Mom diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma

My little brother got married in October. Mom (who turned 60 10 days later) was feeling nauseous a lot and was generally itchy for a few weeks prior. She had a little pain in her back. She ignored everything, passing them off as nerves for the wedding, possible bladder infection and just general aches and pains of old age.

By the first week of November, she became jaundice. When she went to the clinic, she was sent to the hospital. They finally did a scan that revealed a 2-inch mass on the common bile duct. After installing a stent to open the duct, they tried without success to get a biopsy. A few days later (we are now mid-November), they went in on her side directly to CBD to get the biopsy. The ultrasound they used to direct them inside, revealed another mass the size of a small fist in the liver.

Last Monday, we finally got the results : the masses were malignant. Because of where the mass in her liver is located, removing the tumor is not an option. Nor is radiation as they fear it will be too hard on her liver. That leaves that other dreaded “C” word : chimo. Even with this, her prognosis is not good. Only a year.

Mom was going to retire from nursing later this month and hopefully travel cross-country next summer (a longtime dream of my parents). I’m hoping that they will realize this dream.

By writing this, I’m looking for information on doctors and cancer treatment centers way up here in Canada that might be a little more informed about this type of cancer.

I wish good luck to you all, patients and their families.