T2nomo oesophageal cancer

Hi,

You should definentely talk to the specialist nurses and if they can't help then your consultant/oncologist. They should be familiar with your situation, able to give you the facts and hopefully provide some reassurance.

I was diagnosed with T2N3 oesaphageal cancer October/November 2018, started chemotherapy December 2018 and then had surgery at the end of March this year. Everyone is different but the chemotherapy was very successfull for me and I had a post operative staging of ypT0N0 so in my case it was worth delaying the surgery for chemotherapy.

Kind regards,

Chris

I think I am right in saying that most people have chemo before and after surgery as there are studies that show this delivers the best outcome.

Of course the patient has the right to go straight to surgery if they don’t want chemo.

The most important thing at this stage is to get or stay fit because whatever treatment path he takes he will benefit from strength and fitness, and of course a positive attitude.

I was T2 when diagnosed, T1b after chemo, before surgery. That was six years ago! So good luck to you and your husband. There are lots of survivors here to share their experiences, so keep posting.

Hi George-Mildred

I was T3N2M0 pre Chemo [ECX]  and then  reduced to T2N1M0 pre op - so definite shrinkage

As Brent mentions - everyone is different and you have choices. 5 Months does seem a long time but when I reflect it was very similar for me i.e. Diagnosed 14 April - Operation 23 Sept.

My course of Chemo meant 9 weeks of ECX then 6 weeks of ' waiting' . They suggested this ' wait ' was the optimum time for the body to recover so that you are strong enough for the operation but not enough time for the Cancer to regrow ....6 weeks post op I then had another 9 weeks ECX.

Chemo isn't easy but I convinced myself that feeling bad meant it was doing it's job ! 

All the best  for your hubbys journey and ask anything anytime  

Thank you for replying Chris. I’m just worried about the 5 month delay. I will speak to the oncologist. Such worrying times

Thank you for replying to me. I’m just so scared that if the chemo doesn’t work it will be too late. I will speak to the oncologist when we eventually get an appointmentto see one I just worry about the time.

Thank you for replying to me. It’s so difficult to know what to do. Our initial reaction was to go straight for the operation as he is T2. We don’t understand why he needs chemo if he is only T2 now. It’s so confusing to us. When we spoke to our consultants it was difficult to understand him and we cameaway none the wiser. We are hoping to see an oncologist soon. We’ve lost faith because my husband had his first endoscopy on august 10th but didn’t get told until the end of October. So we are scared and worried that we are running out of time as our hospital appears to be much slower doing things. 

Sorry to hear that your husband has been diagnosed with oesophagus cancer.  There's no easy answers as everyone has to decide what is best for them. I didn't have chemotherapy and radiotherapy before the surgery and it took about 3 months from diagnosis to surgery. That's because I was in no rush to get the surgery and I knew that the cancer hadn't  just suddenly appeared. I had been losing weight over several months, a lot of weight actually about 5 stones. I was diagnosed with T3 N2 M0 staging in July 2016 and after several appointments and discussions although shrinking the tumour is the aim of the chemotherapy and radiotherapy, there's no guarantees. It seems to be the preferred method of treatment and has been successful in most cases. Whatever you and your husband decides you have to be positive and comfortable with the decision. I'm now a couple of months past the 3 years clear mark and I have no regrets about the decision. Anyone who has had cancer will always have a thought in the back of the mind about the " what ifs". Good luck and kind regards Frank.

Hi

My husband received the same staging pre FLOT chemo, he was diagnosed in June, had four sessions of chemo, had the operation in October and has been given the "all clear, no cancer cells detected" he has chosen to do the follow up chemo, just in case, the belt and braces approach. In all honesty the past few months have been difficult and of course we still have a way to go, but we will get there. Good luck to you both and stay strong, please feel free to ask any questions, this site is full of lovely people who are happy to help. 

Best wishes X

Hi George-Mildred

Sorry to hear of your husbands diagnosis. 

To help with your comment 'We don’t understand why he needs chemo if he is only T2 now'......................... I was T2N0M0 when diagnosed. The aim of the chemo is not to shrink the tumour that's there (although it will do this), it's to kill any other cancer cells which may be lurking elsewhere which haven't been detected and could cause the cancer to come back at a later date. So it's a preventative measure, just to be on the safe side. 

For me it was a no brainer, there was no decision to make, I was having the chemo to give myself the best chance going forward and that was that. I was diagnosed 10th September this year, have had 3 sessions of FLOT chemo so far (one more to go) and then they are looking to operate end of January, so that will be about 4 months or so since diagnosis to surgery so not that far off what they have told you. Depending on what type of chemo they are recommending, that will take several weeks anyway so there will be an unavoidable gap between diagnosis and surgery. 

Whatever you both decide to do, make sure you ask everything you want to ask and have all the answers you need to make the right decision for you both. If, after you have asked everything, things still aren't making sense, ask again until they do. I've found the medical professionals can be a bit vague with information sometimes, so just keep asking until you get the answers you need. 

All the best

Deb

Morning, I have just read your post and I was exactly the same when my husband was diagnosed I wanted everything to happen yesterday! However the team does know that it’s the best way to treat this awful disease. If you don’t understand anything you should have been allocated a Clinical Nurse Specialist who is your go to person, they were the human face of the team, they answer questions in an understandable way, layman’s terms. They are always on the end of the phone and believe me they had many a tearful phone call from me during my husbands treatment. Also we are all here for any questions or advice, where is your hubby having his treatment as someone may have experience if the same hospital. Good luck with everything and ask away. Lots of love and prayers Helen xxx