Metastatic liver cancer

Sandra and Glen left a comment on our April Metastatic Liver Cancer post, which we will add below in italics and our feedback in
normal script.

Glen’s Liver Cancer story

Thank you for sharing your story. My mom, aged 71, has been diagnosed as having HHC (Hepatocellular Carcinoma) in April 08. Her MRI indicated multiple Metastasis in her liver (innumerable large and small tumors).

Sounds like father’s diagnosis: lots of words we heard for the first time and when we saw the picture of his liver it became all clear to us: innumerable small tumors scattered in his liver…

Her blood tests indicated elevated Alpha Fetoprotein, and her history of chronic Hepatitis added to the diagnosis of liver tumor.

The liver tumor involves both lobes (which makes it not curable by resection, according to her doctor). She is in pain and takes Hydromorphone.

Father also was in pain due to the expanded liver pushing against all other organs. We tried to keep the pain under control with medicine starting with paracetamol and ending with morphine patches

Doctor said her age and condition doesn’t make her a good liver transplant or liver surgery candidate.

If a liver transplant would have been an option with a certain degree of success, father would have taken that, but he even didn’t have that option because his liver cancer was secondary.

We are looking for all answers and hope to give it our best shot!

If you still have answers Glen, please let us know. For medical answers make sure you get a second opinion and contact hospitals that are specialised in the cancer you describe.

Please update us how it is going.

Sandra’s Liver Cancer story

Today my father was found to have a 12 cm liver mass.

Tomorrow he gets a PET and Wednesday a biopsy.

PET and biopsy as you know being in the field of medicine is standard procedure. Father also had an MRI like Glen’s mom. Hopefully the biopsy gives an answer about what kind of cancer your father has. With our father the biopsy wasn’t any helpful for finding a cure. Yet each case is different and since today is Wednesday, you will get more answers.

Being in the field of medicine I want to see that everything possible is done to save him.
Not knowing all the answers to what he has and how they’ll treat it is exhausting. I can’t lose him yet.

Since you are in the field of medicine and looking at the procedures mentioned above, I am sure you know which questions to ask medically. My sister in law is a specialist herself, and me not being a doctor at all, we did have some clashes… So you will be spared from those useless extra energy consuming fights.

Exhausting is what the future will bring as well, so please update us how it is going.

Please leave a comment to give Glen and Sandra your hugs or to share your knowledge and experience with metastatic liver cancer!

Technorati Tags: alpha fetoprotein, biopsy, blood tests, carcinoma, chronic hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, hydromorphone, liver cancer story, liver mass, liver surgery, liver transplant, liver tumor, lobes, medical answers, metastasis, Metastatic Liver Cancer, morphine, morphine patches, paracetamol, second opinion

Terese for Pammy and the rest of us
(pammy’s liver cancer story please give your hugs)

I am reading this. My husband,45, has Angiosarcoma of the liver.
He never smoked, took drugs or worked in a factory that emitted chemicals. We have two children,13 and 9, and we just found out that the chemo that they are using is not working so they have switched him to a new drug. He just came home from the hospital and doesn’t have enough energy to make it up the stairs. I can’t stand to see him in this state and I fear he doesn’t have much time left. We just found out on Oct 31 that he has a liver mass so it has only been 8 weeks and already I can see how cancer causes such pain, pain that no person should have to endure. Keep us in your prayers.

Terese 

Dear Terese,

All our prayers and hugs for you and your children.

Father most of the time didn’t have the energy to walk up the stairs either, so we put a hospital bed in the living room where he slept the last months of his life. Yet sometimes "father was gone" : just managed to walk the stairs on his own and sleep in his good old bed…

Pain: we opted for NO PAIN : meaning giving the pain medication every so many hours and progressively adding more medication when needed.

Hugs and prayers.

What is Angiosarcoma

A type of cancer that begins in the lining of blood vessels. This type of tumor tends to be aggressive, recur locally, and spread widely. It can originate anywhere in the body but is well known to arise in skin, soft tissue, liver, breast, spleen, bone, lung and heart.

Father’s metastatic liver cancer was called adenocarcinoma… all in all words without a real meaning for us, especially when you hear the word cancer and you don’t hear the word cure…

Technorati Tags: chemicals, chemo, Drugs, liver cancer story, liver mass, oct 31, pammy, prayers, stairs, terese

From Cathy to Pammy
(request-from-pammy)

Pammy,

My younger sister was also recently diagnosed with 4th stage metastaic liver cancer with the primary being her esophagus. She too has a 5 year old son and is a single mother. Due to lack of insurance she has fallen through the cracks of the healthcare system. She is in excruciating pain and has been unable to fill the $2600 prescription for her morphine. If they don’t begin the chemo soon I fear she will not make it another week or two. I feel for you, I work in the medical field and trust me, a little knowledge is not necessarily a good thing. My sister is terrified and so am I. Anything you have to tell me as far as what happens now or any advise I’m open.

Dear Cathy,

When father had metastatic liver cancer, we opted that no pain was a priority
(no matter what, money included…).

Please contact Colin who has chronic pain and blogs about it. You can find his blog in our Lord of Pain post.