RCC reaches liver?

adriaranguren
adriaranguren Member Posts: 10
edited March 2014 in Kidney Cancer #1
Hi, my dad has RCC Stage IV. He was diagnosed on Nov 2005 and has been doing ok with Sorafenib. They performed a nephroectomy of his right kidney and of one of his vertebrae (L3).They also found many nodules on his lungs, which have been shrinking with the medication. Unfortunately they found many tumors on his liver a week ago. He is not feeling good at all; high fevers,head aches,weakness,coughing, etc. Does anybody know if RCC in the liver is more agressive than in other organs? I am 27 years old and very scared of what might come now, pls help me! Thanks a lot.

Comments

  • lbinmsp
    lbinmsp Member Posts: 266
    #2
    Hello and I'm so sorry to hear about your father. Whenever RCC spreads anywhere, it's scary as it does have a tendency to continue moving to other organs. I can't speak to outcomes or aggressiveness but I will say that I'll pray for your father and you as well. You sound like a very nice, caring person. God bless.
  • salfoty
    salfoty Member Posts: 1
    #3
    right there with you
    Hi, my dad also has Stage IV RCC...I'm 30 and right there with you. It has spread to most of his major organs, including his brain, which was recently cleared thanks to whole-brain radiation. His skeleton was stabilized early on with Zometa (sp?) and he responded very well to Sutent for it's effective life span (9-12) months and has been on and off Torisel during his radiation treatment.

    The cancer in his chest and abdominal areas has been very slow growing. In recent weeks, his liver function has been reduced because the disease has progressed there. This was aided by lack of nutrition, which caused low phosphorus and calcium levels, which in turn were affected by his overall bone health, weak nutrition (no appetite...just started a marijuana derivative to help), and because of the way Torisel works against all cells, not just cancerous. He has been also been constipated, which doesn't help matters.

    Daddy also did not respond well to steroids given before and during his radiation treatments for possible seizures and brain swelling. He never had seizures. PLEASE be aware that many patients do not respond well to steroids...this was one "unexpected" development that caused more of a health setback than anything else.

    His docs at MDAnderson are optimistic that he can recover from our current setback and get back on his feet with the flushing of his bowels, physical therapy and regaining good nutrition and hydration. Our overall impression from the docs the last two days is sober but positive to maintain quality of life during continued treatment.

    We've been at this Since February 2008, and our biggest lessons are prayer and positive attitude. :) Keep the hydration and diet moving, and stay positive and strong for your dad and mom/caregiver. If you're the caregiver, ask for help and maintain some "you" time. My mom is Dad's primary caregiver...three of four kids, including me, are out of towners who rotate and combine shifts aggressively to help her out, including getting her out of the house and taking over caregiving opportunities. I find it a true blessing to really give back to my parents in a deeply meaningful way...it's the best thank you we have for all the wonderful years and love they've given us.

    God bless and keep me posted!

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