Hi guys, just wanted some thoughts on a dilemma I’ve been presented with...
i had 4 rounds of FLOT chemo followed up last month with a total gastrectomy. At every point the thought was that my stomach cancer was very early, based on multiple scans and a staging laparoscopy. However the histology results following surgery showed that the cancer was actually pretty advanced....it had gone through the stomach wall, and out of approx 18 lymph nodes that were removed, 3 showed signs of cancer.
I saw the consultant this week who feels that given the pre-op chemo had little to no effect, and considering the increased risks, there is no benefit to me having the planned post-op chemo. He also said (in not so many words) that he thinks I’d probably not make it to the 50 month mark that is the median life expectancy for people who’ve had the same treatment(s).
He did offset this with the whole thing that everybody is different, nothing is certain argument which I get and understand. Made a point of talking about people who had had very early tumours and just died and people with very advanced cancer who lived years.
The surgeon was happy they got everything but given the increased severity there’s probably still microscopic cancer cells lurking about somewhere...
Whilst I can see his point, My wife is 20 weeks pregnant and despite being told they feel more chemo is pretty worthless I feel like I owe it to her and our baby to go ahead with it anyway.....just in case.
I KNOW they think there’s no benefit, but even knowing that I can’t shake the feeling that if I don’t do it, when something does come back, my first thought will be “why didn’t I take the chemo?”
My nurse specialist asked him separately what he thought as they’d be more straight (if that makes sense?) and he told her the same....that he saw no benefit to the post-op chemo given the pre-op did very little, and considering the risks.
But even the most tiny degree of potential benefit has to be worth it right?
its been stressed that there’s no right or wrong answer, that whatever I choose is the right thing, and the wife thinks the same, but it’s tearing me up and I just don’t know what to do.
I feel so much worse now than when I was originally diagnosed.
TLDR: team thinks there’s no benefit to post op chemo, I can’t help thinking I should anyway for the sake of wife and unborn child.
Thoughts? Opinions?
OK, so...
After talking it over with my wife, family, friends, a Macmillan advisor etc I’ve decided to press on with the chemo in spite of the oncologists view. A slim chance of some possible benefit is better than nothing, and as my wife said, I wouldn’t be happy in myself knowing I didn’t do everything I possibly could and it would just eat away at me. I’m not overly concerned about the risks (increased as they are) as I got thru the pre-op FLOT pretty easily, apart from a thrombosis.
I think this was one of those scenarios where it’s not possible for most people to think purely in clinical terms, too much emotion involved.....I just can’t bear to think of potentially leaving my wife with a baby/young child not having done the utmost I could.
Easily the worst and by far the hardest decision I’ve ever been faced with so far in my life.
Gonna speak to my nurse specialist(s) on Monday, let them know my decision and get the ball rolling.
Thanks for the responses, whilst nobody can make my mind up for me, they helped clarify what I was already thinking deep down. 
Love it! Stubborn wins everytime.
Wishing you the best Andy. Everyone deserves the chance.
I hope all is well with the pregnancy too. My fingers, arms, legs and remaining hairs are crossed for you all.
Keep us posted on you and the baby too.
Much love
P
X
PS- desperately hoping for my PICC line to be removed before my surgery, your reinsertion comment gives me hope x
