still quite stressed not a lot of the shakes, soups staying down.

on another note, Mutti or any one else who had the same course of treatment, if having chemo one day, then radiotherapy in the afternoon, any idea how long the chemo session takes, seen mixed times, will this chemo combo of carboplatin + paclitaxel cause hair loss, as with breast cancer chemo, did cold cap which helped massively even though only managed 3 sessions due to horrible seizures, then chemo stopped.

god its so nice to be able to ask these sort of questions, thank you

My chemotherapy using the same chemical mix you describe and the same programme took about 4-5 hours so followed by radiotherapy was best part of the day. I  guess it depends how efficient the radiotherapy group are in scheduling your session after the chemo. Mine seemed to be pretty good as the two groups kept in contact with each other. I was told I might get hair loss but in fact got none so it may affect different individuals differently.