The type and stage of oesophageal cancer will direct the doctors decision about the best treatment to give to each patient.
Some patients will go straight on to have surgery whereas others may have what is known as neo-adjuvent (treatment before surgery) chemotherapy alone or as a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy (chemoradiation) to shrink the tumour and make it easier to remove.
You can read more about chemo radiation in oesophageal cancer here. Depending on the drugs used and whether radiotherapy is also given, and the individuals circumstances neo-adjuvent treatment will usually last somewhere between 2 and 6 months.
The specialist nurse or doctor involved in a patients care are in the best position to discuss what the treatment plan is likely to be, so do talk this through with them to find out more.
Please get back if you have further questions or you are welcome to call the nurse helpline on 0808 800 4040, we're here Monday-Friday 9-5.
my husband was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus in July 2021. He started his treatment end of august and finished 1st December, 7 doses of chemo and 23 doses of radiotherapy. Scan in 4 weeks, then possible surgery in February. Well that's the plan so far.
Thanks so much Tracy, that's really helpful. I'm sure it's different in each case but I really had no idea. We have no idea yet what the plan is and we feel like we are in constant Limbo. How has the therapy been? How is your husband doing? X
He was struggling to get fluids down before his chemo, but after the 2nd dose his swallowing was back to normal. Since his radiotheraphy his swallowing is not as good. Managing normal food but it takes longer to eat and is painful at times. We were told to expect this, and it should go back to normal after a couple of weeks. He is getting quite a bit of pain and discomfort due to the radiotheraphy. Tired and sickly due to the chemo. But he says he was expecting a lot worse. Emotionally he up and down. Got to try to stay positive. Easier said than done. He is 53. How are you?
