How are people with liver mets doing?

Dear Regina, I wish you strength and want to tell you that we respect every decision of yours. It is a blessing to have you with us. Saulius

Regina - I am so sorry to hear of further progression. You and I have been in many of the same threads and as others have shared, I also found your posts both supportive and informative. I hope that palliative care can bring you some relief from your pain and more good days than bad and may you be able enjoy the birds and your gardens.

@rk2020 , I admire you for knowing when to make this decision. Sending good vibes to you.

@rk2020, I have not posted often but have been reading. Your grace in adversity is inspiring. I greatly respect your decision. Thinking good thoughts your way. Kathryn

Dear Regina,

I've been laying low for a while and just saw your message. I'm so sorry. You've been so helpful to me through different treatments. I hope palliative care gives you some relief and you find inner peace - so needed. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers…no longer as rk2020, but as Regina.

@rk2020

Dear Regina

I'm so sorry that you are at this point, but awed by the courage and grace with which you are handling it. I second every wonderful word that the other women have said about you. Your posts were knowledgeable, compassionate and very helpful to me. I understand and respect your choices and thank you for setting such a wonderful example of how to deal with decisions we will all need to make at some point.

I don't know whether you have ruled out radiation to the clivus. I had that in June, 2022 and would be happy to give you the details if you are considering it.

Love and positive energy sent your way.

Eleanora

@rk2020

Regina

I had 10 sessions over a two week period. Yes, the ugly mask is required. There were multiple things that were not explained to me, and I hope that by making you aware of them, you can avoid them. Neither my MO or RO prescribed steroids or anti-nausea meds for me and I needed both. Got those starting on Day 2. Make sure you get them on Day 1.

Radiation to the skull increases pressure that may make you dizzy, lightheaded and queasy, as well as give you double vision. I held on with both hands on stairs and did not feel that I could drive safely. These effects will all gradually diminish and eventually go away within a few weeks. None of them were at an intense level - for example I took zofran 1 hour before each treatment and again before bed, but didn't need it all of the time. The steroids continued for two weeks after the end of treatment with a one week taper at the end. The effects I can attribute to them were an increased appetite, heartburn and sleepless nights. I was given several different prescriptions for sleep and nothing worked until the steroids were done. Prevacid worked on the heartburn.

They also did not explain that, while the most intense level of the radiation beam is focused on the clivus, there is a "bounce back" effect of decreasing rings of intensity from the center out. I learned this when I developed what looked and felt like an intense sunburn on my nose and spreading onto my cheeks. When I brought this to the attention of my RO, he immediately went to the treatment area and had them cut away the section of the mask covering that area, which helped tremendously. Apparently, the mask was intensifying the effect on my face. The same bounce back will irritate your throat and it will feel burned from just above the uvula down to where it will meet the heartburn from the steroids. Milkshakes, smoothies, ice cream and ice water will be your best choices, but avoid any citrus or tomato flavors. A lemon ice pop brought me to tears. I mixed whey protein powder into the shakes and smoothies for some nutrition.

I had bald spots on either side of the back of my skull, where I assume 2 other beams entered, but the hair mostly grew back. I don't think I have any permanent negative effects from this treatment.

Sorry for the long and potentially scary description, but I wanted to give you an accurate accounting of my experience. If I were told that I needed this again, I would agree without a moment's hesitation.

Please ask any questions you like. I will be rooting for you.

Eleanora

Hello Ladies,

I have had quite a hiatus from this site but back with the discovery of liver Mets. Right now I seem to have 3 spots about 1.5cm in diameter. I start Xeloda as soon as the drug arrives. I was originally diagnosed in late 2016 with a large brain met (which has been stable since original surgery and radiation) and bone Mets (Ibrance for 6yrs and clinical trial Ipatisertib for almost 2years). Two recent clinical trials had no response and the. The discovery of liver Mets. My bone Mets have been very painful since thanksgiving and on a lot of oxy to manage that. I would love some encouragement both about liver and Xeloda if you can as I am really stressed out.

Also I can’t figure out how to update my signature if anyone can tell me. I am having a liver biopsy scheduled currently Er/Pr+ HER2-

@josgirl I found xeloda quite tolerable and wish I had been able to take it longer. I did baby my feet so I had to stop Aquasize for a few months but was eventually able to join class again while still taking xeloda. If you look at my signature, you will see what I’ve taken and I found Xeloda and Everolimus to be my easiest drugs.
Speaking of signatures, reach out to MODERATORS. Signatures are very helpful to me when I’m responding to posts but I don’t remember how to do it. 🤦‍♀️ I just know that I make my own format rather then use the signature automatically spit out by answering a few questions.

Hi everybody, I have a quesion about liver mets.

In September 23 I had 3 liver mets of 5/6 cm, and 4 small of 2,5 cm.

Now the three big on shrinked and one actually disappeared. Some of the small one got a little bigger, like 4 cm (MRI scan).

I'm on xeloda and don't feel like to give it up. Did it happen to anybody that liver mets get a little bigger and than smaller? Or it may mean that the smaller one didn't respond at all to chemo? I know everybody is different, but just checking other people experience...

I will have a PET scan to see activity before med change, and I'm so worried...

I was on ribociclib plus letrozole for 14 months, than 8 month xeloda, and despite been 90% ER+ (with no mutations at all, and HER2 score 0) MO want to do a strong chemo next line. I will look for second opinion off course...

Anybody with similar situation, with many smaller mets, had a different treatment on liver? Like surgery, radiations, ultrasounds, chemo directly in the liver...I'm disperate for any suggestion!

Thank you, and as always good luck to everybody, and in particular to Regina, wish you all the best in this difficult moment ❤

@bsandra

Thank you for your answer.

Unfortunately I have bone mets as well, but fortunatley stable, so I was thinking about local therapy too...I will for sure ask about SBRT to my MO!

I am posting because I am super scared and looking for any glimmer of hope…

A month ago I discovered a lump in my breast and armpit. I had a port scheduled for this Friday to start chemo. But to everyone’s surprise a ct scan showed the cancer spread to my liver. So now I am stage IV de novo. There are at least 6 lesions. A couple are around 1.5cm and the rest are sub centimeter.

I am 39 years old. I have 4 young children. This is my worst nightmare. I went from thinking I could beat this to think I have a few years with my babies at best. I need to hear positive stories.

Other than this cancer I am healthy, I have no symptoms. The cancer in my breast is HR+ and HER2- (technically low). I will be having a liver biopsy to see what the receptors are there. This is just unbelievable. I’m so scared. So far the oncologist said the plan is tamoxifen, Lupron and Kisquali. No surgery, no iv chemo, no radiation? NOTHING? She told me my diagnosis an average of 66 months of survival. this is not enough. I have a baby. She needs her mom. I want to see my kids grow up. Is this true?? Are there any other liver Mets that have made it 10 years? I’m so sad and depressed I can’t get out of bed. I know I need to live my life now, but all I think about is everything I’m going to miss, and how my kids will be without me.

thank you. I have yet to find someone who is de novo with just liver Mets to see how they are doing. There is nothing in my bones or lungs, but my liver is covered in spots! I dont get it. I have IDC. It’s not supposed to spread this easily and this fast. I don’t know if these meds will work or anything about them. I want chemo, surgery, radiation, immunotherapy all the things, but all they are only offering hormone therapy basically. I feel they aren’t doing enough to help me.

Bossmom- I think we posted at the same time. I hope you saw my above post.

I too felt weird, is that the word, when they stopped my chemo (I had had 2 treatments before the Stage 4 diagnosis). I thought why are they stopping chemo? But, after reading and learning about Stage 4 I now know the hormone therapy and targeted therapy (Ibrance or Kisquali) is the normal standard of care. They shift gears and hold the chemo options until later. They want to treat the cancer, but more of a marathon versus a sprint. I hope that makes sense. And surgery after Stage 4 is found to not have any better survival ratings, as the cancer has already spread outside of the breast. The horse out of the barn thought. I repeat, your treatment plan sounds totally normal.