Cancer question for anyone with any insight...

[deadduckdawg]

This is about my best buddy since the 60s. Sorry this is such a downer. Here's the summary:
December '14 melanoma. They carved up his face pretty badly.
January trouble eating, swallowing, bad acid reflex-type symptoms. After trying prevacid, etc, doc orders scope, finds "small tumor", biopsy malignant, orders PET scan. PET scan shows esophageal tumor is huge, stage 4, and cancer has spread to lungs, stomach, liver, and bones. Lymph nodes around the tumor are also huge.

Doc tells him and his wife "65 to 70% of my patients survive", which my buddy and his wife latch on to and interpret as the percentage of patients with similar conditions who survive.

He is now in his 4th week of chemo and radiation. I just returned from a week of taking him to treatments to give his wife a break.

My question is can anybody survive that condition? I don't need any sunshine up the wazoo; I believe he can't survive this and the docs are lying, perhaps out of kindness, first about the size of the tumor, and now about chances of survival. It has also been suggested that they are in the business of selling chemo and radiation, therefore......

Any comments from anybody with any similar experience will be hugely appreciated.

 

[blackpug6]

melanoma, when caught early is easily curable...bad news though

when it spreads like That, sorry to say, just matter of time...
there is very little chance of long term survival....
friend must be 70ish?...if it was me, at That point, I'd say F the Chemo...

 

[SouthernCaliforniaDesertDawg&Trojan]

Take a look at this link to the American Cancer Society......

it has information about survival rates for various stages of melanoma. Perhaps this will be of some help.

My heart and prayer goes out to your friend and to you as well.....thanks for being the best kind of friend that he needs and has in you.

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/skincancer-melanoma/overviewguide/melanoma-skin-cancer-overview-survival-rates

 

[Booneville Dawg]

My BIL died last year from Esophageal Cancer. He was diagnosed as stage 4 and lived for almost 2 years, which according to his Oncologist was very unusual. Esophageal and Pancreatic Cancer are treatable if found in the early stages, but in the latter stages are almost always fatal.

 

[Lewis & Herschel]

My father survived stage 4 throat cancer and one of my closest

Friends died in January from stage 2 esophageal cancer. All you can do is hope, if there is surgery, make sure he is healed and strong after chemo and radiation. They leave you on the edge of death, heal before surgery.

This post was edited on 3/26 5:39 PM by Lewis & Herschel

 

[deadduckdawg]

Re: melanoma, when caught early is easily curable...bad news though

Friend is 60, and I agree with all you say. He was going to F the chemo until the doc threw out the 65 to 70% number.

Everybody needs to go to a dermatologist as often as possible for a full body scan. It is so important. My BIL is also battling brain cancer which began as melanoma.

Thanks for your thoughts and I hope your old buddy is comfortable and doing as well as can be expected. I've got an old one, too.

This post was edited on 3/26 5:36 PM by deadduckdawg

 

[1966septemberdawg]

The truth is no one knows but God. My mother in law had a Cancerous brain tumor removed and breast cancer about 2-1/2 years ago and we thought she might not make it through but she has beaten the odds. You would never know what she has been and is still going through by looking at her. I don't mean to give you any false hope but I know prayers really help.
Your friend sounds pretty far along and If he is past the point of recovery I hope he does not suffer.
I will keep him and his family in my prayers as well as his friends.

 

[blackpug6]

another issue you brought up...

I wholeheartedly believe there is $ to be made by Medical profession on terminal patients...
consider that one realizes there is no hope...there is a ton of $ to be made if they
submit to treatments....
it's cruel. I've stated many times that future generations will look at our medical practices
as Barbaric....

 

[deadduckdawg]

Re: another issue you brought up...

It's cynical as hell, but I'm afraid I agree. I know of another recent case of a 38 year old with brain cancer from melanoma. The tumor was huge and the cancer was also in his lymph nodes. Emory Hospital wouldn't operate and do the post op treatment until they got 200k from his mother. She cashed out her Teacher Retirement System to get the money. Her son lived about eight months as a virtual vegetable.

 

[BullochDawg]

That's focked up**

**

 

[Booneville Dawg]

Re: another issue you brought up...

I watched the chemo eat my Dad up before he finally died from colon cancer. I swore I would not let that happen to me, but I wonder if I will really be that brave when/if the diagnosis finally comes.

 

[blackpug6]

Re: another issue you brought up...

I play sly...
no way in Hell that I'd submit to Many things I see...
25% straight up unnecessary....

 

[blackpug6]

thanks...

it's all good...relatively speaking...
bless those who depend on ones who care, eh?

 

[Sapelo Dawg]

It is POSSIBLE that your friend's case is survivable...

But I'd have to say it's unlikely, based on how you described it. Chemo sounds like his best/only hope, although I can say from experience that chemo is some VERY bad chit. But it's better than the alternative, at least in most cases. Whether his case is one of those, only he and his doctors can guess, and they may get it wrong. Ultimately, life itself is a terminal condition, and he has to decide if the suffering brought on by the chemo (and the possible extension of his life) would be better or worse than the suffering of succumbing to the disease. As painful as it might be, I'd choose the chemo and the chance at more time if I were in his position. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Pootimus J. Bottoms]

I'm in the industry but not terribly familiar with melanoma so I can't

validate the percent survival quoted. And I also admit there are unscrupulous people in every profession and oncologists are no different. However the vast majority walk a very fine line of trying to give people hope so they have the courage and mental approach to stay positive and fight it but at the same time not looking like they're selling false hope to continue to treat the patient- and they do struggle with that. If they have a good one, he presented all the facts, and let the patient know the pros and cons- many times I have heard of them saying "yes there's a chance, but you may just want to enjoy the time you have left without all of the problems associated with further therapy"- and most leave it to the patient and family to decide next steps.
I know it's tough and I'm sorry for your friend- but it's likely there is a chance and he heard that and decided to fight til the end. As long as he was made aware of the downside of that, God bless him in his fight.

 

[Pootimus J. Bottoms]

Understand why you feel that way pug but as I said in reply above

There's always bad apples in every bunch- yes some may try to take advantage but most really do weigh it out the best they can and help the patient decide for themselves. And I disagree with the barbaric statement- reality is that there are now options where once there were NONE and more people survive and live long relatively happy lives where before they just went home and died. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Pootimus J. Bottoms]

And with all that I said above I'd say the same thing you would*

Nm

 

[doofusdawg]

had melanoma 20 years ago... they caught it early. Once it spreads there is no cure... even the chemo is nothing more than trials... best bet several years ago was the interfuron trial at Duke... haven't heard anything on that in a while. They are working on a vaccine but that is years away. Melanoma is the leading killer of women under 30... yet it is not hyped like breast cancer...it's all about the fundraising... good luck to your friend and don't let your kids get sunburned.

 

[deadduckdawg]

Re: I'm in the industry but not terribly familiar with melanoma so I can't

Thank you. I think it was not put to them that way. They live in North Georgia and go to Blairsville for treatment. I wonder if the better oncologists are in Blairsville. I appreciate your thoughts.

 

[deadduckdawg]

Thanks so much to each of you for the thoughtfulness. This is a good place*

**

 

[ACSDawg]

My dad died of Melanoma in 85, but it's become much more survivable...

Even in last 5 years. Some great new drugs are available in just last couple years.

I myself beat stage 2c cancer in a type that doesn't even have 4 stages. Chemo can melt rumors faster than you think as long as they find what works. Tough fight but not a death sentence.

 

[ACSDawg]

Also, best advice I can give...

Is do research. Find a message board for melanoma and post there. Find a center of excellence in melanoma (Sloan Kettering? MD Anderson? IU? Vanderbilt?), find the best doctors in the country, email them a brief message stating the facts, most/all will get back to you. I went to the #1 dr for my cancer type in the world and he emailed me back in less than an hour. He gave me a chemo plan and I used that thru my local doctors who were totally incompetent. DO THIS!!!

This post was edited on 3/26 8:44 PM by ACS-Dawg

 

[deadduckdawg]

Re: Also, best advice I can give...

I agree so wholeheartedly and my buddy is extremely well off, but he has not chosen to do what you suggest. Like I posted below, I doubt the best docs are in Blairsville, GA. He is going to a Georgia Cancer Specialists, which has a good rep, but still, Blairsville?"

 

[ACSDawg]

Re: Also, best advice I can give...

FYI, said best dr in the world that gave me the chemo regiment didn't get, or take, a dime for his help in my case. Hell when I hit remission stage my local docs said ' ok you're finished, congrats,' When in reality I needed monthly blood check for tumor markers for two years. They were clueless.

It's worth a shot.

This post was edited on 3/26 9:03 PM by ACS-Dawg

 

[Klesko12]

deadduck, you may want to watch this

This very question was what was investigated by frontline recently. Maybe it will be helpful.


Good luck to you and your friend


being mortal

 

[jbirdawg]

Esophageal is awful because you rarely know you have it until it has spread into other organs where symptoms show up. Often too late. My father in law died from EC. Diagnosed in October and died early Feb. outlook isn't good obviously. I do have some glimmer of hope to offer. One of oldest friends was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer last summer. Nodes/tumors in all but one of his organs. Doesn't get much bleaker. At first they were not going to treat him. But there was no cancer in his marrow or brain and they realized what a tough sob he is. They poured the coals to him and it laid him up for 5 days every time. He called last week to say his doc said he was in 100% remission! His doc said you don't see folks come that far back very often. So it can happen. He needs a strong will and positive attitude. Best of luck to him. I have seen this movie many times.

 

[deadduckdawg]

Re: deadduck, you may want to watch this

Thank you. Bookmarked it. Really good of you.

 

[deadduckdawg]

A glimmer of hope is a good thing. Thanks, man.