Seeking Advice for Advanced Esophageal Cancer
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Seeking Advice for Advanced Esophageal Cancer
Hello everyone,
I’m looking for advice and insights about a case of advanced esophageal cancer. We’re trying to understand what can be done at this stage and what the likely outcomes might look like.
Patient Details:
- Diagnosis: Moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus, HER2-positive (confirmed via FISH report), diagnosed in early 2024.
- Treatment History:
- First-line therapy: 10 cycles of FOLFOX5 + Pembrolizumab (stopped due to progression).
- Second-line therapy: 10 cycles of Taxol + Pembrolizumab (initially showed mixed results).
- Current Status: The latest PET/CT scan (January 2025) shows significant progression of the esophageal tumor, mediastinal lymph nodes, and metastases to the liver and lungs.
- Planned Next Step: The doctors are considering Irinotecan as the next line of treatment.
The patient has a history of cardiac issues (two heart attacks, open-heart surgery, and a stent)
Questions:
- What are the realistic treatment options at this stage, especially given the recent progression and the patient’s cardiac history?
- How bad does the current situation look in terms of prognosis and quality of life?
- Are there additional steps we can take to manage symptoms, slow progression, or improve comfort?
I can share the latest PET/CT scan report if it helps provide more clarity.
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Re: Seeking Advice for Advanced Esophageal Cancer
Hello Micki8899,
Thanks for joining Cancer Council online community and for reaching out.
Our community provides a safe space for those affected by cancer, get together to provide and receive support from each other.
You are seeking some specific medical information, and unfortunately we do not have a medical team that could help give you the information you are after.
Hopefully one of our members has gone through a similar experience that would like to share with you.
Below is a link that provides some information about Oesophageal cancer, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. I hope you find it helpful.
https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/types-of-cancer/oesophageal-cancer
Best wishes
Susana
Cancer Council
Online Community
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