I MIGHT BE OUT OF REMISSION .I HAD SQAUMOUS CELL STAGE 3 I HAD CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIOTHERAPY WAS DOING REALLY WELL THEN FOOD STARTED

[annie1234]

STICKING JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS .I AM IN PAIN SO I AM BACK ON MY MST AGAIN I HAVE A PET SCAN SOON AN D OTHER SCOPE .THEY HAVE FOUND ANOTHER AREA CONCERN I OESOPHGAUS .THE MC MILLIAN NURSE SAID I COULD HAVE SURGERY .SHOULD I BE WORRY ABOUT THE SURGERY .

[Thorno]

I had chemo and radio for squamos T3 and like you, it recurred quite early. I then had an oesophagectomy followed by a 'sweep up' of further chemo. The operation is massive and takes a very long time to recover from but for me there was no option. Talk to your prospective surgeon and ask as many questions as you can think of. I had a brilliant consultant so became reassured quite quickly but don't underestimate the size of the task. Best of luck, Peter

[annie1234 in reply to Thorno]

Thanks

[strangetimes]

Hi Annie ,sorry that you find yourself in this position . I was terribly worried about the surgery and for me that fear and the build up to the op was the worst bit of the whole thing .

Everyone was fantastic when I was in hospital ,they really couldn't have been more professional or kind . Obviously I didn't know anything about the op and afterwards was honestly ok , all the pain was controlled by drugs .

Try and focus on the fact that they are able to operate - that's as much as a cure as is possible with cancer .

[annie1234]

Thanks

[sophielewis]

Hi Annie - from Queensland Australia

I too have had squamous oesophagus cancer twice. First time just found by chance when I had an endoscopy and it was removed via endoscopy as it was not advanced. Unfortunately my specialist did not do regular follow-ups after 2 years. These cancers do return. When I realized this and had the endoscopy they found another one but more advanced. There was 6 years between the cancers, the first had been up at the top and the second in the middle. As this cancer was more advanced my specialist was able to get me into the public system (you usually have to pay for endoscopies here as the public system is so overloaded).

I was offered chemo/rad or surgery. What do you do - you really don't know what is best. I asked my surgeon what he would do and he said he would have the surgery as it would return again. If I had had the chemo/rad I would have had to travel over an hour as our new university hospital was not finished.

As everyone on this site who has had surgery knows it is not easy - but you do get past that. This cancer is caused by the HPV virus (there are over 100 of these viruses and they don't know which one). This is why it returns because once you have the virus you will always have it. My second cancer was T1bNO stage 1A.

If you have a squamous oesophagus cancer regular follow-ups are essential.

All the best.

Ann

Queensland Australia