Hi there,  yes I think this is a usual wait.  I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer end of August 24 and only saw my oncologist in December 24.  Even urgent referrals now dont seem to be treated as urgent.  Good luck to your husband with his cancer journey.  Once a treatment plan is in place it is usually easier to deal with.

Lee x

Hi, the waiting is the hardest part, first to have all the scans, then wait results, then appt with oncologist.

I had my PET  scan xmas eve and saw my oncologist beginning of February but things then moved quicker and I started chemotherapy and radiotherapy 3 weeks later. I used the waiting time to build myself up, I had lost a lot of weight. Luckily I was referred to dietician and with their help I did manage to gain weight.

Hopefully your husband will get his appointment soon, and then know what treatment plan he will follow. If you have an upper GI nurse you could call her and she can check on the system when the appt is due, I remember mine telling me at the time.

Sharon 

Thank you Sharon. Did you have a nasal gastric feed tube in place during the waiting time?

Hi Rose, I have been lucky and not needed the nasal gastric tube yet. I eat a lot of soft food with plenty of sauces or gravy, e.g. cod in butter sauce with cheesy mash. The dietician also prescribed fortisip milkshakes to help boost my calorie intake etc.

If your husband goes down a similar treatment to myself, I am happy to answer any questions 

Sharon 

Thanks Sharon, I may be in touch once we know what's happening re treatment. 

I was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer 12 June 2024. I did not get to see an oncologist until August 20th. Two months were spent assessing if I was fit for surgery. My initial diagnosis was T3N0M0 so saw Surgeon first early July. But the anaesthetist decided I was not fit enough for surgery. My advice is to push to see an oncologist or at least confirm that an oncologist has been included in discussions about you from the onset so that time is not wasted. 

Did you eventually get surgery? If so how did you find it?

No I was deemed unfit for surgery by an Anaesthetist based on my medical history which the multi disciplinary team knew at the beginning. Yet time was wasted as I was progressed down a surgical pathway for 2 months. Some NHS trusts have what they call a One Stop Shop where they do  filter out patients unfit for surgery at the start and refer to an Oncologist sooner. 

We spoke to specialist nurse yesterday, there has been a MDT last week. Oncology referral is in and she is speaking to oncologist tomorrow. So hopefully  will get information re options.