When a person is diagnosed with esophageal cancer, the odds are not good. But thanks to advancing treatment options and improved awareness of this rare disease, more people are surviving than ever before.
But there’s still a long road ahead for those diagnosed with this insidious, aggressive and difficult to treat cancer. It’s often detected at the last stages, when it’s already spread from the lining of the throat to other areas of the body, such as the lymph nodes or the stomach. And, it can be tough to cope with the knowledge that this illness is terminal. A new study by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles and Trinity College Dublin explores the mental and emotional struggles of esophageal cancer survivors and their families. The study, the first of its kind in Ireland, interviewed 14 men and women who had survived esophageal cancer and their loved ones. The results highlight the wide range of challenges patients face when they’re diagnosed with this deadly disease: from shock and denial to a loss of control over their lives, as well as distress at having to rebuild a life in the wake of treatment.
Esophageal cancer, or adenocarcinoma of the esophagus/gastroesophageal junction, strikes about 19,000 Americans each year and 15,600 die from it. The majority of cases develop in the lower part of the esophagus, close to the stomach. It’s not clear what causes the disease but it typically begins in cells that line the esophagus and can be triggered by chronic heartburn, which is a common risk factor.
Josh Exford, 26, was only in his early twenties when he received the worst possible news from doctors: a dreaded esophageal cancer diagnosis. The cancer, an adenocarcinoma, had spread from the lining of his esophagus to his diaphragm and stomach. He had stage III esophageal cancer, bordering on stage IV.
He immediately flew to Houston and met with MD Anderson’s Jaffer Ajani, M.D., a medical oncologist who specializes in gastrointestinal hematology and oncology. The doctor outlined the plan to him: weekly rounds of chemotherapy and concurrent daily radiation for just a month to shrink the cancer enough to remove it surgically.
For Josh, the treatment worked. He remained positive, biked to his treatments and kept working during the process, and is now in remission and celebrating his one-year anniversary of being cancer free.
Elaine Dembe-Fox, 70, was also able to beat the odds. Her esophageal cancer was caught in its earliest stages and was curable with surgery and radiation. But, it was her unusual fatigue that tipped her off to something wrong. She started to have trouble swallowing and knew it was time to see her gynecologist. It was there that she learned she had esophageal adenocarcinoma, Stage IIB.
