Since I know I have cancer, I have been bombarded with words that I didn’t understand and some words I still don’t understand… So its about time I write down what I know about what I have… Sounds silly, but I can assure you that my mind is really overheated not to say crazy with all these terms thrown at me. Yet I would have preferred a cancer treatment, not a cancer dictionary…
To keep track of all the metastatic cancer facts, I summarize my findings at Metastatic liver cancer facts
Metastatic
I was blown away by the word "cancer", but what really is my "death
sentence" is the word "metastatic"…
A metastatic cancer is a cancer that has spread from its’ place of origin to another place or any other places in the body. Also called secondary tumor or secondary cancer. With me the doctors are not sure whether my cancer originates from a colon cancer, a prostate cancer, a lung cancer or a gland cancer on my left shoulder… I had a colonoscopy (read: 2 days of diarrhea), gastroscopy, pet-scan, CT scan and liver biopsy (with a needle) and yet the result is the same: we cannot find the primary source of your metastatic liver cancer.
A metastatic cancer can have spread to other places through:
- blood vessels or
- lymph vessels
which basically are the 2 transport systems in our entire body, which means that the cancer really can go anywhere…
Metastatic liver cancer prognosis
Ever wanted to put out a fire, but you just don’t know where the fire comes from? Pretty difficult… Same with a metastatic liver cancer: if you cannot find it, you need to assume the primary cancer is "everywhere" so your cancer treatment will go "everywhere" as well. In other words: a very, very strong chemo-therapy.
Metastatic liver cancer prognosis is normally not good. Unless you can find and treat the primary cancer. Cancer treatment means you will probably get a chemotherapy, and if you are young and fit, you can deal with it "easily". Myself I am old and already have difficulties keeping food in just like that, what kind of life do I get when I get a chemotherapy?
All in all my prognosis is not good and adding to that a chemotherapy doesn’t sound like a "healthy" decision either…
Technorati Tags: Cancer | Colon cancer | Cancer treatment | Liver cancer | Metastatic liver cancer facts | Metastatic liver cancer prognosis | Chemotherapy
my mother was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the lung (non-small cell) last october which was inoperable. she didnt take chemo treatment instead took eresa tablets daily. the “golf ball-sized” tumor shrink last March but we found out just last week that it has metastasized to her thyroid & liver.
now that it has metastasized, what are the chances of her survival rate? thanks so much.
Hi,
Doctors are the best positioned to talk about the survival rate of their patient in regards to the strength of the patient, his/her support system, the treatment followed and in this case, the speed of the secondary cancers.
Hugs and prayers,
SK
Hi Fenix,
Your cancer doctor should take the time to explain both to you and your wife what he is doing.
Since the biopsy doesn’t show where the primary is, it’s like my father’s cancer; metastatic liver cancer with unknown primary.
Since the primary is unknown, father’s oncologist said that he had to give chemo in order to kill “all” possible primary cancers. In other words a very strong dose of chemo.
Then he concluded that since the overall health of father was poor, the chemo could do a lot of harm, let alone kill father. So the oncologist adviced not to give any chemo, add to that he couldn’t guarantee that chemo would work in the first place.
That’s our story Fenix, your oncologist/cancer doctor is the person to talk to. If he/she is ‘too busy’, then your wife’s GP is the person to contact and ask your questions to.
If this doesn’t answer your question Fenix, please ask again.
my wife has Metastatic Liver Cancer.biopsy showed it being small cell but not where primary was at.cancer doctor is doing 3 treatments of chemo. is this to prolong life? and how long does she have? any info would be aooreciated tks
Hi Kath-e,
Since this is a medical question, the persons best qualified to answer you are your GP and oncologist.
I have the same understanding like you: you need to ‘get rid of the primary cancer’ because in secondary liver cancer: the cancer in your liver is the primary that ‘just moved’ from his prime location to the liver.
Father had secondary liver cancer with unknown primary, so the oncologist had ‘no indication’ which specific chemo to give (for which specific primary) and in order to ‘try to make sure to kill all possible primary cancers’, the high dose of chemo needed, would have most likely killed father.
Hope that helps. Please do ask your doctors.
Hugs and God bless!
kath-e here again…i have a question…and apprciate all answers…i have been in contact with someone however i dont know their name…this person is extremely knowledgeable and very willing to share their stories and info on this liver mets…
Q-my primary is non hodgkins lymphoma…and now its spread to my liver in some bad locations…some lesions are along the falciform ligament which makes a bad situation worse…im at stage 4 b and was in 2004 when diagnosed…now im rediagnosed with this mets from a liver biopsy done 3/31/10…im trying to figure out if you have to treat the primary first and the primary is NHL…and that is what is in the liver malignant NHL…is that why its untreatable bec its already been treated and the chemo didnt take…hmmm…im baffled on this one…
now i just realize my prognosis of 3-6 months..my birthday is exactly 6 months from the diagnosed date of 4/2/10…
any info regarding nhl with liver metastasis anyone has to share would be greatly appreciated…
with all the stories ive read and sites ive been on ..it always seems to be from one location to a completely differnet location…such as protrate to liver…or breast to liver….or lung to liver etc…
thanks very much!!
can we treat metastatic liver cancer by ayruvedic treatment
@Michelle
Thanks for dropping by and looking forward hearing your complete story.
First time I read about eye cancer spread to the liver, interested to learn more from you as we always learn more reading each others cancer stories.
One day we will find a treatment for cancer, it’s just a matter of getting all our knowledge together.
My dad’s cancer was originally in the eye… 18 years later it metastatised to the liver ….. one week after diagnoised… he died….For a year his doctor kept telling him he had gout! He came out to visit us, we noticed he was yellow, then later he told us about his urine bring brown and bowels being white… we took him to the hosptal… and after then did biopsy we brought him home with us and he died one week later! One of these days i will share his story…. it was awlfull how the insurance company treated him and what we had to do in order to get him seen in the first place since he was from a different state than where we were….
Thank you for your very informative site!
Blessings to you….