janetinfl
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Pete had his MRI yesterday to see if the radio embolization had worked. The good news is that it looks like 40% of the big tumor is dead. The radio active beads are active for another 6 weeks. So he has another MRI in about 2 months to see if any more of the tumor is destroyed. This is all good news.
But since the radio embolization Pete has been itching a lot especially at night. The doctor also said Pete looks a little yellow. The doctor isn’t sure whether to procedure is causing other ducts to be clogged or whether the cancer has spread into the ducts. I have the impression they will know more after the next MRI. The doctor prescribed some medicine for the itching to take only at night and I also bought him some Sarna.
In addition that B-test to test the liver functions has rising to 1.5. And his kidney funtions haven’t improved. The doctor said Pete would most likely not have anymore chemo in the future because of the kidney funtions, but he did say the oncologist would make that decision.
The doctor did say that Pete could have another radio embolization in the future.
So in conclusion I am really happy that my husband is feeling soooooooooooo much better. It is Spring here in Florida and the weather is awesome to sit out on the porch. We are enjoying each day. I know the cancer has shrunk, but some of the tests aren’t that great. But to look at him one doesn’t know that. He just looks and acts so much better.
I hope that others that have radio embolizations will post the results of their procedures. Maybe I should have posted this as a new post.
My husband had radio embolization almost a month ago. He has a lot more energy. In fact he blew the leaves off the roof yesterday. I am estactic to hear good news from someone else who had the procedure.
In addition he has also moved the weeds and has given up his naps. I am looking forward to his MRI in about 3 weeks.
I wish you all the best.
When my husband was referred to the Mayo in Florida we were told to get all his records and fax them to the Mayo. This we did. Then we were told again by the Mayo that they needed his records. We told them they were faxed. The Mayo said they didn’t have them.
To make a long story short we ended getting all his records and taking them by hand to the Mayo. Once that was completed our first appointment was made within a week.
Since you sister is only an hour away from the Mayo, find out what records they need. Make a copy of them and take the records in personally. We have found that copies come on handy when a doctor can’t find a certain medical record that we know we personally hand carried to them.
Lud, my husband had radioembolization the last day of Feb. Today is a week and a day since the procedure. He was really really sick the first week, but today he is almost human again. My husband is 66, I sure hope you will survive the procedure better because you are younger.
He slept a lot and had big problems with constipation. So you may want to stock up on whatever you use in France for constipation.
This will all be worth it if we see shrinkage. We won’t find out for at least another month. Good luck on your procedure.
My husband had his radioembolization last Wednesday. He is extremely tired and has some pain. The night after the procedure he had trouble sleeping, but was able to sleep all during the next day. He also has lost his appetite. The nurse called to see how he was getting along, and she said his symptoms are normal. So don’t be surprised if you feel really lousy.
He will have an MRI in about a month to 6 weeks so see if there is any shrinkage. It would be interesting to know how many people on this forum has had this procedure, and what the results were.
rhike,
My husband had an mri to see if his stage 4 cancer was still contained in the liver. His started in a bile duct within the liver and is now in the portal vein and blood vessels. That is why he is a candidate for radio embolization. The surgeon at the Mayo also told him he isn’t a candidate for surgery. He had chemo, but the results was that the tumor didn’t grow, but it didn’t shrink either. So if your son’s cancer is all contained within the liver,he should definately give it a try.
We were told it is palitive care, and we are hoping it will give my husband more time.
We were told by the radiologist that 50% of people get shrinkage, 10% have growth, and 40% see no change. I know those aren’t great odds, but I think they are better than other treatments for intrahepatic cc patients that are told they aren’t candidates for surgery.
My husband is having radio embolization at the end of the month. He found out he had intrahepatic stage 4 cancer last Sept. Since then he has had chemo that really make him sick. The chemo didn’t shrink any of his 2 tumors, but it has reduced his kidney functions.
So he was taken off chemo and given chemo embolization along with the test to see if he can have radio embolization. He passed the test (leakage to the lungs) and will have the procedure done.
Since my husband isn’t a candidate for surgery, I was really glad he was able to have this done. From what I have read radio embolization has a really good chance of extending life.
We are giving it a try since there are very few other options out there.
I haven’t posted for a while because my husband hasn’t had any chemo for 6 weeks. The doctors are hoping his kidney funtions would improve. His kidney funtions didn’t improve. Last Thursday he had chemoembolization to attack the smaller tumor. They also did the test to see if he is a candidate for radioembolization.
During the test the doctors put a contrast in the artery. This is what is harmful to the kidneys. I was told to give him some medicine that he was to drink the day before the procedure. This was to protect his kidneys.
I called the Mayo so find out the results of the test. I was told there was some leakage to the lungs, and the doctors needed more time to study the results.
We were told that if Pete passes the test and can have radioembolization, he can’t have the Theraspere because of his kidneys. They said they would use an “off the shelf” radio-active beads that are made in Australia.
According to what I have read on this forum chemoembolization can’t be used on large tumors. Pete has 2 tumors. One of small and located near the border of the 2 lobes of the liver. The other is 8 to 9 c. and looks like a spider. If he can’t have radioembolizatio to attack the large tumor, I wonder what the doctors could try next.
So far Pete is feeling really good after the chemoembolization. He is doing a lot better now that he isn’t on chemo.
We were finally told Pete’s cancer is stage 4 intrahepatic cc. I was surprised by this because the cancer is all contained within the liver. But the doctors said he is in the portal vein, the liver and in the blood vessels. So it has metasticized.
So he has a lot going against him. Cirossis of the liver, poor kidney funtions, and sage 4 cancer. At this point in time, he is back to his old self. One wouldn’t know he is sick. He really was sick with the chemo. I now understand why “one must take this one day at a time”.
I called Dr Sella’s nurse yesterday about an appointment for Pete’s embolization. She told me that the oncologist and Dr. Sella wanted to give Pete a couple of weeks break before the procedure.
Just before X-mas Pete was given the regular gem-sis infusion since he was taken off the trial because of low platlets happening 2 times. Pete didn’t tolerate that cocktail at all. He was the worst I had ever seen him. So I think they want Pete to take a break and be stronger to withstand the embolization.
So it will be a week or two before we make the trip to the Mayo. At that time I will ask for the results of his MRI.
Meanwhile he is eating much better. He even looks better. I am learning to take all of this one day at a time. Dr. Sella had told us he hoped this procedure would make Pete more comfortable. I know it isn’t a cure. We are just hoping for more time.
I really appreciate this forum. I have learned from many of you of how to treat constipation. I have also learned of how tired all these treatments can make a person. In other words I learn what to expect so that I can keep my sanity. It is so hard to watch a person fight this battle. I am the type of person that can’t watch people hurting. My personal lesson in all of this is to become a stronger person so that I can be there for my best friend, my hubby.
Meanwhile I spend some time every day on this forum. It hope with experience I can help others with what I learn. Thank you so much for all of you that post. You don’t know how much it helps those that are still in the learning process. Thank you Thank you Thankyou. I can’t say it enough.
I will ask for the results of the MRI at our next appointment.
My husband has really been sick on the chemo he has been given. I am hoping the radioembolization won’t be as toxic for him. It has been 3 weeks since he had chemo, and he still has no energy, but he is eating better.
I can understand why transplants aren’t given to people over 65. First there aren’t enough organs for people that need them, and they should go to people who are younger and still have lots of life ahead of them.
From what I read about this radioembolization is that it does extend life. I imagine that is all we can hope for right now.
The doctor that will do the precedure is Dr. Sella at the Mayo in Jacksonville. We have already had a consult with him. We should get a call Monday for the next 2 appointments. We were impressed with him.
Our son married a girl whose father is a retired doctor from the Mayo. He is a great help in steering us in the right direction. We also have a teacher friend whose wife is a nurse for the doctors that do resections at the Mayo. She highly recommends 2 doctors that do resections. That is if Pete is ever a candidate for that precedure. I imagine it will all depend on how much they can shrink the 2 tumors and how much they can cut out of a cirrotic liver. The oncologist gave us that hope.
We haven’t thought about second opinions because I don’t think we can do much better than the Mayo here in Florida. I have no complaints about the Mayo. People are great there and they take all the time one needs to talk and ask questions. I wish all hospitals were ran like the Mayo. This is our first time using the Mayo and again we are really impressed by the service.
Pete had a MRI and a catscan of his chest. Yesterday Pete’s oncologist said the cancer hadn’t spread, but there was no shrinkage of the 2 tumors. The radiologist and oncologist decided the next plan of attack is radioembolization. The radiologist gave us a phamplet on Therasphere that is a type of radioembolization.
The oncologist also told us that he won’t give Pete anymore cisplatin because it is doing a number on his kidneys. (this is when the radioembolization is completed) I asked if the radioembolization would do anything to his kidneys, and he answered no.
According to the phamplet once the procedure is completed we don’t go back to the Mayo for a month. After a month they take another MRI to see if the procedure did any good.
For us this is good news because maybe we get a break from the Mayo and doctors.
Has anyone had this procedure done?
Thank you so much for your reply. I read your reply to Pete. He does lie down now and then on his right side. It gives him relief.
His MRI is Jan. 12. We will just wait and see. Our son is here with us now. His wife and 4 year old are at her parents house in Jacksonville. Father and son are enjoying each other so much. I sure hate to see him leave on the first to return to N. Carolina. I am praying that Pete will be strong enough to travel to N. Carolina in the spring to welcome a new granddaughter. Life does go on.
I found copies of test taken at our local hospital. They took a CT Abdomen and pelvis with contrast. I don’t know if you want me to type the entire report, but there is a sort of summary titled IMPRESSION. This is what is says.
Abnormal liver highly suspicious for a large heterogeneous infiltrating mass involving most of the posterior segment of the right lobe of the liver. The involved area measures approxiate 11cm craniocaudal by 8 cm by 9cm AP. Finding highly suspicious for a hepatic cellular carcinoma. There is also thrombus within the portal vein which is almost entirely occluded. This could be bland thrombus or tumor thrombus.
Large amount ascites. Splenomegaly.
Mild diffuse thickening of the gull bladder wall. No biliary dilatation.
There are numberous bilateral simple renal cysts as well as bilateral indeterminate hyperdense exophytic nodules. The indeterminate lesions are likely comples benign cysts but are not fully characterized on this exam.
Small nonobstructing bilateral kidney stones.
Today is Christmas and I am looking through records. We celebrated with son, wife, and grandson on Thursday because Pete had chemo on Friday.
Our son and family traveled from North Carolina to Florida. My son came armed with alternative type treatments. He doesn’t want to lose his dad. I love him for helping me find anything to save his dad. I have told our son about this forum and how I am trying to arm myself with information. Thank you all for being there.
I will ask for a report on the first catscan. Dr. Sella did talk about going after the smaller tumor after radiating the first. How long have you been living with intrahepatic cc? I read on this forum that intrahepatic is not as common as extrahepatic. God Bless to you also.
Pete does have the intrahepatic CCA like you. I don’t have a copy of the original catscan. We were told he had an 8 cm tumor in the liver that was shaped like a spider. A biopsy was taken at the Orange Park hospital. The slides were sent to the Mayo for them to test. They guessed the tumor origioned in a bile duct inside the liver. He had a catscan at the local hospital. When we first went to the Mayo they did another catscan in addition to an mri. One of these showed spots on his thyroid. He had a biopsy on his thyroid and the results were negative. In order the enter the trial he was on they had to rule out that the cancer had not spread to other parts of the body.
We were told by the surgeon named Dr. Winn that a transplant was ruled out because of the portal vein involvement. He even said if they could radiate all the cancer out of the portal vein that a transplant was still out of the question. I had the feeling that once it gets into the portal vein it is almost impossible to destroy all of it.
I will now ask if the reason he isn’t a candidate for a transplant is because his cancer is intrahepatic. I will let you know what the reply when I get the answer to that question. Thank you for your post.
