My husband has has a barium swallow test today as he has been having trouble swallowing even fluids he is 15 mths post op ivor lewis .

[Wassell]

He now has to have a ct scan because they have found a stricture in the upper part of is oesophugus. At the back of the throat now am worried the cancer has returned is this possible

[alexhook]

Hi. I am also 15 months post op. I have had 3 monthly reviews with the surgeon and the oncologist until a few weeks ago when I was advised that they would now extend these to 6 monthly. When I asked why they were necessary I was told that there is a chance of the cancer re appearing and they need to monitor closely to catch it in the early stages. Probably what you didn't want to hear!

[liz_crisp]

HI,

I am 4 years post treatment and had to do a barium swallow about a year ago as I had problems swallowing, I also had a stricture which impeded my swallowing, mine was from scar tissue not cancer.

Good luck Lizzy

[Wassell in reply to liz_crisp]

Hi Liz thank you for that ,has helped me feel more positive

[yorkshirerose]

Hi, I had very similar problems around 18 months post op and went through all the barium swallows and ct Scans and all was well, it turned out to be sensitive scar tissue. I cough when I eat and again they say it is sensitive scar tissue. So please try not to worry, I know that isn't easy as I tend to worry about every little ache and pain now,

Sending you a big hug

Edwina xx

[Hidden]

It could be a number of things. Yes, some sort of new tumour is possible, but it can be a number of other things, perhaps some swelling or scar tissue around the surgical joint perhaps.

It would not be normal if you did not worry, but it sounds like you have to wait for the scan results to know for sure. If you have to wait a while, you could always ring the specialist nurse, and say that you are worried about a recurrence and ask for their judgement about what might be the cause.

[Wassell in reply to Hidden]

Hi Alan ,many thanks,did speak to the specialist nurse and she just said that she wouldn't rule out anything .s

Which made us worry, we thought that a barium swallow would tell us if it was cancerous or not .

[Hidden in reply to Wassell]

As you probably know, when you swallow the white liquid with the barium swallow, the X-ray shows how it passes down through your system, and it is very good for indicating where blockages may be occurring. I am not sure, but this X-ray may show up a lump or a tumour, but the usual way of finding out whether any such lump is malignant or not is to take a sample and send it off for a biopsy. Some of the scanning systems can show suspicious small cells too, and the new scanning devices would be much better at showing things in greater detail.

[Tescogran]

My husband is 17 months post op and has been gradually getting weaker. A scan has shown a new tumour in his stomach so recurrence does happen. At the moment he is having blood as it turns out he is very anaemic .No tests carried out on any of his check ups and he had not had a blood test for 12 months till yesterday. We live in Wales so it seems monitoring post -op could be better.I hope you have better news.

[Wassell in reply to Tescogran]

Hi that is terrible that he hasn't any tests done throughout his checkups my husbands team hav been great except for this last incidence where they kept saying it was a pyschological problem .he has recently. Had a endoscopy beginning of december .he was having problems then . But nothing showed up it is only because i have been badgering the nurse for a barium swallow he got an appt . I wish your husband the best of luck with this news and hope ypu both keep strong.

[Tescogran in reply to Wassell]

Hi Wassell I hope you get sorted my husband had the swallowing problem but they were slow to react, it was only our GP's intervention that got him another endoscopy and CY scans in December...on the plus side they stretched it a bit during the endoscopy. There seem to be a bewildering number of treatments.....good luck.

[hilr in reply to Tescogran]

Hi, I am 8 months post-op and also live in Wales. I am having 3 monthly follow-ups with surgeon but have been told no scans etc. This does seem to be the process in Wales, yet most people that post have regular scans. I have found the DOH best practice for OC and that says there's no proof TFT regular scans are useful. I understand the anxiety before and after scans and the risks of false positives and false negatives, but fear that without scans it will take longer to diagnose new mets and thus begin effective treatment. I've also been told there's not much they can do if mets occur, yet again I read of loads of people with mets being treated.

I've decided to get on with life and live each day as it comes, whilst constantly looking over my shoulder.

I think Alan mentioned Charlie's Circle on this site which deals specifically with recurrence?

Good luck and best wishes to you all

Hiary

[Gerard]

Hi Wassell hope you don't mind me asking. At what stage was your husbands cancer. I was lucky mine was only at T1

Regards Gerard

[Wassell in reply to Gerard]

Hi it was T 3 n2M0

[Gerard]

Hi could just be scar tissue.

[Wassell in reply to Gerard]

Hi

I really hope so , thanks ,

[Gerard]

Hi Wassell I've had 3 swallows and 5 Dialations .. All of them were as a result of scar tissue coz I couldn't swallow properly