Y90 Therasphere

Hello,

I have been reading all of your comments for the past year. It has helped me allot to read all of the things that everyone has experienced. It has helped me to understand this awfull dx liver cancer and the many treatments that are available. My husband was dx with liver cancer April 2007. He was the perfect picture of health working out daily. His three tumors were 5mm and he had two treatments of chemo embolization in San Diego. Resection was not possible because one of the tumors is on the hepatic vein. Transplant not possible until he could stagblize and start to get a meld score. Chemo embolization did not do much good so they suggested Y90 Therasphere and Nexavar. He did not start the Nexavar because we had read so many terrible side effects we wanted to wait until there was nothing left to try. He had two treatments of Y90 in Spokane this summer. Scan shows that the large tumors have reduced greatly but two more have grown. He just had another Y90 treatment in Spokane during the great snow storm. He has been very sick with severe stomach pain. The docs have said that it is radiation gastro enteritis. He has started to take oxicondron and is very loopy. Another treatment is scheduled in Spokane next week. He is very weak and I am afraid to have him have another treatment when he is so weak. Does this gastro pain sound familar to any of you. He has lost weight and looks terrible. I would appreciate your comments.

I have heard great things about Therasheres, but am not eligible for them due to "shunting".  I am in the middle of "CyberKinfe" treatments, a different sort of focused radiation therapy.  The doctor has been concerned about possible stomach problems due to the radiation and put me on Nexium and other, similar drugs before we started.  Perhaps as result they have not been bad.  I have also been on Nexavar for about 6 months.  There are many side effects but they are mostly treatable and haven't been debilitating or anything like that.  I still run 3 times/week.  Every case is different but I wouldn't get off the Nexavar for anything.  The sides are a "pain" (LOL) but I believe it is slowing down or halting the growth of the tumors while the radiation proceeds, which hopefully will destroy them.  Also I believe it probably reduces the chance of the cancer spreading to other sites, both within and outside the liver.  Just one person's experiences but perhaps this is helpful ...

Thank you so much for responding. We have heard so many negative things about Nexavar that we were thinking of it as a last ditch treatment to prolong life. It is great to hear that you are running and are positive about your treatments. I am positive that because he excerises daily,this is why my husband has not had many symptoms this past year and a half. This new stomach pain has me very worried and his next treatment is a week and a half away. I am afraid for him to get treatment again when his energy level and pain are high. Tonight he ate toast and had some tea and oatmeal for breakfast. Not many calories for a man of his size.

I wish you and your husband the best. My dad was on the Nexavar for 6 monthes and the side effects were not bad at all. Once you get done with the first three weeks they are not bad at all. Be very careful with going another round of t90,  My dad had a treatment when he was very weak and it destroyed him.  He never recovered from it.  Please consider the Nexavar before you go another round of radiation.  If your husband is so weak it will just get him sicker.  The nexavar avoided the spread of the cancer to other organs and slowed down the growth in his Liver.  Unfortuanely thye radiation caused his liver to go in to failure and then his Kidnay to fail.  I lost my dad and my best friend in May and i still regret having him go through radiation so weak.  we should ahve given him a longer chance on the Necxavar.  Good luck.  Please understand that this is what happened to my dad  and may be just an isolated incident.  I feel knowledge is power so ask many questiins before you make a decision.  I questioned his doctors and they reassured me iyt wouldn't make him weaker and then two weeks later they told me he has three monthes,  He died on the exact day it hit three monthes.  It was a grueling three monthes for him mentally and physically.  He couldn't eat and had severs abdominal pain.  Nexium helped a little but it took the life out of him.My prayers are with you.

Hello to all,

Thank you for your comments. Tomorrow we leave for Spokane for another Y90 treatment. I spoke to the Dr about my concerns with his lack of strenght. I asked if it was too soon to have this procedure when he still hadn't gained his strenght back. They want us to move forward. My husband is feeling a little better but is still exhasted and freezing. I am worried given his lack of strength. FYI I was reading another message about milk thistle. He has taken milk thistle daily for about 10 years since he was dx with HepC. I am confident that this has helped his liver to continue to function.

I'll keep you all posted. Say a prayer that it doesn't snow so that they can get the radiation flown in from Canada.

 

Hello to all,

Thank you for your comments. Tomorrow we leave for Spokane for another Y90 treatment. I spoke to the Dr about my concerns with his lack of strenght. I asked if it was too soon to have this procedure when he still hadn't gained his strenght back. They want us to move forward. My husband is feeling a little better but is still exhasted and freezing. I am worried given his lack of strength. FYI I was reading another message about milk thistle. He has taken milk thistle daily for about 10 years since he was dx with HepC. I am confident that this has helped his liver to continue to function.

I'll keep you all posted. Say a prayer that it doesn't snow so that they can get the radiation flown in from Canada.

 

Hello to all,

We are back from Spokane and my husbands procedure went well. Sacred Heart is a wonderful hospital and the Madison Inn accross the street is a great place to stay so you can be close to your loved one.

I explained to the dr that my husband was experienced alot of pain and that his energy level was at an all time low. I think I stated earlier that he had lost alot of weight. Dr said he would make sure that we had the meds we needed to help him with his pain.

After the procedure the dr came out and said that the cause of his pain could have been a collasped vein that they have used to administer the meds. That happens usually from dehydration or some of the beads staying in the vein and causing irritation. He had used an alternative vein and changed the dosage during the procedure. He felt the procedure went well and the shadows of thetumors looked smaller.

We made it home fine and he is taking it real easy.

I'll keep you posted.

Good to hear your husband is improving. I had Y90 treatment at University of Washington. First half in August and second in the end of September. I am stage IV coloncancer with 13 liver metatisis. My treatment went very well with a couple days of pain after the first treatment but after the second I felt well right away.

My doctor at UW is Sandeep Vaidya. I like the program alot