Esophageal Cancer Stages

Question: What are the final stages of life with esophageal cancer? My father-in-law was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2006. After a 2-year fight and undergoing chemo and radiation treatments, we are afraid we have come to the end of the road. We have been told a number of things about how long he has, however, we have not been told what to espect when the end is near. Anyone have some insight into our preparation, or what we should expect?

Answer: My first piece of advice to you is spend as much time with him as possible. Tell him often that you are all there for him, and if he is uncomfortable talking about his condition, let it go. He needs to get it straight in his mind before he can talk about it. The best time to consider hospice care is when you can see that the doctors and hospitals really cannot do anything for him. As long as he is still aware and can make his own decisions, it is important for him to say it is time for hospice. You should also have him appoint someone as his health care proxy agent in case he is unable to make decisions. Someone who knows what he would want in certain situations. It is very hard to know "end of life" symptoms, except, they basically stop eating and drinking. They sleep all the time and are very hard to wake up. When they are awake, they are somewhat withdrawn, or they get a burst of sudden energy and talk a lot. And at the very end, the breathing gets quite irregular. I know this is a lot to think about, and it is nothing pleasant to think about. My heart truly goes out to you. I honestly feel your pain. Your father-in-law, you and your whole family will be in my prayers. Try to stay strong, but do cry when you need to. God Bless.

Question: what is the mortality rate on esophageal cancer? Stage 1?

Answer: Esophageal cancer shows the most profound difference among cancers between those countries with the highest and those with the lowest frequency. This difference is 17-fold for mortality among comparable populations based on geographic location alone. The U.S. is one of the countries with the lowest occurrence rates, but at the other end of the spectrum are Iran, Switzerland and France. The highest mortality rates from esophageal cancer are found in China, Singapore and Puerto Rico. In the U.S. during 1996 there were 12,300 new cases (9400 men, 2900 women) and 11,200 deaths (8500 men, 2700 women) attributed to esophageal cancer (Ref.2). Occurrence and death rates of esophageal cancer (in the U.S.) Rate of occurrence: these figures indicate a high death rate for esophageal cancer 3.9 / 100,000 Death rate: 3.4 / 100,000 As can be seen from the table above, esophageal cancer has a high mortality (=death) rate because the death rate per year is almost reaching the amount of new cases per year. In other words, there is a very poor cure rate for esophageal cancer. This is a reflection of the fact already mentioned above that esophageal cancer tends to metastasize early via the blood stream and via lymphatic pathways. By the time the patient has symptoms and the physician diagnoses the esophageal cancer, it is too late: the cancer has already spread and is often a stage III or IV (see below) at the time of diagnosis. Another peculiarity is that esophageal cancer is 3-fold more common in black persons within the U.S. when compared to whites (the figures quoted above are for whites). At the present time we do not know whether this is due to genetic differences, due to life style choices or a combination of both

Question: If you have stage IVA esophageal cancer, how long do you have to live?

Answer: In patients with surgically removable esophageal cancer, the cure rate is only between 5 and 20%, so that gives you an idea about how poor survival can be. Most patients with advanced disease survive less than a year. God bless, best wishes

Question: How long does a person live with esophageal cancer that has spread to the breast (stage IV)? no treatment.? my mother in law was diagnosed a year ago with esophageal cancer. The doc say her esophagus is narrowing and the cancer is spreading to her breast . she is now a stage 1v it is stage 4. and she is unable to eat. the doctor says her esophagus is narrowing and the cancer is spreading to her breast. they have sent her home with a feeding tube (third world country).

Answer: Noone can tell you how long--noone knows for sure. The only person that can decide that is God. People beat statistics every day. I am stage 3B Breast Cancer and my tumor has shrunk big time. I have meant Stage IV breast, stomach, liver, and other numerous ones while undergoing my chemo and some of them have been on chemo for years. Don't go by statistics--statistics is a hidden word for CAN BE BEATEN. People beat it everyday. My thoughts and prayers are with your family during this time. Keep a positive attitude.

Question: At what stage of Esophageal cancer do they give morphine drugs? My father was just diagnosed with Esophageal cancer and he has a mental illness and lies a lot. He told me that he was taking morphine for his cancer that he has known about for about 5 days now. He says he is also going to be getting chemo treatments 5 days a week for three months and may only have two years to live. Does this sound right? At what stage of this cancer do they introduce these drugs? I just seen him a month ago and he said his throat hurt and he could not always talk too well but he wasn't bed ridden with pain.

Answer: Cancer can cause serious pain. Morphine is a pain killer frequently given for cancer pain, because it is well-tolerated with chemotherapy and does not cause the stomach upsets and bleeding that other pain relievers cause. Since morphine is only really used for pain, it can be introduced at any time the patient complains of pain--so yes, it sounds right--though it may or may not be true in your father's case. Chemo 5 days a weeks sounds like more than is usually given for treatment--they usually give it once a month (every 3 weeks) with other treatments. He may, however, be on some regimen that proscribes it that often. He also may be thinking of radiation therapy. Your best bet is to ask his doctors what the treatment regimen is and not rely on his reports. They will usually tell the immediate family what treatment the patient is getting. You may also want to inform the hospital that your father is mentally ill, for his own benefit and for theirs. If they know he is unreliable they may suggest a power of attorney, or a patient advocate for him. There are legal aspects they may wish to discuss with you.

Question: Jon was diagnosed with stage 2-3 esophageal cancer. What is his life expectancy?

Answer: Survival would depend on the exact type of esophageal cancer, grade of tumor, the patients age, overall health, his first response to treatment, the cancer facility he chooses, and the skills of his oncology team. No one can predict the life expectancy of an individual.

Question: ESOPHAGEAL CANCER MIRACLE CURES? My father has been diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer which has spread to his liver and to his lungs. The doctors have told us that there is no cure for him due to the progression of the cancer.The cancer is very aggressive and has gotten worse 3 weeks down the track the tumor has ulcerated. I am trying to stay positive and i was wondering if anyone knows of any Natural remedies that may slow the progression of the cancer and/or give him longer to live. I am terrified to loose my father i just wish there was a way to help him. The doctors have told us the only treatment option we have is chemo, even though they haven't had any success with treating cancer of this stage. if anyone has any advice or any experience in using Natural medicines to help with cancer please let me know.

Answer: You can see another doctor for a second opinion. Or even a third opinion. If they all concur, then the best thing would be to get to work on accepting the reality of the situation.

Question: how long does a person live with esophageal cancer that has spread to the liver(stage IV)? My mother in-law found out two weeks ago she has esophageal cancer and it has went to her liver, she is 64 years young and had her first chemo treatment a few days ago which is not having her feel very good, but she won't tell us everything the doctors are saying like how long does she have to live, she just says it's not good!! What does that mean?? As a family I think we should have an idea on her time left here so we can start preparing our minds , so if there is anyone who knows anything please let me know. We are sure she probably won't be around this time next year but if it;s shorter than that we need to know. Thank you for your time in reading this I hope you can help.

Answer: Esophageal cancer is a very aggressive cancer. Treatment of stage IV esophageal cancer usually includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical removal of the affected part of the esophagus. Unfortunately, once it has spread, especially to places like the liver, long-term survival is not likely. I am betting that without treatment, she's probably looking at 3-6 months, but with treatment, she's probably looking at up to 18 months. Given that she won't tell you all what the doctor is saying, she's probably looking at the lower end of the spectrum.

Question: Is esophageal cancer a fast-growing cancer? I am a 36-year-old female with Barrett's esophagus and have endoscopies & biopsies one to twice annually. My last scope was on 12/30/08 (previous to that, it was on 12/2/07) and this time it showed significantly more bleeding as well as a "suspicious" spot. (I follow the GERD diet and eat tiny meals throughout the day rather than three big meals as well as take Nexium faithfully, so my GI doc is puzzled). I will find out next Tuesday if I have cancer or not. If I had cancer at this point (considering my December 2007 scope was fine, but my December 2008 scope is not), what are my chances of long-term survival? Would I still be at Stage 1? (My third cousin on my mom's side has esophageal cancer right now and my dad has Barrett's esophagus, too.) This third cousin is only 28-years-old. and she is female.

Answer: Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing until it's diagnosed and staged. My philosophy is don't worry until you have something to worry about, but I know it's hard. It appears that you really stay on top of this so it may just be a flukey thing. I wish you the best and I'll say a prayer for you.

Question: 70 Year Old Christian Male With Esophageal Cancer, what's an appropriate gift? And can you please pray? Hi, A very close relative of mine has been dianosed and is in the hospital with esophageal cancer, is unable to eat, or tolerate a feeding tube, and awaiting a PET scan to stage it. I am wondering what an appropriate, uplifting gift would be? He's someone I usually get diabetic sweets for as a rule, and cashews, (his favorite) but obviously in this situation I need to think of something else. I am in shock and blank at this time, as this is the relative I am closest to, otherwise I am generally pretty creative. Also, your prayers would be so appreciated, his name is Bob. Thanks for any suggestions. Thanks so much for the answers, most appreciated. I went with some lounging wear, and some house shoes, he really appreciated it. The prayers mean so much. God bless you

Answer: I will say a prayer for Bob. I like to give men cactus plants and especially if you can find one in a masculine planter. They are fun to watch grow and change. If not this, maybe lounging clothing for hospital and his hard road ahead. My best wishes to both of you!

Question: If the tumor is gone, why are the lymph nodes still enlarged? My father has Stage 3 esophageal cancer and finished his 6 weeks of chemo & radiation. Tests show that the tumors are gone but his lymph nodes are still enlarged. What does that mean?

Answer: One of the treatments of esophageal cancer includes chemoradiation (CRT). Depending on the location and the involvement of the lymph nodes, surgery may or may not be feasible. Regardless, definitive CRT can be helpful to downstage the disease, meaning, reduce the stage of the cancer. Immediately after this therapy, there may still be lymph node enlargement because it takes time for the cancer cells to resolve. Even if all the cancer is gone, there may still be lymph node enlargement because of scarring in the tissue. About 6-8 weeks minimal is required after therapy to assess the response, and after that, if surgery is possible, then an esophagectomy can help remove the tumor/lymph nodes to see if there is residual cancer.

Question: If someone has esophageal cancer and nothing is done for it, how long would they have to live? I know this question seems kind of strange, but I'm very serious. Someone I love dearly is getting worse. This person has had choking problems for about 10 years just found out there is cancer near his esophagus but won't know the stage until February because the Endoscopy Procedure will be done on January 30. His cough is getting worse and I'm really worried. Does cancer grow really fast and have you heard of anyone who passed away quickly if nothing was done about it. He said he'll take chemotherapy and radiation if he has too but won't want his stomach to be turned into an esophagus if they want to take it out. Does anyone know anything about how long one can live with cancer near the esophagus. Your serious answers would be greatly appreciated. God bless.

Answer: My advice would be to demand the endoscopy to be done immediately! Say you wil lnot wait till January 30th. The sooner the treatment starts the better the prognosis. If your hospital wont let you go to a different one (find an adult oncology center) im sure they will do it immediately.

Question: Esophogeal/Pancreatic Cancer? My daughter's father was diagnosed with stage 3 N1 Esophageal Cancer in 2006. It returned a year later, in lymph nodes between Pulmonary artery and aorta, they radiated. Another year later, returned again in two small spots in lungs, they operated. Now returned again, in a small spot in the Pancreas. He seems strong, but was told 18 months ago, he had 12-18 months to live. Very concerned and curious as to how bad this is. He seems to have defied all odds up to this point, is it possible he can survive this too?

Answer: Well, you are right about his deifying all odds. I hate to tell you, but his disease has been incurable since 2007. Esophageal cancer is very dangerous and less than 10% survive none of which have metastatic disease.

Question: If cancer hasn't worsen. then why do some people get sicker and weaker in a matter of a month then die? My husband was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in March a month after we got married. He was already at stage 4 when we found out. He started chemo that month was doing really good and it was helping,he was able to swallow better and no pain. He did very well all the way up to November. He started to go down hill. He was getting sicker but the cancer wasn't better or worse. Just he getting weaker with lots of diarrhea and he couldn't eat anything, so the doctors put a feeding tube in his belly so he can eat. But the diarrhea was getting worse and so was his weakness. By Dec. he was completely unable to move or take care of himself. I did it all for him and in a week later he was gone. The doctor said the cancer wasn't any worse then when he was first diagnosed, in fact a little better. It just happens to people like him sometimes, He said . I quess he couldn't really tell me . I just want to understand what happen he was only 42 years old. Having a hard time dealing with it all.

Answer: I don't know the educational background of that doctor, but just by the description you gave it is clear his cancer made his body worse. Whereas in March he was NOT having diarhea, by November he was - that's just ONE observable symptom that has made him severely worse to the point he needed a feeding tube to eat! Who knows what else was happening inside his body without as obvious a symptom, but that alone is extremely serious and very naturally a worse condition brought on by the cancer. YOu can't just have cancer and live with it. It either has to go away or get worse. Chemo can temporarily make it better and then it oftentimes comes back with a vengence or else cures. Also stage 4 is the worse stage meaning it has spread everywhere and almost imposible to get under control and means he had cancer for a long time and was diagnosed when it was very late and the chemo just bought some time or maybe was not the best solution - what if he lived longer without the chemo? Who knows though.