Introduction

My best friend Mike is a 58 year old male who was recently diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (adenocarcinoma). Here is his story:
For about eight years Mike has been treated for severe arthritis with Methotraxate. Last April, the routine blood tests showed some irregularities. Then he got jaundice. A stent was put in and scans showed some dilation of the bile duct. They suspected bile duct cancer. So resection was planned and attempted during the laparotomy. However, the Doctors took out some lymph nodes and two out of five were positive for cancer. They just stitched him back up cause they assumed he had mets everywhere. We just could not believe this!! We asked for more tests and got new scans done, including a pet scan. No mets found. We also contacted Doctor MacGulvray in Toronto and he said resection is possible but Mike should do some chemo first. Apparently this Doctor seen a Klutskin tumor on the original scans, but neither radiologist reports or new scans show anything definite.
In the meantime (its been almost a year), we immediately started a natural program, with changes in diet, vitamins, curcumin etc.
Mike is struggling with the decision to do surgery because the odds they gave us are: 15% he dies on the table, 50-60% he dies from complications after surgery, if he lives 5 years he has a 70-80% chance that cancer will be back.
Not good odds for sure. And Chemo before surgery seems crazy to me cause his immune system will be down….and he will need all of it just to survive!!!
Well, first we get the stent changed for the 4th time on April 8.
This past year has been a nightmare!!!!
Thank goodness I found this site. I have sooo many questions!! Reading your messages has helped a lot. You are in our prayers and we hope we can be in yours.
Chrisna