How are people with liver mets doing?
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Sandilee is right, they can go up and down a bit for unknown reasons. It's just when they spike a lot and stay there that they worry. I am hoping on Monday that they have gone down even more. Last time they were in the 160/240 range....If they haven't they want to do a liver biopsy.
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Ronnie Kay
I get blood tests every 4 weeks. This past month the ALT went from 19 to 43-that's the biggest jump to date.
I guess I'll just ask my MO next time I see her-and then I'll have another test done to compare the counts to
Babs
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Whoa....I missed Artist & Sandilee's comments when I was typing. Artist...must be my chemo brain...forgot your counts were high..hoping, praying they keep a downward spiral!!
My onc also said amount of exercising before tests can sometimes alter counts. I always go over my results on the computer in my infusion room w/the nurse, and get printed results if I want to study them before they're on the email system. I can get obsessive...which isn't healthy. I had high kidney function results for a few weeks, just out of normal range & the nurse called onc, gave me fluids, said to take in more electrolyte-type fluids and they were back to normal the next test. My onc said the same thing about alcohol, bans...though I usually only had a Baileys for Christmas...lol. I've probably had communion wine 4 times in 3 years & each time I was nervous :-) My Ca27/29 is the only thing takes a day before it results. I call my onc nurse Fri after Wed infusions (only herceptin now). Last time I thought I'd be brave & not call, just wait for email. Sure enough, my test went from 5 to 14, highest jump in probably a year. It sounds so stupid, being way below normal & knowing they zigzag, but there's always the "why" question. Truly a roller coaster ride.
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Ronniekay, I'm a Bailey's girl too! The one cocktail I allowed myself during the holidays. It's not stupid at all than any little variance jangles the nerves. This disease puts you on high alert......I think my enzymes will come down again this time. Then I can start stressing over scans in March!
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I'll drink (some nice chilly water) to that, my friend!!!
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Hi, I'm new writing on this topic and have a unique situation. I was wondering if anyone on this thread has had part of their liver taken out (hepatectomy), minor surgery, or had intervential radiology (using microwaves) to remove a BC liver met? I was diagnosed with a liver met in 2001 and it disappeared after 6 months of taking letrozole (what a miracle!). I took letrozole for 14 years but a liver met finally made an unwanted return this summer. I have reduced the size of it with Faslodex and Ibrance and my turmor markers dropped way down (but still not in the normal range). Now comes the decision of what to do. I talked to a surgeon yesterday who talked about many of the options. He will bring up my case before a tumor board next week. I just want to know if anyone has gone through surgery for their liver mets and what were the results. He said I was an "out of the box" situation since they don't usually recommend surgery for BC liver mets but I only have one and am in good health otherwise.
Thanks for any information you can give me.
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NinaCa I will be having RFA to a less than 5mm liver met. I just thought I would not want to look back and wish I had not done everything I could to achieve NED. Surgery is more invasive but RFA (if less than 2cm) takes less than 30min as an out patient. Go for it! Life it too fun to miss
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Nina- I had a partial lobed tony in July to remove a single tumor. I chose surgery over RFA for a few reasons. I can elaborate here or you can PM me. In the end I chose surgery because they said they couldn't guarantee me. Biopsy sample with RFA. I wanted to make sure my tumor type hadn't changed as it we a relapse after 2.5 years of NED. Surgery Was late on Wednesday and I as home on Friday. It was laparoscopic.
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Nina - I had a liver resection in August 2014 to remove the necrotic remains of two 2cm liver mets that had been smoked out by chemo. Since then I have been on letrozole, just switched to tamoxifen as my tumour markers are not behaving - with a Pet scan last December giving me a lot of confidence that i'm still NED, 18 months later. Having just one area of mets in one organ is called oligiometastatic, which is a good position within the serious context of mets. My onc is treating me as curative because of this, so aggressive chemo then surgery. The surgery is a big one, and the first few days in hospital were tough, but nurses are wonderful people and I was well cared for and I was amazed at how I quickly recovered, became mobile and was soon walking about. I had to take it easy for a few months after. My oncologist says my liver has regrown and shows on scans as healthy just a bit of an odd shape. Psychologically having the surgery remove the nectrotic tumours really helped my mental recovery, I am really glad that I had the surgery and if needs must, I would do it again.
Hope this helps. Happy to answer any questions via a PM.
Boo
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HI Nina,
I've too many liver tumors to count or treat directly, so I can't help you with personal experience.
Here's a website that may be helpful for sorting through your options:
This article may be helpful in orienting you:
Oligometastatic breast cancer: A mini review
excerpt:
Unlike pulmonary resection, liver resection is practiced less often but multiple retrospective analyses in highly selected group of patients show favorable long term survival. Other techniques of local control like sterotactic body radiotherapy and radiofrequency ablation are being increasingly used, but their role is not yet clear.[11,19]
I have a friend with breast cancer who's had individual tumors surgically removed or topically treated for many years. In between she's worked hard, played hard and enjoyed life immensely.
Nina, are you in N. or S. CA? I do know a bit about SF Bay Area options, so ask regional questions too.
Well wishes, Stephanie
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Reading liver metsters posts. It's hard. Finished scans last week.
Liver has improved 50% with 5 cycles of gemzar. Big lesion shrunk 50% , smaller ones smaller 👍 And no NEW lesions. Will continue on gemzar couple more cycles.
Progression in bones ; but consult with RO on rads.
Brain. Clearly b9 mennigona.
Kidneys look bad but are working close to normal.
I'm cashing in more time at the moment.
Not today cancer. Nope.
Hugs
Diana
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Diana-happy to hear of your reduction of liver mets and that the brain is benign.
Glad you're cashing in on more time!
Happy dance
Babs
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Diane Wowwwww, wonderful news , i am so happy for you! This is great and NO and NO not today cancer . Glad you cashed more time , wishing you more and more time
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Thanks for the information Stephanie.
The mini review on OMBC was excellent (Oligometastatic Breast Cancer-learned a new word)- I'm in Northern California, Bay Area, a Kaiser patient. Are you the Stephanie that posts on Smart Patient? Not sure what the difference is between SIRT, RFA and Microwave ablation and the difference in outcomes if there is any. This is a great place to gather first hand experiences on less frequent problems I don't feel so unusual.
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great news Diana! gemzar is good! make it a double on next scan to 100% reduction!
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Awesome news, Diana!!! I'm so happy to read this, you made my day. :-)
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Yay diana. You have the right attitude.
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So happy to hear Gemzar is doing its job, Diana! Keep shrinking!!!! I'll bet your kidneys will kick back into full steam ahead after your Gemzar finishes its job! Hoping the bones stay strong...cause not today cancer...nope :-)
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great news Diana!
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HI Nina,
I am Stephanie from Smart Patients!
So glad to find you in both places.
In spite of being an active participant at SP, I joined bco a few months ago to participate in the Dying and Death topic/thread and meet others with implanted drains and advanced breast cancer. Most of my attention is focused on that, but I visit other bco topics/threads to keep up with others in similar circumstances.
bco really has critical mass for breast cancer, but you've a resource at SP that I don't know whether you've fully tapped. You can post with the tags <liver mets> and <crossing disease boundaries>, adding RFA and other related terms (I think they're tags too). Since these treatments cross disease boundaries, you can draw on the experiences of many there who have different primaries but need treatment for liver mets.
As I said, I'm beyond aggressive treatments and on hospice, so don't spend much time on this topic, in spite of having many mets in and around liver.
Nina, happy to see you here and hope you find all the best sub-groups for you at bco!
warmest healing wishes, Stephanie
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Stephanie...as you know so well, we wish none of us had to be plugged into this site...but you became such an important part of the boards so quickly. I'm glad you found us...because your determination, knowledge, caring attitude & love for all, is an inspiration beyond expression. Thank you.
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Got my scan results this AM. Bone mets stable. Liver and thoracic mets decreased significantly in size. So excited!!!! Finally good news!
Babs
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wonderful news Babs!! 'Significantly' is such a beautiful word. Celebrate well..
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So happy for you Babs , wonderful news yayyyyy, happy dance for you
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Babs, very good to hear you had good news
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yay babs
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Diana and babs, Both such great news! That makes my day too! My liver enzymes took another dip this round so am slowly inching closer to normal, now in the low 100 range and my CA-15 also went down, which also made my day. Still waiting on the CA-29. Next scan is mid-March so trying not to hold my breath too long but hoping that Faslodex is working overtime....
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Babs and Artist
Great news. I feel safer in my body then I did 5 months ago too. Hoping a couple more cycles of gemzar can get me off this weekly chemo.
These drugs are very powerful. I have always believed in treatment since initial Dx in 2002. Now there is new stuff. Only best wishes to all. Artist glad the numbers are coming down. Remember this stuff has its own process. And it does what it does. We just have to roll with it ; keep ourselves as healthy as we can and keep the faith. One thing I have learned with this mets stuff is that things can go South and then turn around. And visa versa.I don't get too happy or too scared. I work at staying in the middle and deal with what comes up.
Hugs to all
Not today cancer. Nope.
Diana
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Thanks for all the hi fives- I feel like you're here with me!
Artisthea-with your liver enzymes and TM's down I'm seeing and hoping for good scans in March !!!!
Babs
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celebrated another birthday today. Mixed bag as two people in the family are ill. But so thankful I am alive to say I'm another year older.
May we all see many more birthdays
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