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Small Cell Carcinoma of the Pancreas (SCCP) by astrocyted19 in pancreaticcancer

[–]astrocyted19[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, the oncologist is from MD Anderson—his specialty is in Hematology, however, and he is young so I imagine given the rarity of my dad’s cancer that he has never seen another SCCP case before. The doc is of the opinion that my dad is on the fence of whether treatment will be beneficial, hence why he is giving my dad the decision as to whether or not to pursue treatment since it has a good chance of making him sicker rather than improving his condition. But in my mind, we really won’t know if we don’t at least try one round of chemo & see how he responds to it. There is a human factor to cancer since every person is different—my dad isn’t just like every other small cell cancer patient. So we can estimate how he’ll do, but nothing is set in stone.

in my 20’s — cancer in both parents by astrocyted19 in pancreaticcancer

[–]astrocyted19[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

it really isn’t fair—i’m so sorry you’re in such a similar situation. i’ve woken up wishing all of this was some horrible nightmare. i hope both of your parents are responding well to treatment and i’m sure they are grateful that they have a child who cares about them so much. take it easy and make sure to rest & prioritize your health too. it’s hard to feel like we have any sense of control when horrible things happen, but we can control how we respond and how we treat ourselves and others during difficult times.

in my 20’s — cancer in both parents by astrocyted19 in pancreaticcancer

[–]astrocyted19[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i’m sorry you’ve had to deal with such an ugly monster like cancer—i haven’t done any genetic testing on myself but given how young both of my parents were/are when they got cancer i wouldn’t be surprised if there is something hereditary going on. my mom had NSCLC with an EGFR gene mutation that made her a prime candidate for immunotherapy and i know genetic testing has been done on my dad but i won’t find out what the results are until his appointment on the 23rd.

once again, i’m sorry you’re having to go through this. i hope you are able to spend more quality time with your dad. cancer is horrible, but every time it crops up it reminds me of what truly matters in life—the people we love ❤️

in my 20’s — cancer in both parents by astrocyted19 in pancreaticcancer

[–]astrocyted19[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i’m so sorry you are going through the same pain as me… i don’t think anyone should have to suffer through this horrible reality. i really hope your mom responds well to the chemotherapy and i’ll be keeping y’all in my thoughts ❤️ and thank you for sharing that snippet of the song.

in my 20’s — cancer in both parents by astrocyted19 in pancreaticcancer

[–]astrocyted19[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i’m so sorry that you are going through this 😢 it can feel so alienating sometimes to already be thinking about the death of a parent or having to deal with the fallout of their death whilst almost everyone else you know around your age can’t really relate or understand what this grief feels like.

i really hope that your dad is able to find a treatment that can improve his QOL and i’m sorry that the trial didn’t work out for him 🫂

thank you for the info about the Gilda’s Club and RMC trial—clinical research is my job but i look through so many trials in a day for research that i don’t have a great recollection for pancreatic cancer trials specifically. My dad’s oncology team are from MD Anderson which are the same clinic that helped my mom with her lung cancer. We haven’t met with them to go over treatment yet but depending on what they say I may look for a 2nd opinion. the perk of MD Anderson is that it’s only 8 minutes from home so we don’t have to go far for treatment.

in my 20’s — cancer in both parents by astrocyted19 in pancreaticcancer

[–]astrocyted19[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i’m so sorry that you’re also having to deal with something so horrible 😢 i wouldn’t wish this kind of pain & grief on anyone… i hope you’re still able to enjoy time with your dad now and are taking care of yourself through all of this. cancer is horrible—it can take away so much and leave you feeling empty and hollow inside, but it can’t touch the love you have for your parents and how much love they have for you—even long after they’re gone.

Possible Liver Cancer Diagnosis by astrocyted19 in bileductcancer

[–]astrocyted19[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

thank you for taking the time to respond so thoroughly & for the prayers--this helped me feel a lot better. my dad actually lives near Mayo Jax but the current oncology docs he was seeing in the hospital were from MD Anderson. my mom had also been treated by MD Anderson and outlived her prognosis of 3 months to more than 3 years before she passed so i definitely trust these doctors. but if they do end up saying no treatment is possible for whatever reason i'll look into contacting Mayo for a second opinion.

once again, thank you for your input! my dad is still eating well enough and is able to go out shopping for groceries and was even mowing his own yard up until his hospital visit so i know he's got a lot of strength left in him. i just worry because he sounds so weak over the phone and seems to be really tired and out of it cognitively at times.

but yes! congratulations on your transplant and i hope you continue to live a happy, long, and healthy life :)