Anyone turned down for chemo?
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Thanks Gavin and Lainy.
I am just surprised that they were willing to do chemo three weeks ago but he has not had any additional infections since then…as he was in the hospital when they said they wanted to start chemo as soon as that blood infection was clear.
I was fine with no tx this summer when there was no tumor growth. We are very lucky his bilirubin is completely within range at this time. Unfortunately, his tumor marker keeps jumping with the size of the tumor.
I know there are no easy answers and the easy ones seem to come with complications. I think I am just overwhelmed these days, as nothing seems to be moving forward.
Thanks!
My husband was told that if he took chemo it “Might” extend his life 3 to 6 months, but with no expectation of better quality of life. He elected 3 cycles (6 treatments) of Gemzar and at the end of that, there was no improvement for him. He did not suffer ill effects of the chemo, but it did not appear to help either. We do not regret doing it. Blessings, Susan
Hi Stacey,
I hope that your dads meeting with his onc next week will give you some good news. My dad was also turned down for chemo. As far as his treatment went, he had a metal stent inserted and had PDT with a view to doing chemo possibly at a later date. But as things turned out, my dad was not a candidate for chemo. When my dad went to see his onc, his jaundice had came back and the onc said that he should not do chemo as he was having trouble again with his duct getting clogged. We were told that if my dad had chemo, then he would not be able to pass this out of his body afterwards.
I so hope that your dad gets some good news next week.
Best wishes to you and your dad,
Gavin
Stacey, I cannot speak for your dad’s doctors but when Teddy had his Whipple 5 years ago, 5 of the best told him no chemo or radiation as it would not really work in the end for where he had the CC. He had all clean margins and after a bumpy beginning he was really OK for 3 years. The the CC returned where his duodenum used to be, and he was a candidate for Cyber Knife. That took care of it until a year later, it came back in the same area. We feel that even by doing nothing it bought him 5 years and we are greatful for that. Random fevers go with the territory, Teddy had his share of those. I just gave him Tylenol and an ice bag on his head and they usually left with in 1/2 hour. I really
feel that most doctors would never put a patient through chemo if they felt it was not going to help. I hope that the next opinion, next week, comes up with something that can work. Stay strong, Stacey.My dad is almost nine months post-Whipple and has a new mass in his liver. He has had at least a dozen complications since the Whipple, not the least of which is, at least, three blood infections. He also contracted MRSA last month.
He has run random fevers all year, some with diagnosed infections, others for less than 24 hours.We have a second opinion with an Oncologist next week, but his current Oncologist has basically said “no” to going forward with chemo. He was on board with it a few weeks ago, but after much discussion has said that he does not think my dad would do well. The Radiation Oncologist is also leary of doing any treatment. We have discussed every type of radiation out there and there seems to be a road block or previous problem that excludes doing anything.
I am at a loss. Frankly, I feel like not doing some kind of treatment is pulling the plug on a chance. We have had two MRI’s done within twenty days and the mass doubled in those twenty days.
TIA,
Stacey
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