Any stage IV's out there who've done RFA??

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musiclover
musiclover Member Posts: 242
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
They've come a long way with this procedure and I would like to know about anyone's experience. Thanks so much.
Kathryn

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  • mikew42
    mikew42 Member Posts: 114 Member
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    Kathryn,

    I've had RFA on three small tumors on the liver. We weren't sure if they were still alive (PET showed no response, but CT did). That was two years ago next month and still NED. I was very sore for the first week after the procedure but went back to work after two weeks. Hope this helps. Mike
  • offutt9
    offutt9 Member Posts: 88
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    Hello!! I have had RFA done Twice. The first time on 5 tumors, and 2 tumors the second time. The first time I was NED for 18 months, but I have angiosarcoma of the liver(cancer in blood vessels of liver only). My tumors will always return... RFA is a wonderful treatment and I recommend it to anyone who has a chance to do it. In Gods Love... Barbara
  • rthornton
    rthornton Member Posts: 346 Member
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    On August 28th I had a liver resection to remove two tumors seen on CT/PET/MRI scans. During the operation the surgeon found two more tumors. One was resectable, the other was in a tricky place (and the one he considered "resectable" was wrapped around a vein, and he was still able to remove that one!) He ablated the last one. For about a week, I had feelings of simultaneously being hot and cold. I would sweat and shiver all at once. All of this was minor compared to recovering from the resection itself, but the doctor told me that those symptoms were due to RFA. It's still too early to tell if the RFA part of the procedure was ultimately effective.

    Rodney
  • musiclover
    musiclover Member Posts: 242
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    rthornton said:

    On August 28th I had a liver resection to remove two tumors seen on CT/PET/MRI scans. During the operation the surgeon found two more tumors. One was resectable, the other was in a tricky place (and the one he considered "resectable" was wrapped around a vein, and he was still able to remove that one!) He ablated the last one. For about a week, I had feelings of simultaneously being hot and cold. I would sweat and shiver all at once. All of this was minor compared to recovering from the resection itself, but the doctor told me that those symptoms were due to RFA. It's still too early to tell if the RFA part of the procedure was ultimately effective.

    Rodney

    Thanks Mike, Rodney and Barbara for your posts. I fedex-ed Mark's latest CT to Portland to have a specialist look it over. I think I already know that he is not a candidate but it's a last ditch effort to find something before be goes on experimental trial number two. My hope is that it actually works, shrinks every tumor in site and that Mark is then able to get all the surgeries and ablations necessary to wipe this mother out. Thanks again. This is very helpful information.