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large oesophagal tumour

April2016
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Hello my very best friend was diagnosed with stage three squamous oesophagal cancer in Jan 16. He was to be treated with chemoradiation but  they gave him a CT scan after the first chemo and as the tumour is 7cm they cannot do radiotherapy - the dose needed would damage the heart or other nearby organs. They are continuing with the chemos that had been scheduled - four in total but after that it's palliative care only. He is only 45 and the tumour has not spread to other organs, only to nearby lymph nodes. I asked and apparently he is on the best chemo drugs for his type of cancer - cisplastin and capecetabine , so there is no point changing those. Does anyone know of any other medications or regime he could try? 

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    Hi April,

    I'm in a similar position to your friend, I was given a stage 4 diagnosis in October 2013, though with adenocarcinoma, rather than squamous cell. . I was put on the EOX chemo regime, which gave me the outcome I was hoping for. I've known other people with OC to be on the ECX regime. It would be worth asking the oncologist why he or she has opted for the regime your friend is on, I think it is the most effective regime for squamous cell type OC. There's probably a good reason, but it is worth asking.

    The hardest thing to get your head around is the fact that if discovered at too late a stage it is an incurable condition. It can be controlled to some extent using chemo and the symptoms can be relieved. I'm still learning to live with it and to enjoy what time I have as best as I can.

    Best wishes

    Dave

    Ps , you've probably seen it but, if not, there's a list of chemos used for OC at www.cancerresearchuk.org/.../chemotherapy-drugs-for-oesophageal-cancer

  • Offline in reply to davek

    Hello Dave

    It is the hardest thing to get your head round - you are right. Thank you for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it.

    I want  to help him enjoy things as best he can. I will do that for as long as I can. He seems very low now, very low but he is only a week from a chemo session so he might perk up. I

    I got him out for a short trip in the car to the sea, just for an hour or so a couple of weeks ago, and other times I've got him out to a nice country park quite nearby. Otherwise all he sees is his flat, the immediate outside of that when he goes for a walk and the inside of cabs and hospitals.

    I hope you are having some good times Dave. So kind of you to reply.  I'll ask the consultant again about the chemo but last time he did say he was on the best one. Your reply has been helpful, thanks.

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