Rare Form Of Stomach Cancer - PLEASE READ

Hello

I am here desperately looking for some help! Please read my Aunty's story below -

Back 18 years ago my aunty was diagnosed and treated for lobular breast cancer. She had chemo and end up having a mastectomy and her lymph nodes in her left armpit removed resulting in lymphedema. All these years have passed and she has had no problems. Until March this year, one morning she woke up and felt she could not swallow properly, she left it a while to see if it would pass, it didn't. She went to her GP, who did not help. And as the weeks went by her ability to be able to eat or drink became impossible. She had a few endoscopys done, all of which came back as inconclusive and everyone who she would see almost made her feel as thought she was lying! 3 weekends ago, she attempted to eat a very small amount of food which ended up in her turning white, feeling compltely sick and left her with the feeling like she was getting stabbed in the chest, constantly. She took herself to A&E because she could not take it anymore. My aunty is still in hosptial today, on a cadiac ward! She has a number of tests & biopsys done all of which have come back inconclusive. Until she had another endoscopy which went deeper than before, which showed up a 'shadow' mass within the folds of her stomach. She has been told she has a rare type of irreversible stomach cancer, which is apparently related to the type of breast cancer she had previously. She has still not seen a single oncologist!! Everyone who has seen her has no relation to cancer, yet she has been told 'it is not good'. Yet given no infomation on what the progosis is, how they can help. Nothing at all. Not a sinlge test is coming up positive for cancer.

She needs some help, some advice from someone who has experienced this form of cancer or a doctor who has experience in this field. We are so desperate for some information and help from someone because nobody seems to know anything about this cancer as it stands.

Please help.

  • Hi there ...

    So so sorry your going through this heartbraking time at the moment  ... I've been on both sides of cancer .. mine was breast to ... and too many loved ones have gone through different cancers, some still here, many have lost  ... it's far harder watching others go through it, then my own journey...

    Sometimes there are no strait answers ... those are the hardest to deal with ... but having you hold her hand through this time, will mean more then you know ...

    I'm tagging in @moderators and @nurses ...hopefully they will have some advice or wise words for you .. I so wish I could do or say more ... cancer is so crule .... sending you a vertual hug... hold on in there .. hope you get some answers soon ... Chrissie x 

  • Hello and thanks for posting,

    I think it sounds like your Aunty needs a direct conversation with the consultant in charge of her care about this issue. It is not clear whether her recent symptoms are directly related to her provisional stomach diagnosis. They may want to be doing cardiac investigations as well as. I cannot comment on exactly what type of stomach cancer it is, but it seems that at some point, a doctor has reviewed findings and made this clinical conclusion. There are rare reported cases in medical literature, of breast cancer that has spread to the stomach, and closely resembles or mimics the rare type linitis plastica stomach cancer. This is often found in the folds of the stomach. Unfortunately, if surgery is not possible, then there may not be effective treatment options.

    It would be helpful if the hospital consultant in charge of her care now, can comment on what is known about her overall clinical situation from her records, and whether a referral to a cancer specialist is appropriate. 

    I hope that are able to find out more soon about her situation.

    With best wishes,

    Vanda