Metastatic liver cancer

Nov 22 2006

Metastatic liver cancer facts : secondary liver cancer

Published by Liver Cancer at 4:36 am under Metastatic Liver Cancer, Metastatic liver cancer facts, Metastatic liver cancer prognosis

How to read this picture? Suppose I am standing up, my back facing you and you cut me in half, then look from above: then you see me like in the above picture. Have a better understanding of the picture at : Where is your liver.

Updated August 18, 2008: we added a “roadmap” to clearly read what is happening in the above metastatic liver cancer scan at Where is the liver located.

Secondary liver cancer

Like said already in Metastatic liver cancer facts : a secondary cancer is a cancer that came from 1 place and went to the other place. In this case it went to my liver. See all those dark gray circles at the left top of my liver? These are liver tumors. According to the doctors: if we would have seen only 1 round dark gray circle, then it
would have been a primary liver cancer. But now since there are a few, you can be more or less sure the cancer originates from somewhere else.

Where is the primary cancer?

According to the doctor who did my colonoscopy, the primary cancer most likely comes from the colon, yet his camera got stuck in my intestine and he doesn’t want to poke harder in order not to destroy my intestine.

So this doctor says: colon cancer treatment: take Xeloda.

Then I go see the oncologist and he says: I am not sure that the primary cancer is in your colon, so giving you Xeloda would more be "an experiment" or wild goose chase than "a cancer treatment." This was a brutal reality for me as that meant: TRY heavy chemotherapy in order to TRY to kill everything which could include me as well… If I was 100 % sure the chemotherapy would work, yes I would take it. But TRY….

Prognosis for secondary liver cancer

In my case not good, as they cannot find the primary cancer. You cannot cure what you cannot find… The last thing I heard was about a virtual colonoscopy, but all is silent there…

Secondary liver cancer treatment

remove the bad part: is not an option if you don’t know where the primary cancer comes from (as it will keep on making the liver sick again)
get a new liver: is not an option, see above
chemotherapy (CF5 something): again the problem: as long as you cannot find the primary cancer, it can help you, yet not cure you, as you are not treating the primary cancer
Radio Frequency Ablation: kind of cooking the liver tumors in my liver bso they are gone. Again same problem with primary cancer.
Freezing would also exist but I don’t know
Alcohol treatment would also exist
Some medicine would act as a natural antibody against cancer, yet it is very bad for the liver… and my liver is already not in a good shape

14 Responses to “Metastatic liver cancer facts : secondary liver cancer”

# Metastatic Liver Canceron 29 Nov 2006 at 5:45 am

[...] I already explained about my specific "adenocarcinoma treatment" at Metastatic liver cancer facts : secondary liver cancer. [...]
# Maria Ortizon 31 Jul 2008 at 12:08 am

Thank you for this post, explaining the image was extremely helpful. My mother is awaiting a CT scan and biopsy among other tests and we are on pins and needles wondering if she has cancer. She has some of the symptoms, weight loss, loss of appetite, bump on right side below ribcage.
# Liver Canceron 31 Jul 2008 at 5:14 pm

@Maria

The biopsy test will show if your mother has cancer or not.

In case of a tumor, pray it is only 1 and not as many as in the picture of my father.

Please keep us informed if you can and feel like it.

Hugs!
# Steveon 05 Aug 2008 at 3:16 pm

Your description of how to view the CT scan is incorrect. Its not looking down from above but looking from below and up. The liver occupies the right side predominately. Your description suggests its on the left hand side.
# Metastatic liver cancer » Where is the liver locatedon 18 Aug 2008 at 1:07 pm

[...] scan from father’s metastatic liver cancer should be interpreted as [...]
# Liver Canceron 18 Aug 2008 at 1:16 pm

Thanks Steve, this was father’s description made with a brain not always feeded with clean blood due to his failing liver. We clearly illustrated the above metastatic liver cancer scan in Where is the liver located where we added your view.
# Metastatic liver cancer » More metastatic liver cancer minds out of controlon 26 Aug 2008 at 4:01 pm

[...] The first father’s mind played tricks on him was when father blogged that his liver scan should be looked at as if you were looking from top to bottom. [...]
# Heatheron 09 Oct 2008 at 11:39 pm

I have a question. My father has secondary liver cancer. It derived from testicular cancer that was not found in time after a year and a half complaining to doctors. The cancer sack broke the the cancer seeds went up. Therefore, he got liver cancer as well as prostate, bladder, both kidneys (one which was lost), he is talking very little about how things are going and he is doing self medications with adjusting his food intake. He has said no to chemo. My question is that the other day he had mentioned that he can no longer eat protein. Does this mean his liver is worse then he is letting on to believe, and that I will have less time then I am hoping to have. I would appreciate if you could help. I feel like I am doing this alone. My father feels he does not want to burden us. But I need to know.

Thank you for your time
Heather
# Darlaon 26 Oct 2008 at 12:14 pm

My uncle had prostate cancer in Feb 08 this year. He went to a dr that performed radiation therapy with some form of pellets. they were placed inside him accordingly to the size of the tumors size which was about 120 pellets. after the insertions, they gave off radiation for 2 weeks. yes it was painful. and he urinated alot and got two infections that required antibiotics. then the next visit he was cancer free. I hope and wish the best for all who are going through any of this. God bless you all!

My aunt on the other hand has stage four liver cancer.
I am praying for the best for her and all others going through this.
# Liver Canceron 06 Nov 2008 at 4:15 pm

@Darla,

Thanks for sharing, please share more of your experience and information on prostate cancer at prostate cancer symptoms.

We featured your story and explained what radiation pellets are in prostate cancer treatment options.
# Jonon 07 Nov 2008 at 12:48 am

I have a 7 yrs. old boy who has angiosarcoma in the liver, He has had his spleen removed and has been doing chemo now for about a year. Thank god he is not sick and he does not have many side effects. Just throughing this out there because I can not find out much about people having this type of cancer. Very rare..?? Prayers would be great and thanks..
# Darlaon 15 Nov 2008 at 7:15 am

After my recent posting, i’m very saddened to tell you that my aunt passed away 10/28/08 from the stage four liver cancer. She became very weakened, could no longer eat, began to swell tremendously and was no longer putting out fluids and her nose began to bleed. I will keep everyone in my prayers that your answers and treatments are successful. God Bless you all who seek help.
# Liver Canceron 17 Nov 2008 at 10:06 am

@Darla

Thanks Darla for making the effort in sad times to update us.

Our prayers and condolences at : Condolence flowers for Darla
# Liver Canceron 18 Nov 2008 at 3:57 pm

@Jon

Thanks for sharing and all our hugs and prayers for you, your son and your family.

We featured your story and ask others to join in at Avastin chemotherapy drug