bart ziggie ( Greg ) Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Hello everyone. Well as you can tell my reading my profile info i have got liver mets. It started out as 4 of them. All of them fairly small. The largest was 2.5 centimeters i think ! When i was in the hospital last week we did another CT scan abdomine/pelvis. It showed 3 more lesions. All 3 small again. However, The problem is that the other 4 have grew ! I didnt ask how much but Dr. said considerably. I talk to him today i will find out exactly how large they are. Heres the thing. Up until now i havent been able to tell i even had them. That has changed ! For the last 2 days i have been sick. Vomiting,coughing, what seems to be something from my abdomine area. It also smells horrible and it is the most putrid color i have ever seen. I also have had alot of cramping on my right side. Heres my question ? What can i expect from these mets ? Are they painful ? What are the symptoms of liver probs ? I know i should ask dr. these questions today and i will i just wanted to get you alls stories as well. I have heard of others here who had liver mets and havent had any probs at all from them. With mine they are going to be tough to treat because i have had a recurrance. Which is an entirely different beast when it comes to treatment options. I also have decided to give the cisplatin another try next Fri. In combonation with the CPT-11. I told Dr. i will do it one more time but if i have another reaction like last time then i am done with it. He seems to think it will work in shrinking the mets. We shall see. At any rate i have to run i just wanted to post this morning to see if you all can share with me your experience. Regards Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Jaundice (yellowing in the skin) can occur with liver mets. The liver has a lot of functions. It stores glucose. I think you could start getting dizzy. My mom did. It processes fat also, so restrict you fat intake - I think this is what my mom was told. Whey proteins may be easier to take than animal protiens Ask about RFA. Sometimes if it is not too wide spread, they can do this on the liver. Also somtimes a chemo-embolism is done. http://www.tirgan.com/livermts.htm http://www.surgery.usc.edu/divisions/he ... tions.html http://www.livertransplant.org/patientg ... rdoes.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest a. Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Hi, My dad has liver mets - his doctors have told us that his liver is "huge", and that the liver mets are significant. Half-way through his chemo (after 3 treatments) his lung tumor shrank, but his liver remained the same. In my dad's case, he sometimes has pain in the liver area, especially after eating. Before the chemo, he was a bit jaundiced, but that has gone away. His liver function indicators on his latest blood tests were ok, except his alkaline phosphate level which was significantly elevated. Other than these symptoms, he's been doing all right with respect to his liver. The liver is a very resiliant organ, and only a small fraction of it needs to be functional for it to do the work it needs to do. I hope your symptoms get better, and that the new chemo starts to work right away. Best, a. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimblanchard Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Definitely investigate RFA, AND several of the other targeted modalities. Get something for pain, please. Pain attacks our strength & spirit, just when we need them the most. Be sure you get a consult with your team's Clinical Nutritionist for an appropriate diet re: the liver mets, AS WELL AS an evolving nutrition plan to follow that will MAKE SURE you'll be getting the nutrients, calories, & H20 needed to prevent wasting syndrome. Pulling for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hebbie Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Greg, I had posted this about a month ago under "New Treatments", but I don't know if you saw it or not. I know you are not in the Philly area, but it sounds worth asking your doctor about! It says that Fox Chase is the only hospital in the Delaware Valley doing this treatment, which leads me to believe that there must be other facilities in the country performing it! Perhaps there is one near you. I am praying for good results for you!!! Heather Liver mets treatment Date: 09 Sep 2003 Fox Chase Cancer Center Offers Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT); Acrylic Spheres Carry Radioactive Element Directly to Tumor PHILADELPHIA (November 30, 2002) -- Fox Chase Cancer Center physicians are offering a new treatment for people diagnosed with cancer that has spread to the liver and for people with primary liver cancer. The treatment is called SIRT, or Selective Internal Radiation Therapy. SIRT allows a doctor to deliver radiation treatment directly to the tumor by injecting tiny spheres into the body, usually into the main artery that delivers blood to the liver - the hepatic artery. The spheres, made with a porous acrylic, contain a radioactive element called Yttrium-90. The healthy liver tissue derives most its blood from another blood vessel, the portal vein, therefore, if the spheres are introduced into the hepatic artery, they will be carried preferentially to the cancer and not extensively to healthy liver tissue. Because the high dose of radiation from the spheres is selectively delivered to the tumor, other parts of the body usually are not affected. "Treatment with SIRT can cause the liver tumor to shrink or be eliminated in people with inoperable tumors. If the tumor shrinks enough, surgical removal is possible. This can result in improved survival or cure for some patients," explained Douglas Coldwell, Ph.D., M.D., an interventional radiologist at Fox Chase Cancer Center. "The microspheres are very small, about the size of talcum powder particles," said Coldwell. "The procedure to deliver the spheres takes about an hour and is done with local anesthesia. It usually does not require an overnight hospital stay." Since the spheres are delivered directly to the tumor area, few side effects occur. Serious side effects are not common. Many patients develop a fever and tiredness that may last for up to a week. Some patients also develop pain in the abdomen for a few hours after the administration of the spheres, but the pain can be treated easily with medication. Fox Chase Cancer Center is the only cancer center in the Delaware Valley treating cancer with SIRT. SIRT was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002. It is being investigated for the treatment other cancers. Each year it is estimated that 130,000 men and women will be diagnosed with colon cancer. Unfortunately, the cancer will or spread (metastasize) to the liver in nearly 50,000 of those patients. 16,600 people will be diagnosed with primary liver cancer. Other tumors that commonly spread to the liver include breast, kidney, lung and ovarian cancers. Common treatments for these liver tumors include chemotherapy and often surgery. Fox Chase Cancer Center, one of the nation's first comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute in 1974, conducts basic and clinical research; programs of prevention, detection and treatment of cancer; and community outreach. For more information about Fox Chase activities, visit the Center's web site at www.fccc.edu. For additional assistance, please call 1-888-FOX CHASE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhutch1366 Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Hi Greg, If you're going to do cisplatin again, maybe you could ask the oncologist to premedicate you with ethyol, or amifosdine, to protect your hearing etc from the worst of the damage from this chemo. It was originally designed to protect the kidneys. Premedication was what I swear made my chemos so bearable. Good luck with the cisplatin. MaryAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jonathan Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Hi, Have you had taxol yet? What about cytoxin with vincristine and adriamycin? These are also very powerful regimens... Jonathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jonathan Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Hi, Have you had taxol yet? What about cytoxin with vincristine and adriamycin? These are also very powerful regimens... Jonathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO_Sugar Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 This REALLY has NOTHING to do with liver mets BUT when my son was born (1977) he had problems with his liver and the DR's had us make sure he got a lot of sunshine for the first month or so. The vitamins produced by the sunshine helped clear up his problems. He is a healthy, happy 26 year old now. Maybe a nice sheltered spot in the local park would be just what the Dr ordered, lol. In any case I will be praying for you! God Bless, MO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roseymac Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 Thank You Heather for posting the article about Fox Chase. My husband also has Liver Mets and they are just treating him with Chemo now, it seems to be working but this is great to know about the new treatment. His Dr never mentioned anything about it. I am in New Jersey not to far from Fox Chase. Rosemary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bart ziggie ( Greg ) Posted December 7, 2003 Author Share Posted December 7, 2003 Thanks all for some great responses. Very helpful information thats for sure. Between the time i posted this and now things have changed dramaticaly. I have gotten very ill. I am having another severely bad reaction to the chemo. CPT-11 i suspect. I cannot get rid of the chronic diahrea. The longest i can get rid of it is about 4 hrs. I also have had alot of vomitting,cramping,and pain. For now i am hanging in there but my Dr. and nurse dont want me to hesitate this time about going to hospital. I waited too long a couple weeks ago and i really about paid the price. Well at any rate i am scheduled to recieve CPT-11 and cisplatin next Fri. I will be cancelling this and all future treatments. I discussed this with my Dr. prior to agreeing to try one more time with the cisplatin. I will call him Mon. and let him know i am choosing to stop treatment. I cannot take it anymore. Its a big choice but for me i think its the right one. I will start home hospice care Mon. We ( my ex wife and i ) met with hospice care fri. It sounds like the best option. So far all of my family agrees with me. I dont know what the outcome will be folks but i refuse to take anymore chemo. Love Ya Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie2003 Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 Hi Greg - Well, it's 2:00 a.m. in California and I'm hoping that when you read this on Sunday, you will feel 100 times better than you did this evening. I'm sorry that you are going through this. And I'm sure whatever decision you make is the right one for you. Let us know how you're feeling. Take care Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirleyb Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 Greg, I am so sorry to hear about all that has happened. You are the one who is in control about your treatment and I must say it takes courage to do what you have done in the past and are doing now. My heart goes out to you and your family at this very difficult time. You need to do what you think is best for you and your family. You will all be in my prayers. Take care, keep in touch as much as you can. Much love, Shirley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 Greg, I sure hope you are feeling better today. I know this is a very dificult time for you. Contact me if you need to talk or if there is anything I can do. My prayers are with you. David C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ry Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 I am so sorry to hear you're having such a bad reaction to the chemo. Please don't wait too long to go to the hospital. You'll feel a lot better if you can get IV's after such terrible diarhea. We're all here for you whatever you need. Ry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MO_Sugar Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 (((((Greg))))), I know this was a tough decision for you to make. I will be praying for you and remember, I am only 2 hours away if there is ANYTHING I can do for you. God Bless you and keep you, MO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Hi guys, I couldnt take it anymore so i went to the local ER yesterday morning. The crampinp and diahrea are just overwhelming. Also my temp shot up to 101.5. My siss and bro came and got me. My regular hospital and Dr. is 30 miles right smach thru the heart of St. Louis. We opted to go close and then they could ambulance me if needed. God i was sick. Dehydrated. They gave me 3 liters of fluid with sodium. My sodium levels have been extremely low. My blood work showed alot of things low. I am still incoherent so i will wait till tommorrow to post specifics. I do know the fluids worked. I am back home with no temp. Hallejuhla ! They also gave me an injection of morhine in my iv which tremendously eased the pain in my abdomine. I still am not eating anything att all, But i can deal with this for now. I have got to keep drinking the water though. You all are so great. Well i better get back to resting. Ill see you soon, Bst Regards Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bart ziggie ( Greg ) Posted December 8, 2003 Author Share Posted December 8, 2003 It was me i just forgot to log on lol........ its the pain meds doing that crap. I sat straight up in my recliner earlier and told my 12 year old he needed to shave his mustache. Everybody got a kick out of that one, Regards Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Hope you're feeling better after the fluids. Getting fluids always seems to help. Do you have snow in St. Louis? That could make getting to the hospital really fun! I'm in Florida and haven't driven in snow since leaving Tennessee in 1984. I would be terrified to frive on snow now. Glad you can chuckle about the pain meds. They can make you do and say really funny things. Hope today is a good one for you. I have you in my thoughts and on my prayer list!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remembering Dave Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Hey Greg, glad you went to the hospital so they could get your sodium strait. Thats how they found mine and I understand low sodium is pretty serious. Sounds like they gave you some good pain meds. Hang in there buddy, my prayers are with you. David C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhutch1366 Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Greg, Hang in there, soon they'll have you stabilized and more comfortable. I admire your resolve. You've got class. You are in my prayers. In the meantime, God bless and keep you. MaryAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy RN Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Greg, I know it is hard going thru the chemo. I am a few hours east of you. If you need to talk call. You are in my prayers. Cindy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_beanes Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I read many of your posts and I hope very much that you are feeling better by now. All I know about the liver is that it cleans the blood and that if it does not work, it poisens the brain in a way you do not become aware of . My mother had a failing liver and she faded away. It was not painfull . I hope so much you will get better!!!!! All my best wishes to you and your family from Spain. Bettina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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