Hello, my 77 yr old dad was diagnosed a few days ago. He has had difficulty swallowing for about 4mths and had Barium Swallow done which came back clear but biopsy during endoscopy found he has SCC cancer. Dr says Barium Swallow didn’t show as the cancer is up high (20cm from his jaw) & also very close (5cm) from his airway so prob difficult to remove. Besides losing weight due to not eating properly he is feeling well. He had a blood test done (although unsure what for) while he was waiting to get the endoscopy done which also came back with no issues. I read that this cancer is generally not diagnosed until advanced stages due to no real symptoms- so does that mean he is at an advanced stage (difficulty swallowing) I know everyone is different but just trying to find out more.. still waiting to meet with the Oncologist and the CT scan..can anyone give me an insight as to my dad’s situation. Dr says it’s quite rare its up so high..??
Feeling heartbroken and worried...
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Positivethoughts77
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Diagnosed at the age of 58yrs with the cancer at 23cm. also a squamous cell cancer, operated on and still here 24 years later, not all cancers have to be advanced sometimes they can be caught early. Waiting for all the tests to be done is one of the most traumatic and worrying times while the team decide what is the best way forward for each individual. So travel with hope,( how long is a piece of string) it might be longer than you think! Plenty of help out there. Best wishes Sally
Hi Positivethoughts 77. I am sorry this is happening, and cannot offer wisdom on this particular area as my husband's was much lower down. However, you mentioned he is losing weight due to struggling to eat. I would suggest to you that any food consumed is fortified as soon as possible. That means adding butter and cream to everything you can, mash potato, extra sugar in porridge, cereals, cream cakes. You may be able to ask for Fresubin on prescription - these are drinks with calories and nutrients, they do milkshake and juice along with a shot which is a 5 ml dose. Also Maxi-Jul, a special nutrient and calorie rich 'tasteless' powder (my husband always knew though) that you can add to anything potato, drinks, soups etc. swap milk for Jersey cream or at least full fat, make coffee with just milk etc.etc. Milshakes, Hot chocolate made with milk, ovaltine, Horlicks etc. also Porridge is brilliant and add some extra sugar.
In regards to struggling with food, start softening it up more, bread will be the hardest to eat as it clumps up and can't get past the lump easily. Toast goes down better as it loses the stodginess. When cooking vegetables, actually cook them (not aldente (sorry can't spell)). After my husbands surgery and he was finally allowed to eat again, I cooked him a full roast dinner, but not in the way we would normally have. Vegis included Cauliflower, Broccoli, and carrots. These were steamed so they could be mashed with a fork, roast potatoes were kept large, Yorkshire pudding only the soft part (although as this is pre surgery he may find the crispy bit easier). The meat is really hard to eat and swallow. So although a lot of faffing around, I would blitz the meat (chicken, lamb, beef whatever) with gravy and make a soupy mixture and gave it to him in a gravy boat. Placing everything else neatly on his plate, he could then add as much gravy as he needed to help it go down, whilst mashing the veg up with it before consumption. The roasties, he took the skin off and then had the middle - effectively mash, but tasting like roast. So a roast that looks appetising but actually much softer and easier to swallow. Stews are also really good for the same reason.
Another thought, being older he may like things like Bovril, or a stock cube in hot water (my dad has this as a drink). swap for a coffee to get a little extra goodness.
It is really important he stays as healthy and strong as possible to fight whatever he is able. Having a weak body won't allow him too.
Remain positive, take care. Carrie
There will be an analysis done on the TNM system. The T stands for how advanced the Tumour is, with lower the number the better. With this SCC cancer it is possible to treat it successfully with chemo-radiation but only if it is detected at an early stage eg T1. The N stands for how many lymph nodes are involved, and the M stands for whether there has been metastatic spread to other parts of the body. The treatment will depend on this, and it sometimes takes extra scans to determine the exact position.
About 70% of oesophageal cancer in the UK is adenocarcinoma that tends to be at the lower end of the oesophagus.
It is true that most cases of this cancer are diagnosed late, but it is also true that it will entirely depend on your father's individual situation as to what treatment is possible.
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