a year after my oesaphagectomy my cancer has returned

[JudyMartinez]

a year after my oesaphagectomy my cancer has returned :=( is there any one else in the same situation? It has returned in liver diaphragm and a little in the abdomen.

thanks for any advice

Judy

[Hidden]

Dear Judy

I am really sorry to hear about this news, but it does happen sometimes despite all the best efforts of surgeons and their colleagues. The medical people should be able to give you the advice, treatment and support you will need. Telling other people is not easy either, and sometimes you need to build up strength to deal with other people's reaction to the news.

Fear of recurrence is an issue that to some extent affects everybody who has had cancer. It is very dispiriting news to absorb and to come to terms with. I know of one person who recently had another bout of cancer many years after surgery, and her treatment appears to have been completely successful. And people do get different sorts of cancer afterwards, and do also get successfully treated. There are no guarantees in this world, however.

People do react in different ways, and sometimes find that it is best to try to work out a realistic prognosis with their doctors. Some express it along the lines that they hope for the best and plan for the worst.

There is a booklet 'Swallowing when it is difficult' that can be downloaded from opa.org.uk and some of the advice in it might be helpful (eg dealing with stents).

If you visit the website of the Cancer Counselling Trust (cancercounselling.org.uk) there is a section called 'After the treatment, then what?' by Dr Peter Harvey. It is divided into different sections, no 24 of which is about Coping. I will copy and paste a link here, hoping that it will work:

cancercounselling.org.uk/no...

We do send you our very best wishes for the future.

[Charlie36]

Hi Judy, no advice (I had my op 16 months ago) but I just wanted to send you my best wishes and hope that you have lots of love and support around you and a good medical team treating you.

My very best wishes,

Charlie.

[shamrock in reply to Charlie36]

I concur, best wishes

[Alphagista]

It looks as if I'm in the same boat .Twelve months tomorrow since my op and started feeling under the weather just before Christmas. Went to GP , bloods were OK but X-Ray apparently showed something so it was sent to consultant who told me he thinks my cancer has returned. Waiting for scan so don't know where it is or what extent but icing on the cake my wife was confirmed as having breast cancer on the same day

[golfking]

Dear Judy,

so sorry to hear your cancer has returned,the only advice I can give you is stay strong and never give up believing that you can beat this because I firmly believe that is have the battle,good luck with your future treatment whatever it may be.

Golfking

[marty1]

Hi Judy

So sorry to hear your news. It must have been quite devastating to get that. Do you know if your tumour is HER2 Positive as that would make you eligible for herceptin treatment along with chemo. Herceptin does seem to have many positive results. There are no guarantees unfortunately as I was on herceptin etc till last week when I discovered my liver secondaries were still growing so now am on docetaxil chemo. Push your oncologist to tell you the treatment options and if you feel it necessary (as I have) get a second opinion. I hope to see Prof David Cunningham at the Royal Marsden in London who has an excellent reputation and was recommended by my own oncologist . There are many success stories out there to give hope and I wish well as you progress on this journey.

Best wishes

Martin x

[hilr]

Hi Judy, sorry to hear your news, never easy to receive.

Good advice already, including getting a second opinion if you're not happy with initial advice.

I think all of us post-surgery are taking sneaky looks over our shoulders on the lookout for recurrence.

Wishing you goid luck with your treatment options, and big cwtchs, hilary