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Translation pllleeeaase

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Translation pllleeeaase

4 Mar 2021 17:52

Hi all, 

We are in the Oesophageal club. Had the pathological staging post op, but now we are told it is this-:

ypT1b N0 (0/36) M0 R0 (mandard 2/5)  moderately differentiatated adeno carcinoma of the Gasto oesophageal junction.

God, what a HUGE final reading, now I am no expert on foreign languages, just a smattering , but THIS is frankly as complicated as deciphering Manderin!!
 Any one have any idea at all what it all means!
Sadly , he is now longer allowed to have the 3 &4 post op doses of platinum after a nasty anaphylactic reaction ( no reposes to my post) he can have the Taxane and flurorocil. Any one know how this usually pans out. He is really miffed as he thinks it will reoccur if he doesn't complete the platinums.... help

thanx

Translation pllleeeaase

5 Mar 2021 01:03 in response to Hilts

I can translate some of it, because it's similar to other cancer reports:

-- N0 - No spread to local lymph nodes.

-- M0 - No metastasis found.

-- T1 - Stage 1 cancer.

-- b (as in T1b) - the cancer has penetrated a little deeper into the tissue than a T1a cancer. 

-- yp - I think this means that the staging was performed using a sample taken during surgery.

-- adenocarcinoma - one of the common types of oesophageal cancer.

-- moderately differentiated - intermediate grade. This is how the cells look under the microscope. The grades are low, intermediate and high.

-- R0 - no idea, but I think the 0 means something wasn't found, so I guess that's good news.

I really don't know much about oesophageal cancer, but this looks like an early stage cancer which hasn't spread to the lymph nodes nor has it spread more widely.  Your doctors will advise what further treatment might be necessary to ensure that the cancer doesn't recur.

 

Translation pllleeeaase

5 Mar 2021 08:56 in response to telemando

Hi thank you for coming back,

we were told some time ago that it was 'good', then saw that on the letter and thought 'what on earth'!

we are a bit 'wobbly' at the mo, because he can't have any more platinum- so as far as our 'rational' minds are going at the mo, so we tend to react to anything a tad hysterically (: even though we have been categorically told that the post op chemo is 'only' belt and braces,. We have become obsessed with the one cell that might be hiding in the little toe!!! (:

The docs have told us it is good and said no visable disease etc, but I guess the last 6 months are catching up with us.

thnax again

Hilts

Translation pllleeeaase

5 Mar 2021 09:47 in response to Hilts

I think its good news Hilts, am happy for you all. Its a scary journey, and difficult not to worry constantly.

We had some good news, they did a Ca19-9 blood level reading on my husband and it is down from 79 to 48 (i believe 37 amd under is 'normal') so heading in the right direction. He is also eating everything now, including sandwiches, and meat. Gradually gaining a few lost pounds! 
 

Take care, lets enjoy the arrival of spring, and hopefully some freedom from lockdown soon... :) 

Translation pllleeeaase

5 Mar 2021 10:15 in response to Hilts

When I first scanned through it and saw T1, N0 and M0 I thought it looked like good news, since these are generally good indications for any cancer.  However, I know next to nothing about oesophageal cancer, so I'm pleased to hear that your doctors are telling you the same thing.

I'm still confused by the R0.  I must do some more research to find out what it means.

Translation pllleeeaase

5 Mar 2021 10:38 in response to Hilts

I think I've found what R0 means in the context of oesophageal cancer.  As I thought, it's good news.

It seems that R0 means the surgeons removed the tumour and were able to leave a clear margin of healthy cells all the way around the cut.  In other words, the complete tumour was removed.

There's also the Mandard 2/5.  That's an indication of how well your prior treatment "regressed" the cancer cells.  In other words, did chemotherapy, radiation, etc kill off all the cancer cells?  Mandard 1/5 is the best result where there are no living cancer cells seen.  Mandard 2/5 is the next best: there are a few scattered cancer cells left, but of course they were all removed by the surgery anyway. 

Fingers crossed for a full recovery.

 

Translation pllleeeaase

5 Mar 2021 16:53 in response to telemando

Thank you sooooo much.

The R0, why do things have to be over complicated (:

they told us there was good clear margins and we knew that they said , most of the cancer had been murdered by the chemo and there was only a tad left. But , they went and 'codified' it on the letter and gave us a nervous meltdown the 'are they telling us the full picture' kinda meltdown.

i looked it up last night on line , but my fingers must have been ina bit of a lather as didn't get that good info, just got a load of equally mandarin- is Ed research papers. So thanx for you help.

so all good, but of course we are now worrying about the one cell that might be sitting under his little toenail  waiting to set up home somewhere!!!!!. Just the last 6 months catching up with us.....

hyia Daisy. Goooood that you are improving. Is the test some sort of blood marker- not sure we've had that. Glad to hear you've graduated from cottage pie x as nice as it can be, steak and chips is better. He was like that, after 2:chemo's back to previous gluttony (: 

Boy oh Boy though , is the emotional stuff catching up with us now ): we are always looking for the BUT in any conversation and just thinking that as the platinum has been cancelled, the last 2 (already had 6) , not having those will sure lead to the microscopic cells coming back- no rational thought whatsoever . Funny , I was much more upbeat until now, when it is almost done- quite common apparently.People say "oh , try some counselling'- never really worked in the past , as I am thinking no matter how much I talk about it, and I very much know the reality- it won't change anything.

 

Translation pllleeeaase

5 Mar 2021 19:25 in response to Hilts

Once the initial treatment has drawn to a close, it's 100% normal to worry about the cancer returning.  I know that for the first 3-4 years after my radical prostatectomy, I was panicking every three months when my PSA test time rolled round.  I did have counselling and it helped somewhat, but the fear never entirely goes away.  There is definitely some evil power in the word "cancer" that it can turn the most rational of us to quivering jelly.

Translation pllleeeaase

6 Mar 2021 21:03 in response to telemando

Hi

thanx.

You are in the same club as my Dad. He had his radical prostatectomy 15 yrs ago, and I remember well him going for his PSA checks for 5 yrs then discharged. He really is living well to the full. Same old rogue (: My father in law exactly the same , he managed 20 yrs post op, Parkinson's doing for him.

Of course , as an ex nurse ( not practiced for 20 yrs+), I remember what a cancer diagnosis meant in say 1986, my  perception is distorted by how it was , not is, even though I have people around me who came through the other side, with less that halved popped off from it.
You  are so right saying the Cancer word sends most people into jelly- even though ,in my more rational moments I know full well that there a lot worse 'diseases' out there with no treatment at all!

Thanx for you effort and info. 
best wishes

hilts

Translation pllleeeaase

7 Mar 2021 07:07 in response to Hilts

Hi Hilts.

I think you've summed up the situation very nicely.  There is comfort in the saying that Cancer is a word, not a sentence...

 

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