HUGE LIVER MASS

milly mccoy

 

"The mass is 25 x 13.6 x 11.2 cm right hepatic lobe with distortion of the liver edge"  this was determined by ultra sound last week in my husband, 68.

 

he went to the doctor because he had pain in his side, was losing a lot of weight, felt full and uncomfortable with loss of appetite.  no jaundice.  blood work showed elevated creatinine, AFP and liver enzymes messed up. 

he has, maybe, three drinks a week after golf.  he was a heavy drinker for a long time but stopped three years ago when an ultra sound showed possible cirrhosis or fatty liver.  follow up MRI found Nothing so we quit thinking about it.  and...he smokes cigars, a lot, and inhales. 

 

 He has a CT with contrast scheduled and more blood work.  He's the kind who doesn't like to think about bad stuff and I'm the kind who wants to think about it and research it.  I want to be prepared so I can be at my best for him.

 

This seems to me to be an inordinately large mass.  I wonder how long it's been there.  What can it be?  Is it more likely than not malignant?  Primary or met?  The doctor has mentioned biopsy as a following step.  Will that be necessary and what about the risks?  Spreading the cells.

 

He is being seen at a large teaching military hospital.  I want to be referred to UCSF.

 

I'd love some feedback from anybody who knows about this stuff.  thank you!

lumen_4231121

HCC

We're facing the same dilemma. My husband has a smaller mass (5cm) on the right hepatic lobe. All his bloodwork are showing normal results, negative for hepatitis and cirrhosis. Ultrasound and CT scan noted the mass as suspicious for malignancy. He had fine needle aspiration biopsy and the result came back positive for hepatocellular carcinoma. My husband is not exhibiting any symptoms, and even days after the biopsy, I would press on the liver area and he says, no pain. He had more blood work done. We go see an oncologist next week and then, he goes for upper and lower endoscopy. Having gone through 2 primary cancers and survived, I feel more positive. I'm keeping the faith and hoping the cancer is detected on its early stage.

Prayers for your husband and yourself.

 

milly mccoy

lumen_4231121 said:

HCC

We're facing the same dilemma. My husband has a smaller mass (5cm) on the right hepatic lobe. All his bloodwork are showing normal results, negative for hepatitis and cirrhosis. Ultrasound and CT scan noted the mass as suspicious for malignancy. He had fine needle aspiration biopsy and the result came back positive for hepatocellular carcinoma. My husband is not exhibiting any symptoms, and even days after the biopsy, I would press on the liver area and he says, no pain. He had more blood work done. We go see an oncologist next week and then, he goes for upper and lower endoscopy. Having gone through 2 primary cancers and survived, I feel more positive. I'm keeping the faith and hoping the cancer is detected on its early stage.

Prayers for your husband and yourself.

 

HCC

thank you.  i hope you'll let me know what the doctor says this week.  it seems to me your husband is in much better shape than mine.  waay smaller tumor and no symptoms.  everything i've read says that once you have symptoms it's pretty advanced.  do you live near a cancer treatment center?  how old is your husband?

 

milly

lumen_4231121

milly mccoy said:

HCC

thank you.  i hope you'll let me know what the doctor says this week.  it seems to me your husband is in much better shape than mine.  waay smaller tumor and no symptoms.  everything i've read says that once you have symptoms it's pretty advanced.  do you live near a cancer treatment center?  how old is your husband?

 

milly

HCC

Yes, our primary doctor told us that with liver cancer, the symptoms usually show at the later stages. And I agree because when I had colon cancer, even before I had my colonoscopy I was already having symptoms for a while. Same with my thyroid cancer.

My husband is 73 and the cancer treatment center is 15 minutes-drive from our house. I will let you know what the oncologist will have to say. I was hoping we were going to see my oncologist but she is fully booked so my husband will be seeing a different doctor.