My Mom Has Liver Cancer

Hi,

I found this message board while trying to find some information about Liver Cancer online, and I felt like maybe if I wrote here it would help me alittle bit. 

My mother is 52 years old and has always been very healthy.  In the beginning of March she started to complain about stomach pain and fullness after eating three or four bites of whatever she was eating, she also gagged alot but never actually threw anything up.  She finally went to the doctors in April and he ordered a CT scan of the abdomen.  The CT scan showed a tumor in her left liver lobe that has taken over the whole lobe and a smaller tumor in the medial segment of the right lobe. 
She then went for a biopsy a week later after talking with her primary physcian. The bipsy results showed that from the 6 pieces of tissue they removed from her liver, only 20% were cancerous.  There concern was the this was secondary liver cancer and that it could be coming from another organ of the body.  She went and had an endoscopy of the stomach and that was clear, she went into the hospital for 4 days because of severe pain and bloating. While in the hospital they did a colonoscopy and that showed nothing as well.  Chest xray..etc...they can't find any cancer or masses or tumors any where else which is good.  Before she left the hospital they did another CT scan directly of the liver now.  The radiologist and surgeon who would have done the chemoembolization said he did not want to do it, because there were too many blood vessels he would have to shut off to stop the blood from feeding the tumor, which could result in liver failure.

Now her primary physcian wants her to get a second opinion and wants to refer her to Memorial Sloan-Kettering.  I know that hospital is the #1 cancer hospital, so I am relieved and one of their specialties is Liver Cancer, which is also a good think.  She wanted to read about Sloan kettering and her options. I have been reading about liver resection.  But is her tumor too large for this?  Her left lobe was replaced by the tumor and it is also in the medial segment of the right lobe (I'm not sure what medial segment is?) What other treatments should she consider that does not have a lot or any side effects?

It's been two months since she has been home and out of work and she isn't the type of person that likes to do nothing.  She has been retaining water in her legs/feet and the doctor has given her a water pill for that, she has taken it for 2 days now, and it goes away and comes back over and over again.  She has been elevating her legs as well.  She is weak and out of breath when she walks up the stairs.  The pain medicine(Dilaudid) has been making her loopy and fatigue.  She loves to read books and lately she has been opening the books but falling asleep with it in her hand and dozing off, I believe it's the pain medicine.

I'm only 24 years old and it hurts me to see her like this.  I try so hard not to cry in front of her, because I know that upsets her knowing I'm upset.  I just want to be there for her and help her through this and I can't wait for her to start feeling better.  I miss going to the mall and out to eat with her almost every weekend. 

I hope someone can help me lift up my spirits, and tell me some good information that I can look forward to. 

 Thanks to anyone and everyone who took the time to read this.

Laura

Concerned Daughter

laura,

you are very brave. almost everyone who has been on the forum has experienced similar situation as yours. Me too. It's my husband who is only 40. It's heartbreaking, and frustrating.It's like falling into abysmal darkness with a very sad end waiting for you.

sloan kettering is very good, I hope my husbad could have been treated there. follow their advices, they are the best.

don't give up.

On 5/26/2007 Lauranyc wrote:

Hi,

I found this message board while trying to find some information about Liver Cancer online, and I felt like maybe if I wrote here it would help me alittle bit. 

My mother is 52 years old and has always been very healthy.  In the beginning of March she started to complain about stomach pain and fullness after eating three or four bites of whatever she was eating, she also gagged alot but never actually threw anything up.  She finally went to the doctors in April and he ordered a CT scan of the abdomen.  The CT scan showed a tumor in her left liver lobe that has taken over the whole lobe and a smaller tumor in the medial segment of the right lobe. 
She then went for a biopsy a week later after talking with her primary physcian. The bipsy results showed that from the 6 pieces of tissue they removed from her liver, only 20% were cancerous.  There concern was the this was secondary liver cancer and that it could be coming from another organ of the body.  She went and had an endoscopy of the stomach and that was clear, she went into the hospital for 4 days because of severe pain and bloating. While in the hospital they did a colonoscopy and that showed nothing as well.  Chest xray..etc...they can't find any cancer or masses or tumors any where else which is good.  Before she left the hospital they did another CT scan directly of the liver now.  The radiologist and surgeon who would have done the chemoembolization said he did not want to do it, because there were too many blood vessels he would have to shut off to stop the blood from feeding the tumor, which could result in liver failure.

Now her primary physcian wants her to get a second opinion and wants to refer her to Memorial Sloan-Kettering.  I know that hospital is the #1 cancer hospital, so I am relieved and one of their specialties is Liver Cancer, which is also a good think.  She wanted to read about Sloan kettering and her options. I have been reading about liver resection.  But is her tumor too large for this?  Her left lobe was replaced by the tumor and it is also in the medial segment of the right lobe (I'm not sure what medial segment is?) What other treatments should she consider that does not have a lot or any side effects?

It's been two months since she has been home and out of work and she isn't the type of person that likes to do nothing.  She has been retaining water in her legs/feet and the doctor has given her a water pill for that, she has taken it for 2 days now, and it goes away and comes back over and over again.  She has been elevating her legs as well.  She is weak and out of breath when she walks up the stairs.  The pain medicine(Dilaudid) has been making her loopy and fatigue.  She loves to read books and lately she has been opening the books but falling asleep with it in her hand and dozing off, I believe it's the pain medicine.

I'm only 24 years old and it hurts me to see her like this.  I try so hard not to cry in front of her, because I know that upsets her knowing I'm upset.  I just want to be there for her and help her through this and I can't wait for her to start feeling better.  I miss going to the mall and out to eat with her almost every weekend. 

I hope someone can help me lift up my spirits, and tell me some good information that I can look forward to. 

 Thanks to anyone and everyone who took the time to read this.

 

Laura

Concerned Daughter

sorry i just reposted that i am new to this and i dont know what i am doing.

well my dad has liver cancer. and we need to stay strong .i know it can be alot and overwelming but we have to get through this and things have to get worse before they get better. hang in there( that is what i am trying to do.) talk to your friends that helps my alot and i am only13.

STAY STRONG

we can get through this together

kall

On 5/30/2007 Kalli 2120 wrote:

 

On 5/26/2007 Lauranyc wrote:

Hi,

I found this message board while trying to find some information about Liver Cancer online, and I felt like maybe if I wrote here it would help me alittle bit. 

My mother is 52 years old and has always been very healthy.  In the beginning of March she started to complain about stomach pain and fullness after eating three or four bites of whatever she was eating, she also gagged alot but never actually threw anything up.  She finally went to the doctors in April and he ordered a CT scan of the abdomen.  The CT scan showed a tumor in her left liver lobe that has taken over the whole lobe and a smaller tumor in the medial segment of the right lobe. 
She then went for a biopsy a week later after talking with her primary physcian. The bipsy results showed that from the 6 pieces of tissue they removed from her liver, only 20% were cancerous.  There concern was the this was secondary liver cancer and that it could be coming from another organ of the body.  She went and had an endoscopy of the stomach and that was clear, she went into the hospital for 4 days because of severe pain and bloating. While in the hospital they did a colonoscopy and that showed nothing as well.  Chest xray..etc...they can't find any cancer or masses or tumors any where else which is good.  Before she left the hospital they did another CT scan directly of the liver now.  The radiologist and surgeon who would have done the chemoembolization said he did not want to do it, because there were too many blood vessels he would have to shut off to stop the blood from feeding the tumor, which could result in liver failure.

Now her primary physcian wants her to get a second opinion and wants to refer her to Memorial Sloan-Kettering.  I know that hospital is the #1 cancer hospital, so I am relieved and one of their specialties is Liver Cancer, which is also a good think.  She wanted to read about Sloan kettering and her options. I have been reading about liver resection.  But is her tumor too large for this?  Her left lobe was replaced by the tumor and it is also in the medial segment of the right lobe (I'm not sure what medial segment is?) What other treatments should she consider that does not have a lot or any side effects?

It's been two months since she has been home and out of work and she isn't the type of person that likes to do nothing.  She has been retaining water in her legs/feet and the doctor has given her a water pill for that, she has taken it for 2 days now, and it goes away and comes back over and over again.  She has been elevating her legs as well.  She is weak and out of breath when she walks up the stairs.  The pain medicine(Dilaudid) has been making her loopy and fatigue.  She loves to read books and lately she has been opening the books but falling asleep with it in her hand and dozing off, I believe it's the pain medicine.

I'm only 24 years old and it hurts me to see her like this.  I try so hard not to cry in front of her, because I know that upsets her knowing I'm upset.  I just want to be there for her and help her through this and I can't wait for her to start feeling better.  I miss going to the mall and out to eat with her almost every weekend. 

I hope someone can help me lift up my spirits, and tell me some good information that I can look forward to. 

 Thanks to anyone and everyone who took the time to read this.

 

Laura

Concerned Daughter

 

kali, I too have liver cancer and have gone through 2 rounds of TACE. The chemoembolization from what I understand is done in the hepatic artery of the liver and they can almost embolize 100% of the arterial blood fow because 80% ot the blood suppy flowing to the liver is veinous. They do this because the blood flowing to the tumors is usually arterial (tumors are bloodthirsty and require a good flow of arterial blood to grow.) I wish you and you r family well.

Harley

If she can travel,John of God loves and cures in Brazillia,Brazil.Please do a net seach.I have seen him twice in Brazil and once in New Zealand.

Heather Cummings is based in the USA and is John of God's official biographer.Her book will enlighten and she takes parties to Brazilia.

God is.

The eleventh leeper.

Thank you for your message My mother passed away on June 2nd due to liver failure.

I hope your information could help someone else and I will pass it along if someone is in need

Thanks

Laura

Thank you for your message My mother passed away on June 2nd due to liver failure.

I hope your information could help someone else and I will pass it along if someone is in need

Thanks

Laura

Laura,

I am sooo sorry to hear about your mom.

I am in a very similar situation with my mother, who is only 59! Her liver cancer is secondary, she also has secondary cancer on the spine and the brain. They haven't located the primary source yet. Today they are doing more tests so I hope this will be the day we find out!  

My mother has not started treatment yet, in the midst of everything this last month she had a heart attack which postponed further tests and treatment.

She has been told she is terminal and the treatment they give will only control pain. We see her Onc on Friday to discuss all available options.

I would be curious to find out which treatment your mother is on and how she is doing.

Good luck!

Lisa