Christina from Michgan; in regards to Chuck

Hi Christina;

Welcome to the best little site on the internet that no one truly wants to join, myself included.

My husband Tom also has CC, he will be 63 on this coming Thursday, the 11th of Feb. He was initially diagnosed in March 2008, had a resection in June 2008 and had a reoccurance of a tumor in the remaining right biliary tree in Nov 2009.

Tom’s new tumor is inoperable because of the placement and because it involves the hepatic artery. After 28 rounds of radiation, the tumor has shrunk but he has yet to start chemo because they have to be able to stent the liver first. You can read more about Toms journey under my login name mlepp0416. (My husband and Cholangicocarcinoma)

CC is bile duct cancer. The liver is a vascular organ, so in a round about way I guess you could say that CC is a vascular cancer. But really it is a cancer of the bile duct, so in that respect it really isn’t a true vascular cancer.

I do not have any experience with CC metastizing (sp?) to the colon, however I do know that it is possible. Before my husband Tom had his resection one of the criteria was that he had to have a colonoscopy to see if it has spread to the colon. Thankfully, his colon was clear as were his lungs and other body organs that they checked with CTScans. So far his CC has remained strickly to the liver bile ducts.

Some doctors tell us that it is a slow growing cancer, others tell us that it is fast growing cancer. Some doctors tell us that it remains confined to the liver and others tell us that it can spread. (I really think that many doctors simply do not know because so few of them have experience with CC)

Chuck is very lucky to have you as a friend. My advice would be:
1) Do all the research you can. The internet is a great tool for that.
2) Write down any questions you think of
3) Quiz Chucks doctors regarding your questions.

The first time we went to see a surgeon in Tom’s case, I had a two page list of questions based off my research, and I made the doctor answer every one of them.

I noted his answers and when we went for a second opinoin, I asked the same questions of the 2nd doctor.

I then did a comparison of their answers and we went with our gut instinct to NOT have the first doctor do Tom’s resection surgery.

The first doctor was ‘old school’ and not up on more modern techniques and he’d only done “maybe 20 in my career” whereas the second doctor had done hundreds, was 30 years younger than the first doctor and she’d also done liver transplants.

She was a great choice. And she had no problem answering all my questions and giving real human answers in terms we could understand.

Tell Chuck that prayers from Wisconsin are coming his way.

Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer.

Margaret

Hi Christina,

Welcome to the site. I am very happy that you have joined us all here as this is a great thing that you are doing for Chuck. You are a very good friend indeed! Ask any questions that you may have an I am certain that many of us will have some answers for you.

Best wishes

Gavin

Hi Christina.
Welcome to the site. It is wonderful that you are being there for Chuck. During his surgery and recovery time, please feel free to quiz us if you need to.

kris