New to liver mets. Looking for advice

betula
betula Member Posts: 86
edited September 2019 in Colorectal Cancer #1

Hi all,

 

I have not posted in a while but do come to see how everyone is doing. 

My husband was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 12/2016. He had chemo, radiation, surgery and more chemo he was good for a bit. Then in follow up CT scans in June of 2018 they found a recurrence at his original location and two small mets to the lungs. They said the lung mets were inoperable as well as where the recurrence is. They put him on folfiri which he had a hard time with but was also having small bowel obstructions at the same time. He made it through about 8 folfiri treatments. Eventually he had surgery to correct the problem causing the small bowel obstructions and was then put on 5fu for maintenance which is going fine.

So here we are more than a year after being diagnosed stage IV with the lung mets and they have grown just a very small amount but at last scan they found "hypodense lesions suspicious for metastatic disease"on his liver. There is one in segment 5 measuring 1.8 x1.4. Another one that is very small and no measurement with it is in segment 8. Prior scan in June did not show these. All liver function tests are fine. He does continue to have low hemoglobin and occassionally has blood transfusions or iron.

Unfortunately I was not at the doctors appointment when this was discovered but will be going to the one on Monday. Husband said they would keep an eye on these liver lesions and rescan soon. My question is will they look at the possibility of an ablation or resection given he has other lung mets and recurrence at the original location? I feel like all I have read about are people on their initial diagnosis that have liver mets getting resections, etc.

My husband tumor is KRAS g12v and the oncologist has a trial "vaccine" that has been created for his mutation and it can be only used after chemo is deemed to be no longer effective. At the last appointment the oncologist alluded to these lesions showing it is not effective any more. This vaccine has always been presented to us as the last effort for his cancer. I feel like the oncologist is so anxious to use this vaccine because from what I understand it has never been used before and I worry that he would forgo other things just to be the first to use this vaccine. Obviously that would not be ethical but I can't help but wonder.

Sorry for this being so long but if you have any info on what to expect for the liver lesions, I would appreciate it as this is new territory for us.

My best to all,

Betsy

Comments

  • Joan M
    Joan M Member Posts: 409 Member
    What vaccine will he get?

     

    It is interesting that your husband was offered a vaccine.  Pretty sure they wouldn't try to rush into using it and not try other things that are known to work.  Did they tell you what it is?

    I haven't heard of any vaccine for colon cancer.  Is it like an immunotherapy?  

  • betula
    betula Member Posts: 86
    vaccine

    Yes, it is immunotherpay.  

  • beaumontdave
    beaumontdave Member Posts: 1,280 Member
    Those are small lesions in

    Those are small lesions in the liver, so it suggests some time to try some things. Some of mine got to 3.5 cm, before they were excised in scoops as the surgeon called them. I think they stalled on the first liver resection just to make sure they had mapped any mets growing in there. I hope your hubby does well on the immunotherapy, I look forward to a day when that's the standard treatment for most cancers.....................................Dave