my mom & bile duct cancer

My mom was diagnosed in jan with intraheptic bile duct cancer.  After a couple of months of waiting for appts and more tests, they are now telling us that it is up both sides of the Y in her liver and now there are possible other spots in her liver.  they are telling us that it is unresectable and that chemo is only going to be slightly helpful.  We've seen docs in Sacto and now UCSF (CA).  They are recommending gemcitabine as the chemo drug.  I'm looking for helpful advice on other things we should be considering.  I can't find any clinical trials for bile duct at the moment.  Is it worth going to another city for a second opinion?  The docs at UCSF are certainly well trained, but we want to make sure that we've covered all of our bases.

Thank you in advance.

Hi,

Firstly I'm sorry that your mother has been given this diagnosis.  While a second opinion wouldn't hurt, CT is pretty conclusive and given what they saw it seems most likely that you are dealing with bile duct cancer.

Since this cancer is somewhat rare there is not a lot of data available so it is hard to get a handle on the research. 

As for the treatment, the odds may be poor but not impossible for a good result.  My dad was diagnosed with this disease 3 years ago.  Initially there was just one tumour so they were able to operate, however it recurred last year in two more spots in the liver and chemo was the only option.  Dad has been on Gemcitabine for 10 months now, and it has been working quite well in this case.  One tumour is gone and the second tumour is over 95% smaller.  True remission may be rare but still possible.  Bottom line is not to give up hope.

Let's just keep our fingers crossed and hope that your mother has a similar result.

On 3/13/2009 JenNels wrote:

My mom was diagnosed in jan with intraheptic bile duct cancer.  After a couple of months of waiting for appts and more tests, they are now telling us that it is up both sides of the Y in her liver and now there are possible other spots in her liver.  they are telling us that it is unresectable and that chemo is only going to be slightly helpful.  We've seen docs in Sacto and now UCSF (CA).  They are recommending gemcitabine as the chemo drug.  I'm looking for helpful advice on other things we should be considering.  I can't find any clinical trials for bile duct at the moment.  Is it worth going to another city for a second opinion?  The docs at UCSF are certainly well trained, but we want to make sure that we've covered all of our bases.

Thank you in advance.

Hello JenNels,

Intrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer is very serious. If your mom is being treated at the UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco, she is in the right place. 

Who is the doctor or doctor's your mom is seeing at UCSF?

My wife was diagnosed with extrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer and the saved her life. This was back in 2003. They did surgery and this is what want. Chemo and radiation are not the best solutions to deal with this type of cancer, but it all depends if surgery is in the offing, chemo and radiation may be the only alternative.

The doctor's in the liver transplant department are very, very excellent. Trust them, we know most of them and we have never been disappointed with the medical service my wife has received these past 6 years. Oh yes 6 years...with this cancer you don't just do surgery and walk away without recovery issues and there are many.

Good luck and take care,

Leonard from Alamo, Ca