Metastatic

On 9/5/2007 rotts4me wrote:

Has anyone ever heard of bile duct cancer spreading to the bones?

Now my Sister has to have a liver biopsy, the Dr. said her liver numbers in her bloodwork are rising, what does this mean? She is only 49 years old.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister's diagnosis.  To answer your questions, yes, I believe there are cases which have spread to the bones and the liver counts increase are probably the bilirubin and liver enzymes (alk phos...).  This typically means that there is some sort of obstruction where the bile cannot drain properly.  An ERCP is a procedure that a GI dr will do where they can go through the mouth and put a stent in the place where the obstruction is.  For some cases, they need to do a PTC which is a catheter procedure that is threaded into the obstruction by an interventional radiologist.  In either case, you should ask if either of these are a possibility.  Make sure you get more than 1 opinion. 

Visit www.cholangiocarcinoma.org and there are many patients and caregivers who share their experiences and answer questions.  Your sister and your family are in my prayers.

On 9/11/2007 Gbcdad wrote:

 

I'm sorry to hear about your sister's diagnosis.  To answer your questions, yes, I believe there are cases which have spread to the bones and the liver counts increase are probably the bilirubin and liver enzymes (alk phos...).  This typically means that there is some sort of obstruction where the bile cannot drain properly.  An ERCP is a procedure that a GI dr will do where they can go through the mouth and put a stent in the place where the obstruction is.  For some cases, they need to do a PTC which is a catheter procedure that is threaded into the obstruction by an interventional radiologist.  In either case, you should ask if either of these are a possibility.  Make sure you get more than 1 opinion. 

Visit www.cholangiocarcinoma.org and there are many patients and caregivers who share their experiences and answer questions.  Your sister and your family are in my prayers.

It sounds like you have first hand experience regarding this matter.  Most of your comments are right on target.  But if the cancer was operatable and removed, like UCSF did for my wife, I can't understand how it can spread to the bones.  My wife was told she had 6 weeks to live by doctors at John Muir Hospital until we went to UCSF and two very aggressive surgeons said NO...we will remove the cancer in the right and left hepatic ducts...the actual name of the cancer tumor is a Klatskin Tumor...very deadly and aggressive. She is doing fine. I know it can spread to the lymph nodes, but I did know about the bones. Lucky my wife's tumor was detected very early through routine blood work.