Hello Welshone

I'm very sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis. Undoubtedly this news will have come as a shock to you both. 

I wanted to reply to your post as we've quite a number of members here on the forum who have OC, have been through treatment for OC, or have a loved one with this diagnosis. They are a very friendly bunch and I'm sure they will be happy to share their experiences and support with you. I'd recommend having a look at this thread and posting a message there to introduce yourself. I'd also suggest having a look at [@davek]‍ profile. Dave has shared his story on the "about me" section of his profile but I'm sure if he sees this tag he'll pop along to say Hello as well. 

We do have a  team of nurses that you, or your husband, can call to talk with if you think it would help. I'm sure they'll be happy to offer any advice, information, and support that they can. They're available Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm on 0808 800 4040. 

I hope that you're being well supported by the clinical team. Know that you're welcome to post here on the forum any time if it helps and we'll do our best to support you. 

Best wishes, 
Jenn
Cancer Chat moderator 

Hi Welshone

I am sorry to hear this very shocking and devastating news. I was in a similar position in early Dec 2021 when, out of the blue, my hubby was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer with mets to the lymph nodes, liver and lungs. Since then he has undergone 7 rounds of Xelox/Capox chemo although the start was delayed until 21 Jan due to Covid backlogs. Without the chemo he would not have stood a fighting chance. As it is, he responded well to the treatment, his eating improved and he suffered little or no pain, especially after Round 1. The side effects were uncomfortable, not pleasant but tolerable and he was able to continue with a generally good quality of life, even working part-time. He even kept his hair!

After 3 months the cancer was "stable". Sadly, 6 months on, the cancer seems to have finally caught up with him and the tumour is on the march again. Tonight, he is in hospital, struggling to eat or drink. We don't yet know how the prognosis is now looking but what I do know is that I am grateful for the last 6 months and for the precious time we spent together, knowing that time might be limited.. We lived in hope that we would beat this awful disease and we felt empowered to do so. 

No two people react to cancer or chemo in the same way, so it is impossible to predict "how long" someone has got.  Any figures are based on averages, not individuals and miracles do happen, beating the odds. But there is no doubt in my mind that you have to put up a fight to give yourself the best chance and I would certainly not want to walk headlong into this storm you are facing without some sort of line of defence. Arm yourself, my friend. I wish you all the luck in the world.

LC

Thank you for taking the time to reply - it was very helpful. I am so sorry your husband is back in hospital and hope they can make him more comfortable.

Hi Welshone,

If you ask the oncologist some direct questions, you will probably get direct answers. Statistics have improved since I was diagnosed with stage 4 OC in late 2013 but at the time my oncologist replied I probably had between 2 and 6 months without chemo and between 12 and 18 months ... maybe 2 years if I was lucky ... with chemo. However those stats were only averages and didn't take into account age, fitness or co-morbidities. At 55 I was relatively young, was fit enough to endure the chemo and had no other underlying health problems. 

For information, the latest survival rates are published here www.cancerresearchuk.org/.../survival

My case is highly unusual but it is real. The chemo was very gruelling but so far I've been lucky enough to have enjoy an extra eight high quality years I would not have had without the chemo. 

It feels like a very cruel lottery. There is little way of knowing who will beat the odds but having the chemo is like buying a lottery ticket - without it your chances of beating the odds are zero. 

Sorry this message is so long.

Good luck!

Dave