Liver Met found AFTER Xeloda

musiclover
musiclover Member Posts: 242
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
My friend who is in the hospital right now recovering from TME rectal surgery was just told by the doctor there was a spot found on the liver. The spot was NOT there in September's Cat scan. That scan was done before 5 weeks of radiation and Xeloda. They thought it odd that the Met would appear AFTER the Xeloda, and so do I. I'm the one that suggested he take the Xeloda after much research and my discovery of this much more convenient form of chemo. Has anyone ever heard of Xeloda causing problems to the liver? We will hear the confirmation later today about whether this is cancer or not. I'm stumped. Thanks!

Comments

  • 2bhealed
    2bhealed Member Posts: 2,064 Member
    #2
    Hi musiclover,

    According to Dr. Ralph Moss (former researcher with Memorial Sloan-Kettering) in his book, Questioning Chemotherapy, he states, "These agents also can cause the formation of drug-resistant cells. They paradoxically enhance the malignancy of the tumor and its ability to spread.


    It is a common observation that patients sometimes seem to have an accelerated growth of cancer after receiving chemotherapy. This impression is often denigrated by oncologists. However it is given credence from a study of patients who relapsed after treatment of breast cancer.......the disease began to progress after 9 weeks in the chemotherapy group, but in 17 weeks on the control group. Clearly, after relapse, chemotherapy patients did worse.

    In a 1987 scientific review of the topic, it was also found that cytotoxic drugs could promote the occurence of metastases; suppress the immune system; damage the vascular system; act directly and in a thouroughly unpredictable way on tumor cells.

    Under such conditions, cancers can spread wildly."

    pgs. 70-71 Questioning Chemotherapy by Dr. Ralph Moss

    So there ya go.

    Aside from creating secondary tumors, increasing one's risk of leukemia, and damaging kidneys and hearts beyond repair, not to mention creating liver and chromosomal lesions, it can actually accelerate the growth of cancer. And yet they continue to push their cytotoxic protocol.

    peace, emily
  • shmurciakova
    shmurciakova Member Posts: 906 Member
    #3
    I am not denying the downside of chemotherapy. I have been the unfortunate recipient of two rounds of chemo. One which included Xeloda. After each of these I had another lesion "found". The first time I was after my colon resection followed by 5-FU (IV) and Leukovorin. Subsequently they found a spot on my liver which was succesfully resected and then I had another round of chemo. Camptosar and Xeloda. Shortly thereafter they found 2 nodules on my lung. Once again they were successfully removed. That time I did not have chemo again and here I am over a year later and still cancer free. My doctors have told me that those lesions were there at the time of my initial diagnosis and were not "recurrences". According to them they have little doubt that my cancer had spread to those areas before I was even diagnosed but were slow growing and too small to be seen on a CT scan until later.....These were both docs at MD Anderson.
    So, that being said. I don't know whether chemo ever actually helped me or not. I do have an eye that waters continually as a result of the 5-FU and Xeloda which is highly annoying and which there is nothing anyone can do anything about. I guess that is better than having cancer, but I am not convinced that the chemo did any good and possibly my tumors did become resistant to 5-FU/Xeloda. At any rate, that is why they do not give you all the chemo drugs at once. They save the "big guns" so to speak for later if you end up having a recurrence.
    So let your friend know that it is likely he had the liver met before he ever did the chemo and it just might not have done the job.....if that is any consolation. I don't think there is a difference between Xeloda and 5-FU. They are essentially the same....
    He has a very good chance of cure from a single met to the liver.
    It can most likely be removed and that could well be the end of his problems....To take chemo or not is ultimately his decision.
    Best of luck,
    Susan.
  • kerry
    kerry Member Posts: 1,313 Member
    #4
    shmurciakova said:

    I am not denying the downside of chemotherapy. I have been the unfortunate recipient of two rounds of chemo. One which included Xeloda. After each of these I had another lesion "found". The first time I was after my colon resection followed by 5-FU (IV) and Leukovorin. Subsequently they found a spot on my liver which was succesfully resected and then I had another round of chemo. Camptosar and Xeloda. Shortly thereafter they found 2 nodules on my lung. Once again they were successfully removed. That time I did not have chemo again and here I am over a year later and still cancer free. My doctors have told me that those lesions were there at the time of my initial diagnosis and were not "recurrences". According to them they have little doubt that my cancer had spread to those areas before I was even diagnosed but were slow growing and too small to be seen on a CT scan until later.....These were both docs at MD Anderson.
    So, that being said. I don't know whether chemo ever actually helped me or not. I do have an eye that waters continually as a result of the 5-FU and Xeloda which is highly annoying and which there is nothing anyone can do anything about. I guess that is better than having cancer, but I am not convinced that the chemo did any good and possibly my tumors did become resistant to 5-FU/Xeloda. At any rate, that is why they do not give you all the chemo drugs at once. They save the "big guns" so to speak for later if you end up having a recurrence.
    So let your friend know that it is likely he had the liver met before he ever did the chemo and it just might not have done the job.....if that is any consolation. I don't think there is a difference between Xeloda and 5-FU. They are essentially the same....
    He has a very good chance of cure from a single met to the liver.
    It can most likely be removed and that could well be the end of his problems....To take chemo or not is ultimately his decision.
    Best of luck,
    Susan.

    Hi Susan,

    Who were your docs at MD Anderson?? I am currently a patient there and undergoing radiation treatment. I have been on various forms of chemo for the past 3 years as well.

    I'm so glad you are doing well.

    Kerry
  • shmurciakova
    shmurciakova Member Posts: 906 Member
    #5
    kerry said:

    Hi Susan,

    Who were your docs at MD Anderson?? I am currently a patient there and undergoing radiation treatment. I have been on various forms of chemo for the past 3 years as well.

    I'm so glad you are doing well.

    Kerry

    I'll e-mail you!
  • scouty
    scouty Member Posts: 1,965 Member
    #6
    Good question.....and not one your docs can answer easily. But, remember, where they work is called a medical practice, not medical perfection. Truth be known, it is really best guessing by looking at symptoms and weighing odds and stats.

    I don't know that much about Xeloda other then it is fairly new and is much more convenient to the patient and caregiver, (no trip for an IV and the costs of that. I bet it isn't cheaper though. Anybody know the difference in the cost of 5FU versus Xeloda? I bet the pharmeucital company is making a killing on the Xeloda. 5FU has been around for 30-40 years with millions of dosages sold and it still cost US$500-$1,000 a dose (oxilaplatin is US$15,000 and Avastin US$5,000 a dose. I would tend to agree with your docs, the tumor was there before just too small to show on the CT scans. Some CT machines got to 5mm and others only to 10mm. By the time, a tumor gets to be 5 mm in size, it is comprised of millions of cancer cells, so it's been there awhile.

    As far as chemo impacting the liver. Honey, chemo effects many more body parts and systems then we will ever know. After all, we are supposed to be thrilled to get the nasty poison, since without it we would die much sooner, or so the stats say.

    I hope your friend is making some lifestyle changes so the **** cells don't find his bod so appealing anymore.

    Lisa P.

    PS. Excuse me if I appear to be a little cynical but I just happen to live in a country that just witnessed a few corporations make billions of dollars off the situation caused by the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States. Next in line are the pharmeuctical companies, all at our expense (and our insurance companies). Seems oil, drugs (legal and illegal), and the businesses that suppport war are making lots of money these days....ONLY IN AMERICA!!!!!!!! Sickening!!!!!!!
  • terril
    terril Member Posts: 296
    #7
    scouty said:

    Good question.....and not one your docs can answer easily. But, remember, where they work is called a medical practice, not medical perfection. Truth be known, it is really best guessing by looking at symptoms and weighing odds and stats.

    I don't know that much about Xeloda other then it is fairly new and is much more convenient to the patient and caregiver, (no trip for an IV and the costs of that. I bet it isn't cheaper though. Anybody know the difference in the cost of 5FU versus Xeloda? I bet the pharmeucital company is making a killing on the Xeloda. 5FU has been around for 30-40 years with millions of dosages sold and it still cost US$500-$1,000 a dose (oxilaplatin is US$15,000 and Avastin US$5,000 a dose. I would tend to agree with your docs, the tumor was there before just too small to show on the CT scans. Some CT machines got to 5mm and others only to 10mm. By the time, a tumor gets to be 5 mm in size, it is comprised of millions of cancer cells, so it's been there awhile.

    As far as chemo impacting the liver. Honey, chemo effects many more body parts and systems then we will ever know. After all, we are supposed to be thrilled to get the nasty poison, since without it we would die much sooner, or so the stats say.

    I hope your friend is making some lifestyle changes so the **** cells don't find his bod so appealing anymore.

    Lisa P.

    PS. Excuse me if I appear to be a little cynical but I just happen to live in a country that just witnessed a few corporations make billions of dollars off the situation caused by the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States. Next in line are the pharmeuctical companies, all at our expense (and our insurance companies). Seems oil, drugs (legal and illegal), and the businesses that suppport war are making lots of money these days....ONLY IN AMERICA!!!!!!!! Sickening!!!!!!!

    Hi Scouty!!
    Amen!!! What concerns me...the close relationship with docs and drug companies. I pray this relationship is driven mostly to help and not to gain money. I am receiving Avistin. $5,000 a pop? I hope it works. I had no idea it cost so much.

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