GregS's Journey with Esophagus (Esophageal) Cancer
Patient: Esophagus (Esophageal) Cancer
Patient Info: Finished active treatment less than 5 years ago, Diagnosed: almost 13 years ago, Male, Age: 48, Stage IV
Get Full Access Today It’s EASY and FREE!
Things you can do
More Questions
Find us on Facebook
Experience Icon Descriptions
Procedure: Drag this icon to show a procedure.
Radiation: Drag this icon to show a specific radiation therapy experience.
Drug Therapy: Drag this icon to show a specific drug therapy experience.
Clinical Trial: Drag this icon to show a clinical trial experience.
Side Effect: Drag this icon to show experience with a specific side effect.
Oh No: Drag this icon to show when something bad happened (e.g., cancer’s back, lost job).
Celebration: Drag this icon to show when something good happened (e.g., last treatment, hair is back).
Loss: Drag this icon to show a time of loss (e.g., lost hair, lost loved one).
Decision Point: Drag this icon to show a time when you had to make a tough decision.
Other Care: Draft this icon to show a time when you needed other care (e.g., hospice, psychotherapy).
Loading...
Diagnosed
Oh No
I was diagnosed with Stage IV esophageal cancer with mets to the liver.
Phase II Clinical Trial
Clinical Trial
I enrolled in a clinical trial and received docetaxel, cisplatin, 5-FU and avastin bi-weekly. I was a complete responder to the therapy with both the lesions in the liver and the tumor in the esophagus found to be gone after about 11 months of treatment. At that time, my oncologist took me off the docetaxel and cisplatin due to side effects (neuropathy in feet and hands) but continued with the avastin and 5-FU biweekly in an attempt to prevent a recurrence.
Cancer is back/Recurred
Oh No
2 1/2 years after my initial diagnosis and 1 1/2 years after being declared in remission I started to have discomfort swallowing food again. An endoscopy with a biopsy showed the cancer was back in my esophagus. A PET and CT scan showed it was a local recurrence.
Internal radiation
Radiation
My oncologist and I decided to treat my recurrence with a chemo radiation. I took Xeloda in pill form daily and received localized radiation to the tumor in my esophagus daily for 16 days. A month after my treatments ended an Edoscopy with a biopsy along with a CT scan showed it was successful, I was back in remission.
Cancer is back/Recurred
Oh No
After a year of remission I started having discomfort swallowing food again. An endoscopy showed that I had a recurrence in the esophagus. The PET and CT scans showed that it was a local recurrence.
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
I had an esophagectomy to remove part of my esophagus and stomach, completely removing the area of recurrence. 4 months after the surgery I had a CT scan showing I am again in remission.