Stomach Cancer Spread To The Liver

My dad was diagnosed with stomach cancer in December of '06. He had passed out at his home and was taken to the local hospital. While the doctors were trying to figure out what was wrong, they discovered his blood count was down and were wondering where it went. They wound up doing an endoscopy and found a large tumor in the upper stomach at the esophogus. It had also spread to the liver and lymph nodes. As the tumor was too far advanced to operate, they turned to chemo to try to shrink it. He was on 5fu for 4 months and and the cancer seemed to disappear on the pet scan. In July the cancer returned. The doctor recommended radiation as the chemo seemed to have run its course and was not working as well. Radiation blasted the cancer in the stomach, but it reappeared in the liver. The liver has enlarged some and the doctor has put him back on 5fu chemo. He just finished his first of 3 sessions and is sick as can be. Mouth sores are plentiful and he is quite tired. I am wondering if this is a good procedure and if it is beneficial for him. I think he has hopes this will give him more time and I am not sure. I would appreciate any feedback from someone with similar experiences.

I am sorry for your father that the cancer has returned.  My advice is to seek out alternate opinions to ensure that his treatment is agreed upon by other oncologists.

My spouse (43 years old) was diagnosed with Stage IV in March of 07.  She was on ECF which is Epirubicin, Cisplatin, and 5FU (delivered via a pump 24/7) for 8 rounds (3 weeks each).  The original two tumors (one in her stomach at the junction to the esophagus and one in her liver both about 1-2 cm) disappeared and in August of 07 she was classified as in remission.  The opinions we received at that time differed: our oncologist wanted to operate but two others wanted her to remain on chemo for a year post her remission classification.  We decided on continuing chemo treatments with the hopes that it would kill any micro cancer cells floating around.  In September we changed from ECF to Xeloda and Oxaliplatin as her chemo drugs.  She remains on those two drugs as of today and will hopefully end active treatment in March of this year.

My concern is that the only drug you mention is 5FU.  There are many more choices out there and your oncologist should be recommending alternates and/or additional drugs for his treatment (in my limited and non-clinical opinion).  Please seek out alternate opinions from cancer centers that specialize in treatment.  Please also include your fathers age as this, at times, will play a factor in the treatment process.

Has anyone suggested that he have any of the tumor sites surgical removed.  The concern I have with my wife is what to do now.  No cancer that we can see and a year of chemo treatments.  Whats next?

Hope he feels better.  For mouth sores there are special mouthwashes and toothpaste available that will help some.  Ask your oncologist and research, research, research.  I have found that WE are the ones that have to do a majority of the directing when it comes to care and WE have to be prepared with alternates that WE can inquire about.

God Bless and Keep the Faith.

Steve Barrett

Hartford, CT

I have liver cancer that has spread from the stomach. I also am on Xeloda and Oxaliplatin . I have had 2 rounds of chemo and am getting ready to have a scan to see if it is shrinking the tumor. I hope this will help your dad. I had stomach cancer in Dec 2006, then Jan 2008 they found a tumor 5.7 cm on the liver. Surgery is not an option at this point because of the size, and the oncologist I saw at Barnes said it is rare to be able to do surgery on the liver. Get another opinion, don't settle for one.  I hope one day to be able to say I am in remission. This is a scary disease. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I know what you are going through.