stomach cancer

Hi Sam1436

i am sorry to hear about your Dad but well done on finding us here. Chemotherapy is normally the first line of treatment. Sometimes they need to see how well he responds to that before they look at further treatment.

Hopefully the chemotherapy will shrink the rumour, enabling him to eat more again and maybe regain some of the weight he has lost. If surgery is an option, it’s good to gain some weight as more often than not, weight can be lost initially after an op as you adjust to a new way of eating.

Will he be having all his treatment out there?

I hope everything goes well x

Thankyou for the reply

As far as I know he will have all his treatment out there He has a pertistant cough for 6 months and gets night sweats is this all part of the cancer it's hard because he is not saying to much so I don't really know he will not ask questions as far as he is concerned they are going to get rid of it I have just watched my brother in laws father lose his battle to lung cancer and I know how quickly he detoriated 

We are all here if you need to chat. Everyone’s symptoms are different so it’s different to gauge. I hope he opens up to you but he may be trying to protect you too. Sending hugs x

Hi Sam,

I'll tell you my dad's journey with upper stomach cancer to give you an insight into what may be to come. Remember that everyone's journey with cancer is different but sharing experiences is important. 

My dad who is 69 was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in the gastro esophageal junction with mets to his liver last September. He had been feeling generally unwell for around 6 months and had lost around 1 and a half stone. This was put down to bad indigestion by his doctor before diagnosis but as the months progressed he started to have a little bit of difficulty swallowing which then alarmed his GP. He kept hiccuping every time he ate. Based on this he was sent for an endoscopy where they took a biopsy (nearly missed the tumour due to it being in the upper section of the stomach Cardia/Fundus)  which ended up with the diagnosis of cancer. 

He then had a CT scan which showed that the cancer had metastasised to his liver and with this there was no option for surgery. The surgeon said in their experience the operation was not worth the recovery which could take 12 months and that the cancer would come back. So the plan was palliative care. 3 rounds of EOX chemo then a scan, then another 3 rounds of chemo and a scan. After the first 3 rounds, a good result, tumour had shrunk by over 35%, nodes had reduced and the spots of cancer on his liver showed no change. First 3 rounds my dad dealt with impressively. We had heard so many horror stories of chemo and what it does to the person but my dad was a fit, healthy 68 year old at the time. Fast forward another 3 rounds of chemo, an infection and a tough time in general, the 2nd scan showed that the cancer had grown, no further spread though, but not good news overall.

Dad was given an 8 week break where they managed to miss severe anemia even though we suggested that this may be the reason for his extreme fatigue. He needed a blood transfusion in the end. The anemia could have killed him had it gone another couple of weeks. They did do blood tests at our request but failed to check blood levels! They checked for liver and kidney function instead. Genius! Also need to add that by this point the neuropathy had affected his hands and feet to the point he needs a walking stick. He cannot feel his feet.  

The 2nd line treatment of Docetaxel was then on the table as the EOX had stopped working. Dad started that after the 8 week break. Unfortunately due to my dads deteriorated state with the anemia and the effects of the 2nd lot of EOX chemo the Docetaxel has had hellish effects. Dad has needed several blood transfusions, been in hospital with sepsis. In and out of hospital weekly, daily now. He is fragile and frail now. The surgeons decided to put a stent into the bottom of my dads gullet to open it up. He was eating solid foods ok but struggled a bit, and being surgeons they said that this stent would improve his quality of life and allow him to eat better. The stent placement caused the tumour to bleed into my dads stomach causing severe pain. Luckily not hemorrhaging.This however caused him to be violently sick and yet again end up in hospital on two occassions, the first time they missed that it was the stent. Then once they realised that might be the issue he needed an investigative endoscopy and further blood transfusions. 

His 3rd round of Docetaxel has been postponed twice now and the oncologist has said that they may not go ahead with any further treatment due to dad's current condition and the effect that the chemo is having. Compound that with poor surgical decision making and missed anemia, no wonder he is in poor shape at the moment. He is now on a pain management system of opiod drugs because of the stent issue.

All in all it's been a complete sh..show if i'm being honest. Cancer is a four letter expletive of the highest nature and it doesn't help when things get missed by medical professionals and/or poor decisions are made. I feel for anyone going through this or with a family member or friend in a similar situation. 

The only positive thing i can say is that this has brought everyone closer together and put a lot of things in life into perspective. I love my dad, my family and my friends. I of course want my dad to beat this but that would take a minor miracle so I know this will take him away from us eventually, i just hope that it is not soon. I have been grieving since his diagnosis and cherish every minute i get to spend with him. 

Thankyou for sharing with me 

I now know my dad who is 63 has got stage 4 esophageal cancer spread to stomach and liver he has started his chemo today so not sure how he is going to be he is so positive that it will cure it and that's fine if he is thinking like that but I have read so much that I don't know what to think anymore 

It is so hard because he is.not having treatment here so I don't know what they are saying but he seems to think the doctors are going to cure him it's so sad he has lost just over 3 stone in 6 months and has got a constant cough It is one of the hardest things to go through it think if I had not done this with my brother in laws dad I might be a bit clueless so might.not be thinking the worst. All we can do is Hope that this works for him and be there.

Thanks again for sharing your dad's story and I wishing your dad all the best

Hi Sam,

There is a huge amount of information out there to wade through. Not all of it's relevant and some of it is subjective. I wanted to share my dads experience with you as a bit of an insight as to what may be to come but as I said your dad's journey may be completely different. He may respond to the chemo in a different way, he may tolerate it differently, the cancer may be more receptive. I hope he has a great response to treatment and it's good that he has a positive attitude to it. 

The only advice I can give as a relative is to be patient, understanding and to try spend as much time with your dad as you can. It may be difficult as he is getting treatment abroad but whenever and however you can. Emotional support is the best way to help, i have found. 

My dad gets the result of his latest scan tomorrow afternoon. I think everyone is fearing the worst, has the cancer spread? What will we do if they stop treatment? etc. This is what our minds do to prepare us for the worst. But hopefully we get some good news for a change! Who knows. 

All the best, Dios.

Thankyou Dios 

Hopefully the results for your dad will be good tomorrow i speak to my my dad everydayou he did not respond to well to chemo really set him back but after a week he is starting to fill a bit better I have just got me and my children passports so hopefully once they come through will be able to get out there and see him

Please let me know how you get on tomorrow sending you all positive wishes

Sam

Hi Sam, 

Unfortunately it was not great news last Wednesday. The scan showed a large increase in the size of the primary tumour at the top of the stomach/esophagus and a significant increase in the cancer in his liver. He's been given weeks to months and has been told there is nothing else they can do for him. I had to phone an ambulance on Sunday as he couldn't even sit up from being in bed. It was really worrying. Turns out he was severely anemic. Now in hospital he's had 2 lots of blood and another 2 lots to be given soon after to get his blood count up. 

It was very distressing as you can imagine. Dad's made his peace with what's happening unlike the rest of us. I can only be thankful that we know what's coming and it wasn't sudden. We have had the time to tell him how much we love and appreciate him. At times there has been some normality sitting around chatting, having a laugh. I took him out for a drive one of the days and we were singing along to AC/DC as we drove down some country lanes. We went and bought some flowers for my mum, my dads idea to say thank you for looking after him. 

I am fighting back the emotions thinking about what's going to come. Seeing my dad get weaker by the day is so hard. I've been incredibly lucky to have such wonderful, supportive and loving parents. There is nothing in life that can prepare you for this. 

How is your dad getting on? Have you organised to go over and see him soon? How are you coping with it all?

Dio

Hi dio

i just read your post on another group so sorry to hear about your dad how are you all doing

i managed to go out to Cyprus to spend an amazing 11 nights with my dad he is still fighting on his 7th round of chemo now but finding it harder each time he was told that he has to have another 6 rounds then will most probably go on chemo tablets for as long as he is with us. He is still fighting I speak to him every day wish he was not so far away but hopefully once this is finished he will come home for a bit. The only good thing is able to sit around a pool, all day on his lounger I suppose better then being at home looking out onto grey days. He is having injections after his chemo for his immune system too the only thing is he keeps getting temperatures and will not go back to hospital as he does not want to stay in but not sure if it is the cancer or infection as he gets them only in the evening 

i am sorry again to hear your news sending hugs your way

sam

Hi sorry to jump on.

my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer and sound very similar to your dads. His has spread to his lymph nodes and a clot was found in the vein going to his liver. He started EOX TREATMENT just over 6 week ago. He took to the first lot really well and now he’s coming to the end of his 2nd lot and he’s really struggling to the point he was put into hospital 2 days ago saying he had some sort of infection but don’t know where it is. He’s had 2 blood transfusions just last night alone and he’s been in a drip of antibiotics and saline. He’s lost a lot of weight (he was tiny to begin with) and in a lot of pain after trying to eat. And when he does eat it comes back up. 

Doctors in the hospital don’t seem to be telling us much and he’s meant to be starting his 3rd round on Monday coming but we reckon that is more than likely to get postponed. 

I agree I am forever grateful for the support from my friends and family that know as it’s been a tough ride especially when one brother is working away with the military and the other one lives further away too. They and their partners try and help as much as they can.