post liver resection treatment advice

mamasbaby
mamasbaby Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
My mom has been battling colon cancer since 2000, she went 4 1/2 years with no problems when it popped up in a single lymph node in early 2005. she finished her last round of chemo in October 0f 2005. Her scan in January of 2006 was all clear. When she had her next scan in march, it revealed a 3cm spot on her liver. she has just come home from a successful liver resection, no other lesions were found so they only took out a small portion of her liver. I am just loking for some advice on what type of follow up treatment we should expect or demand. Any input would be helpful. And god bless all of you who find it necessary to visit this site, I pray for the day that discussion boards as these are no longer needed!

Comments

  • pink05
    pink05 Member Posts: 550
    #2
    I'm glad your mom's liver resection was successful. That is very good news. I don't know too much about follow-up treatment after a liver resection. My initial thought is that your mom's onc may recommend more chemo to prevent another recurrence. You may want to ask your mom's onc about all of the options she has. Your mom sounds like a fighter!!! Like you, I too pray for the day that these discussion boards will no longer be needed, but this site has been a Godsend for me and my family. I'm so happy to have found it.

    God bless you and your family
  • hicarm
    hicarm Member Posts: 57
    #3
    hi. My dad just went through a liver resection too recently. In fact it was 3 days ago. He is stage 4 with liver mets. They took out 3 tumors and use radio frequency albation for the other two tumors. He also had a pump installed in his abdomen. I too would love to hear what post liver resection treatment advice.
    Best to you.
    carm
  • markatger
    markatger Member Posts: 314
    #4
    Ohh..so sorry to hear about your Mom's recurence. But so glad to hear that her liver met was operable.

    I had liver re-section in January. I had about a third of my liver removed. I also had a 3 cm tumor (but it turned out to be benign).

    I didn't have any problem at all with recovery although I am only 34 which might have helped with recovery.

    Right after the surgery when I started on food they put me on a lower fat diet because fat can stimulate the liver.

    But by the time I left the hospital they said I didn't need to worry about eating low fat, but I still did a little.

    My naturopath suggested eating things that are good for your liver which inlcude : onions and garlic.. so sorry can't think of the other foods right now...talking to a naturpath or nutritionist might be really good for your Mom, both in recovery from the surgery and for cancer treatment. Lots of health plans now cover Naturopath visits.

    I walked as often as possible. Hmm....I just really didn't have much problems...hope your Mom doesn't either.

    Best Wishes,
    Maria
  • glimmerofhope
    glimmerofhope Member Posts: 53 Member
    #5
    In the business world, I was taught to always consider the "do nothing" option and I think this applies to chemo and surgery when you have metastatic colon cancer. I have had 1/2 my liver removed, 10" of colon removed, and thoroscopic surgery to both my lungs over the last 3 years. In addition, I have been hospitalized 3 time during that period due to chemo complications.....

    If I were in your mom's position, I would investigate whether I was a candidate for Avastin/5FU/leucovorin and if so, begin taking that OR I would closely monitor periodic CAT scans and yearly PET scans (more accurate than CAT scans in detecting cancer, at least for me), and if anything shows up, take Avastin with 5FU and leucovorin.
    Most people on this web site would disagree with this, but I believe that for colon cancer, existing chemo never TOTALLY kills the cancer. It is easier to keep in check when it's small, though and it takes about a billion cells I'm told to show up on a CAT scan. Chemo does, without a doubt damage the one thing that can help you get well....your immune system. If you have seen the Lorraine Day videos I agree with some of her philosophy in that I believe people that have no further colon cancer after treatment got well IN SPITE OF the chemo, not because of it....(Lorraine was a doctor who got breast cancer and survived without chemo. You can get the videos at most libraries)

    The Avastin is not very toxic and has worked well for me over the last 10 months. I take this every two weeks over a two day period. Avastin only works if you are VEGF positive (according to some blood test), but it is about the only cancer treatment that I have been pleased with so far.... Camptosar and oxaliplatin are EXTREMELY toxic, at least for me and in the dosage that I took it.

    I also am taking ammonium tetrathiomolybdate (TM) that curiously no one at this web site has heard of. It reduces the available copper in your body that the cancer needs to develop new blood supplies..... I learned about this at the Immune Recovery Foundation in Atlanta (alternative treatment clinic). I firmly believe this stuff keeps the cancer beat back... It is a long story, but if you are interested, you can read about it at coldcure.com (scroll down the left side of the home page for a thorough write-up)

    I take handfuls of pills and I often wonder if they help or hurt. All the advertisements are just someone selling something, but I do believe in taking 2 standardized milk thistle capsules each day..... While I was on the really toxic chemo many months ago, my liver function blood tests were on a downward spiral...I began taking the milk thistle and the oncologist noted an IMPROVEMENT the first week that I began taking the stuff....(it was the only thing I changed). Also, my Duke Hospital liver surgeon told me that the hepatic arterial injection chemo that I took had PERMANENTLY damaged my liver such that I would never show much improvement when my alkaline phosphotase reached 1400 (anything over 128 is considered elevated)....Even while being on the Avastin and 5FU (which further damages the liver), my alkaline phosphatase has miraculously dropped down to 140-180 over the last few months!

    I also get a lot of sunshine, fresh air, exercise, and get most of my food at Whole Foods and am in the process of having a huge garden this year.

    Well....you asked for an opinion and that's the beauty of this web site, different viewpoints...SURGEONS always want to cut and ONCOLOGISTS always want to give chemo......I am neither, just someone who has a lot of first hand experience fighting this monster.

    Let me know what you think,
    Tony
  • markatger
    markatger Member Posts: 314
    #6
    markatger said:

    Ohh..so sorry to hear about your Mom's recurence. But so glad to hear that her liver met was operable.

    I had liver re-section in January. I had about a third of my liver removed. I also had a 3 cm tumor (but it turned out to be benign).

    I didn't have any problem at all with recovery although I am only 34 which might have helped with recovery.

    Right after the surgery when I started on food they put me on a lower fat diet because fat can stimulate the liver.

    But by the time I left the hospital they said I didn't need to worry about eating low fat, but I still did a little.

    My naturopath suggested eating things that are good for your liver which inlcude : onions and garlic.. so sorry can't think of the other foods right now...talking to a naturpath or nutritionist might be really good for your Mom, both in recovery from the surgery and for cancer treatment. Lots of health plans now cover Naturopath visits.

    I walked as often as possible. Hmm....I just really didn't have much problems...hope your Mom doesn't either.

    Best Wishes,
    Maria

    Hi again,

    Oops...I now realize that I read your post wrong...I thought you were looking for people's experience with recovery from liver surgery. I now see that you are seeking advice on what is standard follow-up teatement...Duh...my mind was on vacation yesterday.

    Since my tumor turned out to be benign...my follow-up might have been different. If I had to guess though on your follow-up it would include:

    1. PET/CT Scan - about a month or so after surgery. Too make sure nothing else has cropped up. Although beware - her PET Scan may show activity where they cut her liver. Mine did, and I think this is to be expected, because the liver is growing back.

    2.Some amount of chemo including Avastin. There are several protocols to try. I'm not sure how many rounds is standard to treat a recurrence. But since your Mom has been off of chemo for 4 + years I would imagine they might treat her with a full course of 12 treatments.

    3. Repeat PET/CT at least 1/2 way through the 12 treatments of chemo.

    Has she also gotten a colonoscopy lately? Polyps will show on a colonoscpy before they show on a PET/CT.

    I still would highly recomend seeing a naturopath. Although when you are chemo, some supplements should be avoided because there is concern that they could interfere with chemo. I think a great book is
    "How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine" by Michael Murray

    This is all speculation on my part on what can/should be done. If you are uncomfortable with your Docs plan, seek a second opinion.

    Its great for your Mom that you are being pro-active. You really have to be with your health.

    Best Wishes,
    Maria
  • markatger
    markatger Member Posts: 314
    #7
    markatger said:

    Hi again,

    Oops...I now realize that I read your post wrong...I thought you were looking for people's experience with recovery from liver surgery. I now see that you are seeking advice on what is standard follow-up teatement...Duh...my mind was on vacation yesterday.

    Since my tumor turned out to be benign...my follow-up might have been different. If I had to guess though on your follow-up it would include:

    1. PET/CT Scan - about a month or so after surgery. Too make sure nothing else has cropped up. Although beware - her PET Scan may show activity where they cut her liver. Mine did, and I think this is to be expected, because the liver is growing back.

    2.Some amount of chemo including Avastin. There are several protocols to try. I'm not sure how many rounds is standard to treat a recurrence. But since your Mom has been off of chemo for 4 + years I would imagine they might treat her with a full course of 12 treatments.

    3. Repeat PET/CT at least 1/2 way through the 12 treatments of chemo.

    Has she also gotten a colonoscopy lately? Polyps will show on a colonoscpy before they show on a PET/CT.

    I still would highly recomend seeing a naturopath. Although when you are chemo, some supplements should be avoided because there is concern that they could interfere with chemo. I think a great book is
    "How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine" by Michael Murray

    This is all speculation on my part on what can/should be done. If you are uncomfortable with your Docs plan, seek a second opinion.

    Its great for your Mom that you are being pro-active. You really have to be with your health.

    Best Wishes,
    Maria

    Ah crap...I read your post wrong again....

    So your Mom had chemo all last year. Well...I think they still might put her back on chemo if she tolerated it well last year.

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