Effectiveness of post op Flot if stop at 2?

How stopping treatment may or may not affect survival is one for your friend’s Consultant. 

I am picking up on your question about requesting a scan.  Is this because his Consultant has expressed uncertainty as to whether or not your friend is cancer free ? 

Your friend’s treatment sounds to have gone really well. I would focus on that. Every cancer patient has anxiety around recurrence. Requesting a scan will not confirm he is cancer free only that no cancer is detected. I would feel reassured that your friend’s Consultant sees no reason to request a scan.

your friend is very lucky to have you too x 

Scans aren't 100% reliable, before my dad's op the scan showed no tumour, but once they had it out and sent his oesophagus to pathology he indeed did have a 1cm tumor/cancerous area but this wasn't seen prior. 

This is definitely a question for the team treating your friend.

However, I was told by my oncologist that any chemo afterwards is better than none, and that people generally only have two or three rounds. They all have their own opinions though, so be guided by the experts and how you feel.

Personally I had it in my head I wanted and needed all four rounds, but it was brutal. Far worse than the pre op chemo. I am a year clear now, but still get tired quickly, and still have peripheral neuropathy in my toes which I fear is now permanent. BUT I am STILL clear, and that was my ultimate goal of course, and mentally I feel as though I've given myself the best chance. I feel the best I have in a long time.

My oncologist advised I stop after three, but I didn't want to, despite feeling so ill, so my last dose was reduced to 65%. Personally, I'm glad I did it, but you have to do what is right for you, and what you can cope with both physically and mentally.

PS: I'm on a trial called SARONG, and in the intensive follow-up cohort. I have scans every 6 months, and had an endoscopy after a year. This is for three years. Stressful waiting for results, but VERY reassuring. Perhaps this could be an option for your friend to mention? They are still recruiting for the trial.

Thank you for replying to me  :) I really appreciate it

I have a question, how would they know if my friend is cancer free? they removed the oesph cancer and said clear margins which is great (December)

2 out of 40 LN cancer but suggested that these were likely near the tumour although cannot be 100% as did not mark them?

Would a scan confirm if he is cancer free or not? 

I spoke to him this morning and he doesn't feel he can do any more chemo now - he has done 2 post op. He wants to know if he stops how much this would likely impact his survival?

He wants some kind of clarification of has this gone? how do we go about this? Is there such a thing? please excuse me as I have never supported anyone with cancer before

thank you all

It is time that is usually the criterion used to determine if someone is cancer free.  If no sign of cancer is detected for x number of years a patient may be considered cancer free or cured. (X depends on the cancer type). 
PET-CT scans will not pick up very small tumours or small tumours with relatively low metabolic activity.

I do not think the 100% reassurance of being cancer free can be given so soon after your friend’s treatment.

Hi 

My husband completed two post surgery FLOT chemo cycles before it was stopped by mutual agreement between him and his oncologist due to a particularly nasty chest infection which developed just after he’d had his second cycle  .

He’s now reached just over two years without any signs or symptoms of a recurrence.(Although he has an ongoing issue with a kidney nodule which is being monitored and totally unconnected to the OC )

 He had no lymph node involvement and all his resection margins were clear . His oncologist told him at the time that he couldn’t give my husband a definitive All clear until he reached a full five years post treatment .Although if three years was reached without a recurrence the risk would be greatly reduced .So we never assume my husband is cancer free , we just say it’s all looking good .

Oncologists opinions on adjuvant Chemo can differ with each individual case .Back  then the oncologist assured my husband that in his case just those two would go a long way is reducing the risk of a recurrence and two was better than none at all .

I think your friend needs to discuss his situation with his oncologist and they can work together to come up with a decision on whether or not to continue .

Its a tough process to go through that’s for sure .Your friend has done so well to come this far .

Best wishes  J