How are people with liver mets doing?
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Raven-
My liver tumor was 8cm at diagnosis. I had a needle biopsy. They will give you light sedation---Versed and Fentanyl for me. I didn't want the meds at first and told the staff I would do ok without it. But then 1/2 way through I told them to give the meds. Before the meds uncomfortable but doable, then pain got worse and I agreed to the meds. After meds, piece of cake. I was monitored for a couple of hours. Vital signs, watched for bleeding, and of course wearing off of the meds. Area tender at home later, but no need for anything for it. Couldn't lift for a few days to prevent bleeding issues. You will do ok. Just follow your directions given to you and TAKE THE MEDS.
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Just chiming in to say, listen to candy and take the meds. It started out easy, but they needed to get two needle biopsies and four cores, because of all the trials I'm looking at.
For the last core, I thought the doc had his arm in there.
A cool, not super cold, ice pack helped with the discomfort.
Jennifer
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I have had several needle liver biopsies and like everyone says, the drugs work great and try to follow post procedure advice for afterwards -- Laying still for several hours afterwards and no heavy lifting.
Has anyone had a laparoscopic liver biopsy????
Therese
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Good luck in your quest at Dana Farber, Lynne!
Raven, I had a liver needle biopsy in April and was given *twilight sleep* so I was very chill, saw my liver on the ultrasound and dozed off right before the needle went in. We had to stay for a few hours afterward for monitoring, but all went well, and I felt fine the next day, just took it easy. And yes, take the meds. They will make for smooth sailing through the procedure.
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Saw Dr today he thinks it's the Gem raising my numbers because bilirubin and other stuff looks good, so we are taking a few weeks off, hopefully that does its job.
On a fun note I have thrush now too😒
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Candy- thank you for your advice, how is your liver doing today. I am scared to death that it can´t be treated. Was the result also breast cancer or new cancer. Has anyone had growth in liver cancer and decrease in other cancer. like for me the lung cancer?
Kattysmith- thanks for you input will ask for meds. how is your liver cancer was it also breast cancer same as other. my is ER+ pr+ Hertz 2 -
Celebrate- good luck with your laproscopy why is that being done? How is your liver doing.
How long can we survive with liver mets? It seems so scary I know they say without treatment 4-9 months, with treatment 2 years to ?????
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Serb4- I am 5.5 years our from my metastatic liver diagnosis. Hang in there. Yo can live a good life with metastatic liver cancer.
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leftfootforward: As I quietly sneak up to my 2 year anniversary of liver mets in November, its reassuring to hear of your experience. I hope to keep going whilst new and more successful treatments are introduced for us all. After my scare in April where my liver was not well, and it nearly was the end of the line for me, I am feeling so much better, and have renewed hope.
Sarah
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Got back from Boston a 1/2 hour ago. The breast oncologist there gave me 3 different chemos that my local oncologist did. They didn't match one. I am going with one of the ones from her. Probably CMF , which is once a week for 3 weeks, and then a week off. The other one was navabline (I haven't looked up how to correctly spell them yet, I just wrote down everything while she talked.) That one is once a week, every week. There was also a pill Abamcyclide. She said I'd probably be on all of them eventually. There is a clinical trial, that she says sounds promising, that will come out in a few months, so when this one stops working, she wants me to come back down. I guess I'll be looking up these chemos. I am going to chose one with few side effects, after this awful Taxotere for a year.
Keetmom-Sorry you have to take a break, but enjoy it!
Raven-I too am about 5.5 years out of liver involvement. There are plenty of treatments to try. I am still able to do what I want to do. I wish you luck with your biospy.
Have a nice weekend!
Lynne
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Keetmom - what are you using for thrush? There is a steroid mouthwash that might help (although not surprisingly, it can have side effects, too) as well as magic mouthwash or you can go a more natural route, if that helps. Mouth sores are the worst.
Serb4 - yep, my liver tumors are breast cancer mets, all ERPR+/HER2-, but two different types, which makes it trickier to treat. Boo. It's encouraging to see others who have been successfully dealing with this for years!
Katty
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Serb4. I'll be two years out in January with liver, lungs and chest. We can survive liver mets longer than two years depending on how they respond to TX. Personally, for mine, I believe that if my MO had not referred me to have the y90, I would not be here. I hope you will ask your MO about it and other local treatments available to you.
I don't know anything about your new meds. One of the chemo drugs sound similar to doxirubicin. I had it a 26 years ago. So maybe yours is in that family of drugs. Where do you live? I assume you are going to a major cancer center?
You may not be a candidate for y90, which is radio embolization of the liver. Even if your MO says no, research an interventional radiologist who specializes in y90. Get his opinion. They often have a different viewpoint than MO.
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Thank you for the info, this is all new to me. I am having my liver biopsy on august 20 to see what these new tumors are that growing despite Taxol treatment #7 , that´s why she changed my meds, wasn´t sure it was a good idea to keep using Taxol even though the 7 treatments had cleared up my chest but liver tumors were growing. These meds are old and came out 20 years ago were used as first line back in the day and worked well. They sent me home with a goodie bag of steroids, and antiemetics. so far 2 days post treatment 2 days i´m fine. I have taken advil 200mg 2x a day for aches. But I have been golfing 9 holes right after treatment on wednesday, then mall today to shoping.
even though I am stage 4 feel tired but still on the go, but then again I haven´t been stage for very long as you can see from my bio. I will ask about the Y90, but I see no info about your meds or stage in your bio.I would love to know how long you have had BC and anything else you want to share.
Tellme about your experience with liver biopsy...did u have one use meds any complications. I´m scarred shit over here. Excuse the language.
Raven
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Hi Lynne,
Girls is it better to write one answer and put all names in it or answer each person? seams easier if it´s just one answer. But anyway. Yes glad you got back from Boston and got some news from your dr. there.
Keep us posted. Also if u had a liver biopsy any tips?
Raven
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serb4. When I tried to put all my BC history in, I got completely stressed and gave up. I should try again now that I'm an old pro at this.....not. ha
I have a very complicated 26 year history with four DX of BC and MBC. The ladies and men have read so many of my posts here that they sort of know my story. I post mostly on this thread, Ibrance thread and my husband, my cancer......thread.
Back in 92 at age 44 was my first DX. In 2000 it came back in breast and C3. So, technically I've been MBC since then. But, it was only in one place so MDAnderson put me in a trial for surgery to remove it and taxotere x six. It was a cure for bone Mets, never came back. Then 2009, only in breast Abraxane x I don't remember how many. The November 2016 DX MBC to liver, lung and chest. ERPR+HER-. Yes, I had a liver BX. Listen to the other ladies on this, I wasn't breathing very well so they had to intubate me. Went to MDA again and they put me on IL. I've been on it ever since and still responding. Except for liver. I've already told you that part. I had the y90's in April and May of 2017. More about that on local treatments thread.
So there you have the short story, lots and lots of details left out. I'm 70 now and doing well. Of course I have the typical SE of IL but tolerable most of the time.
Hope this helps. It's hard being a newbie, it's even hard to be an oldie. But we soldier on.
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How can i bring myself to hear these horrible news. Robin, you were such a warm good loyal friend. You honestly did not know what to do on Dani's behalf. You pm'd many times, trying so hard to just help. You tried so hard for yourself. Damn. You had it tough. and then there was real hope. How devastating. I remember how you shared your love for the animals, the dogs and thought of Dani right away, by donating to the animal shelter on her behalf. She so wanted that little pup, it just another wish of hers that did not come through. You are so missed. Go with peace, my dear.
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Liwi so sorry for the shock you had to go through, take good care.
Good to know of Zar's vacay.
Wishing everyone a peaceful weekend.
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Ladies,
I am 7.5 years out from a Mets Liver (from breast cancer) DX. Just wanted you all to know. I've tried lots of chemos, hormonals, targeted therapies.
It's a good life in spite of it all.
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Thanks Miriam! We all love to hear from people who are 7 years out and doing well! Gives us hope
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yes it certainly does!
I don´t understand why tumors shrink in thorax and increase in liver on Taxol. Scared to death they don´t know what they are doing. almost to point of panic right now.
Raven
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Raven, don't panic. Deep breath.
The environment in the liver is much different than other sites. The doctors are watching you (and all of us) *because* they know what can happen. They still have a lot of steps in the plan.
At first, before any treatment, I went to another hospital for a second opinion and my onc was pleased that I did. I stayed with my first place after all. Once you feel like it, you might ask your current doctor a list of questions about treatment plans and whether you can have local treatment to your liver. Then take the same list to another doctor. Your current clinic will send your records ahead, with your permission. You may find, like I did, that both places would follow the same course. Maybe not. Then you decide.
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How many people here have gotten localized liver treatment (ablation, Y90, etc) in the presence of other systemic mets?
The last time I asked my MO, they said that I wasn't eligible for local treatment because I had bone mets. But, what if the chemo I'm on is helping the bone mets, but not the liver?
Thanks,
Jennifer
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blainjenniffer. I was on ibrance and letrozole during my y90s. I also have mets to chest and lung. IL was not helping my liver. Try to get a consultation with interventional radiologist. See what he thinks.
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Thanks momallthetime. I am hanging in there, now focusing on regaining physical strength after being nutrition depleted followed by surgery.
It’s interesting that many do you had progression in or to your liver while your treatment worked in other areas of your body. My situation was opposite, worked in liver while other mets moved into stomach and colon. Cancer is so frustrating and unpredictable.0 -
Hello Girls,
The reason why my onc switched from the Taxol to the new/old chemo regime was because it worked on the thorax, lungs area and all lymph nodes in the medisteinum ( behind lungs) but the liver tumors enlarged. She found older meds that have been in use over 20 years that are not in the taxerine family but have been shown to do wonders on the liver. I found several research articles on pub- med that calmed me down yesteday. But This is a challenge and a scarry one.
Thanks for being here, I am going to look into Y90 localized treatment as well, see options.
Raven
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blainejennifer- I could've written your post. Saw my oncologist Friday and asked about local treatment for my liver. He said same thing because I have bone mets. Need systemic not local. Why can't I do both? Happy with treatment now, chemo making my LFT normal, tumor marker down from 730 two weeks ago to 521 on Friday. I feel great too so that's another plus. We never did a biopsy of liver only based on what my liver looked like and blood test. Also my spleen was enlarged so something was going on. He's a great doctor but want to keep my options open including a consultant with radiologist if needed.
Rayven- what is the older meds your doctor is putting you on?
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grifff- Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamid together every 3 weeks. Also liver biopsy on the 20th the confirm ER status of liver. I had 7 treatments of weekly for my lung mets. I also have mets to T11. should see by bio let me know if you don´t.
Raven
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serb4 your DX and treatment is not showing up in your bio or your posts.
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hi ladies,
I’m currently facing the same situation unfortunately! I’ve been on Verzenio (Abemaciclib) and faslodex for the past 3 months with a small but noticeable improvement to the bone mets .. the liver is a different story.. the four mets there almost doubled and one tripled in size since the last scan three months ago!
Fir those asking about this drug combo, it does have side effects like all others namely higher grade diarrhea but compared to others out there it’s fairly tolerable and much more convenient.
That’s why I thought of doing something local like the Y90 based on seeing good results on these boards .. my MO is not opposed to the idea and kind of pushed the ball in the IR’s court for evaluation. Even though she laughed me off when I brought the same idea last time 3 months ago. We’ll see.
It’s important to keep a good quality of life and to squeeze the juice out of each treatment before moving on. I feel that I don’t have many real treatment options left in my hat. Especially that I go through them fairly quickly .. in only two years I already tried 5 or 6. I even had microwave ablation to the liver on a single met before and that didn’t work, more just kept popping up next to the ablation zone.
Please share you experiences with the Y90 and any words of wisdom.. what to expect and what to ask IR if they refused??
Thank you
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I changed my bio to public. I am not seeing your bio Grannax 2. How are you girls dealing with anxiety related to this, quality of life and pushing forward. This is still so new to me. I went from 2 A to metastsized stage 4 in May 2018 and am still processing and grieiving.
This is a nightmare.
Help..
Raven
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It seems like we need to take a note from the "Act Up" folks and make a fuss about localized liver treatment in the presence of other systemic mets.
Sure, sometimes the liver mets aren't going to stay down, but I'll bet that at least 30% of the time there will be a durable response. Those are good numbers. Whole treatment regimens are FDA approved with numbers like that.
I'm going to get the ball rolling with my MO this Friday, when I have a whole 20 minute appointment* scheduled to talk things over. If those answers aren't satisfactory, I'll bounce to the MO at Roswell Park and see what's shaking.
Why, oh why, do we have to drive the car when it comes to treatment? Our doctors simply aren't compensated for the amount of time they need to consider each and every one of us. It's not their fault, but . . . sheesh.
* slight, but loving, sarcasm intended
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