Ask the Cancer Coach-“Stage 4 esophageal cancer diagnosis and treatment”

HI Pavan,

I am sorry to read of your father’s stage 3 EC diagnosis. I will reply to your question about alternative therapies below. But before I do I just wanted to start with stage 3 prognosis aka 5 year survival average. Keep in mind that this is an average and therefore can be somewhat misleading. For example your dad is younger than the average cancer patient. If he is in good condition, physically speaking, then he is again, ahead of the average cancer patient.

When you say “lesions are found in some parts of the body” I take this to mean that your father’s cancer is “regional” and possibly “distant.” This means that his five year survival is less than localized EC cancer. My point is that your dad must treat his cancer more aggressively that if his EC were localized.

Localized means that the cancer is only growing in the esophagus. It includes AJCC stage I and some stage II tumors (such as those that are T1, T2, or T3, N0, M0). Stage 0 cancers are not included in these statistics.
Regional means that the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissues. This includes T4 tumors and cancers with lymph node spread (N1, N2, or N3).
Distant means that the cancer has spread to organs or lymph nodes away from the tumor, and includes all M1 (stage IV) cancers.
Stage
5-Year Relative Survival Rate
Localized
43%
Regional
23%
Distant
5%

Yes, there are alternative EC therapies. Meaning, there are therapies to take that are non-toxic. The challenge you and your dad face when considering alternative therapies is that they are difficult to assess. Meaning, it is difficult to judge a therapy if the “proof” is anecdotal or individual.

Having said this, I believe your father’s therapy regimen should not be alternative but a combination of conventional, integrative and complementary. For example, your dad might undergo surgery or radiation (both conventional) in order to shrink his tumor. At 28-32 cm, his tumor requires immediate treatment to shrink his tumor. Yes, radiation is toxic but I will recommend therapies that research has shown will reduce this toxicity such as resveratrol.

The protective effects of Resveratrol against radiation-induced intestinal injury

Further, I would recommend systemic (body-side) therapy to kill any EC that has spread throughout your dad’s body. Yes, chemo is toxic but again 1) your dad must treat his metastasis quickly and I would recommend and provide integrative therapies shown to enhance the efficacy of the chemo.

You would have to find out what chemo and tell me to research evidence-based integrative therapies. An example would be a chemo called 5-FU- curcumin has been shown to enhance the efficacy of 5-FU in EC.

Curcumin potentiates the antitumor effects of 5-FU in treatment of esophageal squamous carcinoma cells through downregulating the activation ofNF-kB signaling pathway in vitro and in vivo

Further, I believe that your dad should undergo evidence-based non-toxic therapies that also have been shown to be cytotoxic (kill) EC. Again one of these is curcumin, but in addition there are foods and lifestyle therapies that also can help your dad.

Lastly, yes, my job as a cancer coach is to provide online support to both you and your dad through this process. The cancer coaching that is provided by PeopleBeatingCancer also provides caregiver, mind-body, etc. therapies.

This is a long reply to your questions. Let me know if you have any other questions. My email address is david.peoplebeatingcancer@gmail.com.

Hang in there,

David Emerson
Cancer Survivor
Cancer Coach
Director PBC

Hi Jules,
I am sorry to learn of your husband’s esophageal cancer diagnosis. Yes, depending on what you need, I can help. As a cancer coach, I work with patients and their caregivers to research and provide information about therapies and issues that they are facing.

For example, what therapies are you considering? What therapies has your husband’s oncologist offered? I can provide information about other forms of therapies as well, depending on what you are looking for.

What therapy or therapies is your husband considering?

Thanks

David Emerson

Hi Toshia-
I am sorry to read of your brother’s stage 4 EC cancer. Has your brother had the surgery to remove the shrunken EC tumor yet? I ask only because surgical removal (debulking the cancer) would give his body time to rest for other therapies. As you say he has lost weight and is weak.

The next steps in his therapy plan depend largely on if the cancer has been removed. Please let me know.

thanks

David Emerson

Hi Kate-

I am sorry to learn of your stage 4 EA. Good to read that you are reducing or eliminating sugar. I also agree with juicing veggies. Curcumin and resveritrol are two supplements that have been shown to kill EC.

I will be direct. Due to your advanced stage I encourage you to use both conventional (FDA approved) and evidence-based non-conventional therapies to treat your cancer. Meaning, use those therapies that your oncologist is recommending as well as curcumin, resveritrol, others, complimentary therapies, exercise, detox, etc.

Are you considering any conventional therapies such as surgery or chemo? Radiation?

David Emerson

Curcumin induces cell death in esophageal cancer cells through modulating Notch signaling.
Resveratrol induces apoptosis in human esophageal carcinoma cells.

Hi Anita-

I am sorry to read of your brother’s stage 4 lunch cancer diagnosis. I am both a long-term cancer survivor and cancer coach. I work with patients, survivors and caregivers to design a non-toxic, evidence-based program for their cancers.

Let me know if you would like to learn more about cancer coaching.

Please consider:

1) Palliative Care
2) Milk Thistle
3) Curcumin
4) Omega-3 fatty acids

David Emerson

Hi Rick-

My impression from reading your post is that you understand that you are in a serious situation with stage 4 esophageal cancer though you are taking a full spectrum approach to your therapy with chemo and integrative and complimentary therapies. Again, my impression is that your positive results “…scans showed primary tumor had shrunk to less than 1/2 size from 8.2 cm and cancer in nearly all lymph nodes has also shrunk with 2 staying at same size. Good news from that exam was NO spreading to any new sites or organs…” is a clear indication that your combination of therapies is working.

While the research remains hazy on the issue of both CTC and cancer stem cells (CSC), I am in agreement with you- conventional therapies may shrink the visible tumor but do not kill CTC or CSC.

I would like to add evidence-based integrative or complimentary supplements for you to consider taking in addition to your list above. I will link blog posts with studies embedded in each. Please read and consider adding to your therapies- based on the studies below, please consider adding omega 3 fatty acids, resveritrol and green tea extract to your regimen.

Pharmacological Intervention through Dietary Nutraceuticals in Gastrointestinal Neoplasia.

Induction of apoptosis by eicosapentaenoic acid in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

omega-3 Fatty acid-containing diet (Racol) reduces toxicity of chemoradiation therapy for patients with esophageal cancer].

Resveratrol inhibits oesophageal adenocarcinoma cell proliferation via AMP-activated protein kinase signaling.

Green tea and prevention of esophageal and lung cancers.

Regarding your question ” If they recommend radiation or surgery after reviewing scans, should I do either or give more time for natural remedies to take effect. I am doing well with chemo, bur nervous about radiation or surgery. Your recommendations/comments please.”

If in two weeks you are staged again you will have only completed 8 of 12 rounds of chemo if I understand your post. It seems logical to me that before undergoing a different therapy (radiation) you and your onc. will want to 1) finish the full course of chemo and 2) see what happens to your EC after you complete your chemo course (which may take a week or two two finish its job aka cytotoxicity.

I am not against local radiation as your stage and cancer are aggressive though you are correct. You are responding WELL to chemo. I would want to see how the full course of chemo does. Especially if you add fish oil, resveritrol and green tea extract.

Let me know if you have any questions.

David Emerson

Good luck

Let me know if you have any questions Marie-

D

Hi Marie-
I am sorry to learn of your husband’s esophageal cancer diagnosis. The link below illustrated several EC non-conventional therapies. Specifically, melatonin has shown the ability to fight GERD but not EC specifically.
Ask the Cancer Coach-“Stage 4 esophageal cancer diagnosis and treatment”

What other therapies are you considering?

Hang in there-

David Emerson