I think what the doctor is telling you, is fairly normal for this disease. It is very aggressive and hard to get rid of. My understanding is that the purpose of the chemo is to attempt to kill all cancer cells potentially floating around in the blood stream. The radiation and surgery are purposed to get rid of scan-visible cancerous tumors and lymph nodes. It is very possible that cancer remains in the blood stream -- or not -- and no doctor will commit to you that it is completely gone. (I have been told that everyone's body had cancer cells that the body continues to fight them off, very often successfully with no evidence they were there.) My esophageal cancer was "eliminated" twice, and has returned twice (I am fighting the third occurrence now -- which says, even though it wasn't visible on scans, and the tumors were removed or eradicated by radiation, there remained active cells that were not visible. I don't tell you this to discourage you, but to encourage you and your wife to live and enjoy each day, one day at a time. Do what you love and be with the ones you love as much as possible. When I was diagnose four years ago, it was very tempting to worry about the statistics, and to put my life on hold until I knew everything was OK. Looking back, I am so glad I did not. My wife and I have been able to do more things in 4 years, than many do in a lifetime. I am still fighting the disease, but I am also still doing, planning, building, and looking forward to everyday. I pray that your wife's cancer never returns, but I also pray that she will enjoy everyday to the fullest, no matter what happens.

Hi,
My husband was diagnosed 4/13. He had chemo and radiation, then surgery. The surgical pathology showed one lymph node still had cancer. So, a few weeks after surgery he started chemo again. He will finish in two weeks. We were so disappointed when we found out the cancer wasn't gone. Basically the affected lymph node is gone, but the worry is that some cancer cells have migrated to other parts of the body. Like Dan says, it's a very aggressive cancer. And, I also agree that we all need to live the life we have here and now. My husband is extremely weak from the current chemo. However, we've put a deposit on a cruise in the spring. He can barely walk right now, but we're planning on getting him back in shape again. The cruise gives us a goal to work toward. His experience with cancer has made me look at life differently. I want to enjoy my time with him. I realize that we all don't really know how much time we have. Why not make each day count?

DanJJ I appreciate the comments and kind words. This thing seems to become your life and obsessing over it seems to destroy the possibility of enjoying what you have. I seem to do nothing but worry about her and my young son. lt is hard not to be depressed and anxious but I am trying. My main problem is that I keep thinking that there something more I could do. Even though the last scan came back clear, I always think I should be doing something pro active like maintenance chemo, try going to MD Anderson. When your cancer came back, did it come back in the same general area and how have you been treating it? Chemo, surgery,

Rslate, my husband had surgery six months ago and i worry about him and our kids everyday. I try to get some exercise, focus on the positive and remind myself all is going well. It really helps to spend normal family time together, going away for the weekend, out to dinner, etc. it helps to talk to him about my concerns but I also try not to bring it up too often. Keep the faith if you can.

Rslate ... regarding your question, my first recurrence was where my 1/2 stomach was rejoined with my 1/2 esophagus. Since that junction was now located further up my body, I was able to do another 28 days of radiation and a couple months of chemo. The visible cancer was "eliminated" for several months. My most recent occurrence was in two lymph nodes in the same general area, but behind my aorta. There was also some suspicious "stranding" in my lower abdomen. I can no longer get radiation, the location is not operable, so chemo is my only option, and that is what I am doing. The chemo has shrunk the lymph nodes substantially and the "stranding" is no longer visible -- so hopefully it is doing some good. I really don't know that there is something "preventative" or "proactive' that you can do, though it wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion. I would guess that your wife will have PET/CT scans every few months for a while to look for recurrences. But other than that, I really think it has helped me to be very active and to live one day at a time. Thinking about this beast and the worst possible potential outcomes can overtake your life and put it on hold if you let it. If you would like to talk, please don't hesitate send me a private message from this site and I'll give you my cell phone number.

Hi rslate, I see several positive statements in your post. First, the surgeon told you that the tumor was greatly reduced (not all people respond as positively to the chemo/radiation). Second, your oncologist has ordered 3 CT scans since February and they all appear clear. (My sister's oncologist did not order a scan until 6 months after surgery, and by then the cancer had spread throughout her abdomen.) It sounds like he is staying on top of the situation. You bring up a good point- Many of us worry so much about our loved ones that it's hard to get beyond that. We talk about the physical tolls of this cancer, but there are so many emotional issues too! I think that if it would make you feel better to get a second opinion for care at MD Anderson, that might be a good thing to do. I recently checked and found that they are still the #1 cancer center in America. I hope that you will get the answers that you are searching for. Sending good thoughts your way.