GregS's Journey with Esophagus (Esophageal) Cancer

I was diagnosed with Stage IV esophageal cancer with mets to the liver.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.