Stage Iv Surviving Extensive Liver Mets?

My Husband is 36 and was diagnosed with Colon cancer in December, had a colon resection - he has multiple mets on his liver and we've been told no options for surgery exist because of the size and number of lesions on the liver. He is on CPT 11, Capecitabene and Avastin - to control the cancer, does anyone know of other options to survive NOT just control this?  Have you heard of people surviving this - Not sure what else to do.

Thanks for any comments

I can relate.  My Dad has Stage IV Colon Cancer with many spots on his liver.  When he was first diagnosed I joined this message board.  If you go to SEARCH up at the top and type in "Stage IV Colon Cancer" you will see all of the responses I got to my post when I inquired about it.  There are PLENTY of people out there fighting it, and winning the fight.  YOU HAVE TO STAY POSITIVE!

 

Good Luck :)

Thank you, I just feel like I need to be doing more - we have 3 children and this is unbearable - such a nasty disease.  I wish I could read about all the people surviving beyond the typical... I will check your messages>

check out RFA or radiofrequency ablation.  some hospitals can treat up to 9 tumours in the liver if they are <4cm.  even if not eligible now, the chemo will shrink some tumours in which case your husband might be eligible for this treatment.  it is not surgery but the ablation can kill off the tumours and the liver has the capacity to regenerate.  he would have to be off avastin for six weeks prior to this treatment due to risk of bleeding. so if he hasn't started chemo, that is the best time to ask.

good luck and you are in my thoughts and prayers.

If you haven't already, I would seek a second opinion at a top hospital if you are in the US.  You can find them at

 http://health.usnews.com/sections/health/best-hospitals

In July of '04, I was told I had 18 months to live with treatment, but that I could die at any moment.  I went to the U of Minnesota and got a lot better odds.  I have been NED since September '05.

I know of two other people who finally got other opinions at good hospitals and now have been told they can be cured.  StageIVartist is one.   

Good luck.

I don't know if this is any help at all but my brother-in-law is being offered a clinical trial using cetuximab to treat esophageal cancer. The information explaining the trial states that cetuximab is "safe and effective in head and neck cancer and colorectal cancer." Cetuximab "targets and blocks a specific part of the cancer tumor that is felt to encourage tumor growth called the EGF receptor. This receptor is found in head and neck cancer and colon cancer but is also found in esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer." You might ask about this drug because someone on the head and neck cancer message board responded that their loved one was "cured" using cetuximab. It has some pretty awful side effects but don't they all?    

Thank you, yes, I have asked about Erbitux (brand name) and Dr. says that will be the next line if the Bevacizumub (avastin) fails.  I will ensure we discuss with Onc.

 

deborah

I live in Canada and I know of someone who had a liver resection with more than 20 tumors in both lobes.  I believe he had his right lobe removed and had 3 remaining tumors in his left lobe which they rfa at a later date. (one was near his heart). His operation was in 2006 and I am happy to report that he is doing quite well considering that he was told that he was inoperable.  I do know that tumors have to be a certain size and location to order for the doctor to get a clear margin.  It all depends on what portion of the  liver they will be operating on.  The right lobe is a lot bigger than the left.  If you are only left with the left lobe  then the tumors have to be quite small (I believe less than 2 cm).  That is the situation I am in at present. I am on chemo hoping for 1 tumor to shrink enough to do a liver resection.   Have you had a second opinion?   I was denied the first time I asked about a liver resection (told it was not possible because of tumors in both lobes) and now it is a possibility.

 

 

There is a guy from the colon club website that had 13 tumors rfa (the biggest was over 5 cm).  He had it done I believe in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 Hope this information helps. 

Hi, have you read about SIRT spheres?  My mom's oncologist wanted to try them for my mom when she had "enumerous" liver mets.  Search this web site, I believe there may be a video on this blog somewhere.