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Stage IV oesophageal cancer

Welshone
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My husband has been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer which is a horrendous shock. He is 56 and until 4 weeks ago was we thought fit and healthy.

He had an camera examination and they told us straightaway it was a 10 cm tumour.  He had a scan which confirmed the cancer has spread to his lymph nodes, stomach, both lungs and his kidney. The only thing they can offer is the strongest chemotherapy.

We know the outlook is bleak but no one seems able to give us an idea of life expectancy without treatment and if he had chemotherapy what real difference will it make. he doesn't want to go through gruelling chemotherapy for a couple of extra months at best.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

 

Parents
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    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

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    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

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