Liver Ultrasound

Faith88

Hi everyone -
I don't post new topics often but read most daily, and pray for everyone here.
My question for anyone, My DH is 14 months post chemo for Stage 3 colon cancer and his onc wants him to have a liver ultrasound on Tuesday. Apparently his levels are fluctuating and his doc wants to be proactive. I didn't get anymore info than that and of course I'm worried and fearing the worse. He had a lesion on his liver prior to his surgery and was told it was nothing to worry about, so now what? I was wondering if anyone has had this test or has any info and or reassurance to share. I'm trying not to worry but of course that's almost impossible.
Also why not a scan? why an u/s? Can anyone shed some light on why this is? He has had one followup colonoscopy in August (1 polyp, benign) and regular blood tests but no scans since his surgery, 1.5 years ago.

anything anyone can share would be helpful.
thanks and blessings to you all-
Faith88

Unknown

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pamness

Cannot she light on the ultrasound
Probably won't hurt anything.

I was diagnosed with stage IIIA colon cancer - surgery, folfox, radiation with 5FU.

Follow up was a CT scan at the end of treatment with blood info (including CEA). Blood test every three months for 7 years and CT every six months for seven years, colonosopy every year for 3 years and once every three years thereafter, assuming nothing was odd. My CEA rose and I am not on the 3 month CEA and CT plan.

I would ask why no scan. I thought my follow up - I am at Mass General was fairly standard.

Hope all is well.

Pam

impactzone

At stanford it was always a
At stanford it was always a CT scan. I did get an ultrasound during a liver resection as they were looking for other potential mets. Maybe the concern is not cancer mets but something else that could chnage liver levels and this is the least invasive test. Not sure. I'd just ask, "Hey, why not a CT scan?"
Chip

lisa42

MRI
Hi,

I've usually had a CT done for the liver. My liver specialist actually said an MRI is the best for the liver and a CT is the best for the lungs. Never heard of anyone having an ultrasound for it. Wonder if they're just trying to save money, as the CT and MRI are more expensive. I had to argue w/ my father in law's doctor a few months back. They were checking to see if his cancer (merkel cell carcinoma, which he had removed from his scalp) had spread to his lungs, so the Dr. (a regular internist) just ordered an X-ray of his lungs. I responded that a CT would make more sense and an X-ray might not show things if they're there. His response was maddening- that "Medicare shouldn't have to pay for such an expensive scan". I couldn't believe he actually came out and said that! We got the Ct done anyhow, ordered by the oncologist the next week. I hope that this isn't the case w/ your Dr., I would hope not- but I would insist on getting at least a CT or possibly an MRI (MRI would be a way to avoid more radiation exposure if that happens to be a concern for you or your Dr.).
Best wishes,
Lisa

Faith88

update on liver ultrasound
Hi I just want to thank those who replied to my post. I did get some answers which I guess make sense. His doc wanted to do the U/S first to check his liver and kidneys just to see if anything needed further followup and insurance did not have to preapprove so it was a first check to see if his lesion had changed and if anything else to further investigate. the good news was the lesion was still the same, but his liver was enlarged and he called it Non-Alcoholic fatty liver or NASH, but needs to have a liver biopsy or pet scan next..so now I'm worried again.
Other than the fact that he loves sugar in his coffee and sugary sodas he doesn't drink at all, he is about 30 lbs overweight though. Just wondering if anyone has had an liver issues or knows anything about enlarged liver and relation to CC?
I know I'm fishing and I should just try not to borrow trouble but I guess I just hate the wondering and worrying what it might be.
Best wishes to all out there with every challenge and I pray each day for everyone and the caregivers who have to keep up the strength.
Faith88

CherylHutch

Faith88 said:

update on liver ultrasound
Hi I just want to thank those who replied to my post. I did get some answers which I guess make sense. His doc wanted to do the U/S first to check his liver and kidneys just to see if anything needed further followup and insurance did not have to preapprove so it was a first check to see if his lesion had changed and if anything else to further investigate. the good news was the lesion was still the same, but his liver was enlarged and he called it Non-Alcoholic fatty liver or NASH, but needs to have a liver biopsy or pet scan next..so now I'm worried again.
Other than the fact that he loves sugar in his coffee and sugary sodas he doesn't drink at all, he is about 30 lbs overweight though. Just wondering if anyone has had an liver issues or knows anything about enlarged liver and relation to CC?
I know I'm fishing and I should just try not to borrow trouble but I guess I just hate the wondering and worrying what it might be.
Best wishes to all out there with every challenge and I pray each day for everyone and the caregivers who have to keep up the strength.
Faith88

Update
Hey Faith,

I wouldn't go borrowing worries... not until you've been given something concrete to worry about. You say he had the lesion prior to surgery, that he's now 14 months out of chemo and they lesion has not changed... then I would tend to agree that there's nothing to worry about there. As for the "Non-Alcoholic fatty liver"... this is very, VERY common with North Americans and our Western diet... aka "we eat too well and too rich". It is not found often, if at all, in third world countries because they don't have the rich foods we have. We tend to be a very high carb ingesting continent... hence, the pastas, breads, sweets, junk foods, etc. all contribute to fatty deposits in the liver, which are not alcohol-driven

So, other than changing his diet (and everyone knows they should but most of us don't), the fatty deposits in the liver are not caused by cancer, but more so by diet.

Relation of CC to liver... if the CC is going to spread the two most common areas for it to spread to are the liver and the lungs. But, it sounds like his doctor is not too concerned but is doing the scans that are available as a precautionary measure, which is a GOOD thing. They will also give a baseline of scans to compare to when 3 months, 6 months, whatever is decided down the road they decide to do more, they will now have scans to compare them to. It is not uncommon at all, after a patient has had CC surgery, to do scans on a regular basis... this is all part of the monitoring process and nipping anything in the bud SHOULD they find something. If they don't, then great... but they will still make appts. for future scans.

Huggggs,

Cheryl

Faith88

CherylHutch said:

Update
Hey Faith,

I wouldn't go borrowing worries... not until you've been given something concrete to worry about. You say he had the lesion prior to surgery, that he's now 14 months out of chemo and they lesion has not changed... then I would tend to agree that there's nothing to worry about there. As for the "Non-Alcoholic fatty liver"... this is very, VERY common with North Americans and our Western diet... aka "we eat too well and too rich". It is not found often, if at all, in third world countries because they don't have the rich foods we have. We tend to be a very high carb ingesting continent... hence, the pastas, breads, sweets, junk foods, etc. all contribute to fatty deposits in the liver, which are not alcohol-driven

So, other than changing his diet (and everyone knows they should but most of us don't), the fatty deposits in the liver are not caused by cancer, but more so by diet.

Relation of CC to liver... if the CC is going to spread the two most common areas for it to spread to are the liver and the lungs. But, it sounds like his doctor is not too concerned but is doing the scans that are available as a precautionary measure, which is a GOOD thing. They will also give a baseline of scans to compare to when 3 months, 6 months, whatever is decided down the road they decide to do more, they will now have scans to compare them to. It is not uncommon at all, after a patient has had CC surgery, to do scans on a regular basis... this is all part of the monitoring process and nipping anything in the bud SHOULD they find something. If they don't, then great... but they will still make appts. for future scans.

Huggggs,

Cheryl

thanks!
Thanks Cheryl, I really needed that. I wasn't sure just how common this fatty liver thing was but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. We are going to get more serious about our diets.
And I'm trying not to look around corners...But it's hard and I'm facing a colonoscopy endoscoy next week myself (rectal bleeding, sheesh!) I have hemorrhoids but still trying not to borrow any more trouble there either!
Gosh it's not easy keeping all this stuff from getting the best of us.
Huggsss back to you, I enjoy reading your posts,
Faith