Hi everyone,
My dad (who is 75) was diagnosed with Dukes b, and they removed a 4 cm tumor via laparotomy. They also performed a pliectomy to clear out any other formations. The initial surgery happened back in April, and at that time, the word was that chemotherapy wouldn't be necessary. However, after the pliectomy, we were advised to go get a second opinion from an oncologist. Since the pliectomy was just last week, and we really want to make up for lost time, we decided to reach out to a private oncologist. Of course, as it usually goes in the medical community, there’s a bit of a gray area here. Dukes b seems to fall right into that zone because this specific oncologist is recommending chemo with Xeloda, while someone else might very likely tell us there's no need for it. To make matters more complicated, the histology report wasn't exactly thorough; it shows the tumor breached the wall down to the serosa without involving the lymph nodes, but it failed to specify the degree of carcinoma differentiation. We are currently waiting on the histology from the new samples—this time, we made sure to insist that they include every single detail.
We’re planning to consult with another doctor as well, but honestly, it feels like if we get conflicting opinions, the final decision might end up resting squarely on our shoulders. Also, just a side note, Xeloda isn't actually covered by Medicare for Dukes b, so that adds another layer of practical uncertainty to the whole thing.
Does anyone here happen to have experience using preventative chemotherapy with Xeloda for Dukes b carcinoma?
Thanks so much for the help, and sending my best to you all!
Feel free to send me a private message.
My dad (who is 75) was diagnosed with Dukes b, and they removed a 4 cm tumor via laparotomy. They also performed a pliectomy to clear out any other formations. The initial surgery happened back in April, and at that time, the word was that chemotherapy wouldn't be necessary. However, after the pliectomy, we were advised to go get a second opinion from an oncologist. Since the pliectomy was just last week, and we really want to make up for lost time, we decided to reach out to a private oncologist. Of course, as it usually goes in the medical community, there’s a bit of a gray area here. Dukes b seems to fall right into that zone because this specific oncologist is recommending chemo with Xeloda, while someone else might very likely tell us there's no need for it. To make matters more complicated, the histology report wasn't exactly thorough; it shows the tumor breached the wall down to the serosa without involving the lymph nodes, but it failed to specify the degree of carcinoma differentiation. We are currently waiting on the histology from the new samples—this time, we made sure to insist that they include every single detail.
We’re planning to consult with another doctor as well, but honestly, it feels like if we get conflicting opinions, the final decision might end up resting squarely on our shoulders. Also, just a side note, Xeloda isn't actually covered by Medicare for Dukes b, so that adds another layer of practical uncertainty to the whole thing.
Does anyone here happen to have experience using preventative chemotherapy with Xeloda for Dukes b carcinoma?
Thanks so much for the help, and sending my best to you all!
Feel free to send me a private message.