Esophageal cancer - appetite loss - stent fitted

Mum in her 80s was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in October. She didn’t want any treatment and the medical team didn’t think so either. She had a stent fitted and ate slightly better. Now however she is eating very little and the weight is falling off her. She says that food doesn’t seem to go down very well. Her taste buds have changed and she says lots of things don’t taste very nice. She doesn’t drink much too. She’s sleeping more in the day but doesn’t sleep well overnight. She says that she doesn’t feel good but seems unable to pinpoint what’s the matter although she has at times mentioned a pain on her left side/below her waist.

We were put in contact with the district palliative team via our hospital. I have suggested that she should contact them but she’s unwilling to, I think because that might be admitting where we are. I don’t know if I should contact them or not as it was left up to us to go back to them. 

  • I have oesophagus cancer stage four ,no treatment offered except a stent fitted ,ii feel extremely tired and weak  keep dropping oft to sleep now can I deal with fatigue 

  • Hello and thank you for posting,

    I am sorry to learn about your mum's situation this must be very difficult.

    If you have your mum's permission to contact the palliative team, it means they can assess her and see how much input she needs. It is important to let her know that the palliative care team can be involved at any stage. They are experts at managing symptoms such as pain, and they are good support both for your mum and your family.

    With your mum's weight loss and loss of appetite, it might be helpful to contact the cancer and nutrition helpline which is run by dieticians to help advise people with issues such as weight loss and taste changes.

    I hope this helps a little, please feel free to get back to us. If you would like to talk with one of our nurses you can call our freephone number 0808 800 4040 Monday to Friday 9-5.

    Take care,

    Jemma

  • Hello MarkJoanne and thanks for posting

    There are many possible causes of fatigue, but the main causes are often due to cancer itself and its treatments. We have some information on our website about fatigue and tips on how to manage it such as doing a form of gentle exercise, getting enough rest and eating a good diet where possible.

    Fatigue tends to improve over time for most people, but for some it can be long lasting. It might be a good idea for you to keep a fatigue diary. This can help you keep a record of how you are feeling, and how your energy levels change and can show patterns of your fatigue. This can help you plan your day. It can also highlight which activities make you feel better or worse.

    I think it would be a good idea to to talk to your doctors or your specialist nurse about your fatigue. Sometimes there is a specific medical cause for which there might be a remedy such as anaemia, so do get some input about this from them.

    I hope this is of some help. Please get back to us if you need any more information or support.  You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline.  The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9 am till 5 pm, Monday to Friday.

    Kind regards,

    Celene