Hi Darren. Welcome to the forum.

I'm really sorry to hear of your father's condition. I know nothing personally about stomach cancer but I'm sure one of my friends with more information will come forward.

In the meantime, here is some information about getting a second opinion on the NHS

Welcome to the forum Darren although I'm sorry to read that your dad has just been diagnosed with stomach cancer.

I noticed you have quite a few questions about your dad's situation so I just wanted to give you our cancer nurses telephone number as they may be able to shed some light on this. If you'd like to chat to them you can call them for free on 0808 800 4040, Monday - Friday between 9a.m - 5p.m.

I have included a link to a website that specialises in private healthcare if you would like to find out more about going down this route as well.

I hope this helps and you're able to find out more soon.

Best wishes to you and your dad, 

Steph, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi,

What treatment options, if any, has your Dad been told are available? Inoperable doesn't always mean untreatable. I have an inoperable and incurable cancer, but was treated successfully with chemo. Sometimes the balance of risk and benefit of surgery is tipped if the patient has other medical conditions or might not recover from the surgery. Only someone medically qualified with all the relevant information could advise on whether this is the case.

A second opinion might be a good idea, I was going to post a link then realised that Telemando had beaten me to it.  Going private is an option but unless you're loaded or have private health insurance you might want to try an alternative NHS route first :-)

Good luck!

Dave 

Hi Darren. Sorry to hear your news about your dad. I was diagnosed with stomach cancer one year past in november at the age of 37. Like your dad my tumour was at the top end, and also no spread to other parts of the body (other than lymph nodes). I had 3 cycles of chemotherapy and then went on to have a total gastrectomy (removal of the full stomach) followed by another 3 cycles of chemotherapy (had to stop after cycle 1 of 2nd lot tho as my body just wasnt fit enough). I obviously cant tell you why they are saying your dads is inoperable because as far as im aware as long as it hasnt spread to other parts then surgery should be available. Thinking maybe his age or overall health could be a factor? Because believe me you have to be pysically and mentally fit for this type of operation. I am 9 month out of surgery and doing ok but i will be honest i wouldnt wish this type of surgery on anyone. I hope you manage to find out the reasons as to why they chose not to operate on your dad. Wish him all the luck on his fight against this horrible disease. Michelle x

I'm sorry to hear of the recent loss of your husband. I hope you are surrounded by many comforts.

So sorry to hear about your husband @gemini23. Gosh he was so young also. And they say this is an older persons cancer!! My heart goes out to you and your children whom im sure are giving you the strength in coping with your loss. Much love xx

Gemini,

I'm so sorry to read your sad news.

Best wishes to you and your family
Dave 

Darren, my husband is in much the same position as your father. He was diagnosed nearly three months ago with gastric cancer which is at the junction of the oesophagus and the stomach. He had lost a lot of weight and when we saw the consultant she said he would go into hospital to be fitted with a feeding tube to build him up for surgery. He was taken in the next day and has been on a feeding pump 16 hours a day since then. The CT scan showed the tumour was a primary cancer and that it hadn't spread. He has now put on a stone in weight, had a PET scan and we were told by a Macmillan nurse over the phone that it hadn't spread or grown. So we went to see the consultant again feeling fairly optimistic. It was the male consultant this time. He said he didn't think my husband was suitable for an operation or chemotherapy. He as good as said "go away and die." When we protested he grudgingly said my husband could undergo a fitness test. We were so upset by this that I emailed the consultant we had seen first but she would only reply to say she would see us in clinic.

We saw her yesterday and although my husband had 'passed' the fitness test, she still thinks the surgery will be too much for him. She is now going to send him to anaesthetists to see if they think he's fit enough for surgery. All this time wasted and the tumour could be growing and spreading! My husband is 80 but fit for his age.

Hi Janice

im really sorry to hear of your husband's illness. My dad was 77 at the time of cancer and was told the same.

What we found was the younger staff members weren't as experienced in giving the public the harsh reality of the situation as the older wiser and more experienced staff members. The older wiser members gave us the very month my dad would last until and she was exact. The deterioration happened very quickly and the time it would take to get an operation was much too late to even contemplate an operation or chemo.

It got to a stage my dad couldn't even swallow the shakes to give him a bit of energy so it was a matter of keeping him home as comfortable as we could until he passed.

He starved to death in the end I guess as he went from 14 stone down to under 6 and a half stone at the time of his death. Not a pleasant way to go for anyone and certainly hit myself and my siblings hard caring for him for the 10 months he lasted. 
I would recommend home help, don't try to cope alone, and maybe McMillan who are fantastic too.

Please try not to take this as the writing being on the wall because we are all different and you could always get a sw one opinion but at the same time I don't want you getting the false hope we did. He was diagnosed January, lost steady weight for about 4 months and then faded fast but hung in a lot longer than anticipated and died in October the same year.

I'm happy to respond and be here Janice

Good luck to you all

darren