Liver pain

SharonVegas
SharonVegas Member Posts: 189
in Colorectal Cancer #1
If there is such a thing? I had a CT guided biopsy in April 2012 for met on my liver. What was believed to be met in my liver turned out to be peritonial mets on top of the liver. That's a good thing I guess. Ever since then, I've had pain in my right side where the biopsy was done. For those that have mets to the liver, is there such thing as liver pain? What does it feel like? I'm going to request copy of my July 31st CT scan today to see if anything changed since April.
Thanks much!

Comments

  • PatchAdams
    PatchAdams Member Posts: 271
    #2
    Had no pain
    I had no pain when I had a liver met, nor did I have pain in the liver after resection. If you google 'does the liver feel pain' you'll find the liver has no nerves, so no pain BUT the sac surrounding the liver does and if the liver swells and pushes against the sac, there can/ will be pain. An enlarged liver can also push against the rib cage and cause discomfort both there and in the shoulder blade area.

    Needle guided biopsies are being questioned at the bigger hospitals due to possible 'seeding' of cancer cells into surround areas. My tumor was on the back of my liver. I got 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th opinions from a 2nd onc, MD Anderson, University at Chicago and Sloan Kettering before refusing a needle guided biopsy. All 4 disagreed with my local onc and liver surgeon regarding the need and safety.

    I would think a liver met, which could be surgically removed with curative intent, would be a better dx than mets to the peritoneum which would call for HIPEC (according to my limited knowledge of those things).
  • janie1
    janie1 Member Posts: 753 Member
    #3
    Hey there. That's a hard
    Hey there. That's a hard one. Everyone is different. I've had/have liver mets and havent had pain.
    Good question for a doc ( maybe). Sometimes scar tissue can feel '"weird".
    Hope it's fine. Keep us posted.
  • Doc_Hawk
    Doc_Hawk Member Posts: 685
    #4
    PatchAdams said:

    Had no pain
    I had no pain when I had a liver met, nor did I have pain in the liver after resection. If you google 'does the liver feel pain' you'll find the liver has no nerves, so no pain BUT the sac surrounding the liver does and if the liver swells and pushes against the sac, there can/ will be pain. An enlarged liver can also push against the rib cage and cause discomfort both there and in the shoulder blade area.

    Needle guided biopsies are being questioned at the bigger hospitals due to possible 'seeding' of cancer cells into surround areas. My tumor was on the back of my liver. I got 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th opinions from a 2nd onc, MD Anderson, University at Chicago and Sloan Kettering before refusing a needle guided biopsy. All 4 disagreed with my local onc and liver surgeon regarding the need and safety.

    I would think a liver met, which could be surgically removed with curative intent, would be a better dx than mets to the peritoneum which would call for HIPEC (according to my limited knowledge of those things).

    Nerves
    My onc told me pretty much the same thing, that there are no nerves in the liver so I wouldn't have any pain from the mets. Nonetheless, occasionally I'll get a sudden sharp stabbing pain in that general area and wonder if it's one of the mets.
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    #5
    Yep...
    Hi Sharon

    It wasn't liver pain - but it was pain from the biopsy site. The goofball that worked on me dug in there about 7-8 times to try and get samples...he futzed it up pretty good apparently.

    One night I went to lay down and ran my hand around the insertion point of the needle into the liver...there was a huge marble sized knot sticking out of my chest - very sensitive to the touch and it hurt badly.

    This has gone on for 3-years...I've now noticed that the knot has shrunk quite a bit and portrudes only slightly from the liver area...you can still the damage, I'm sure it will always be there.

    Just if the spot finally goes away - stays the same - or gets bigger again.

    I can't remember what the onc called it...but anyway, I had it.

    -Craig
  • Doc_Hawk
    Doc_Hawk Member Posts: 685
    #6
    Sundanceh said:

    Yep...
    Hi Sharon

    It wasn't liver pain - but it was pain from the biopsy site. The goofball that worked on me dug in there about 7-8 times to try and get samples...he futzed it up pretty good apparently.

    One night I went to lay down and ran my hand around the insertion point of the needle into the liver...there was a huge marble sized knot sticking out of my chest - very sensitive to the touch and it hurt badly.

    This has gone on for 3-years...I've now noticed that the knot has shrunk quite a bit and portrudes only slightly from the liver area...you can still the damage, I'm sure it will always be there.

    Just if the spot finally goes away - stays the same - or gets bigger again.

    I can't remember what the onc called it...but anyway, I had it.

    -Craig

    Biopsy owie
    I woke up briefly during my biopsy and saw the doc pumping a needle up and down into me. I started to ask if he'd hit oil yet but was out again before I could say anything. After I woke up it hurt all around my chest worse than when my old horse managed to kick me in the ribs.
  • luvinlife2
    luvinlife2 Member Posts: 172 Member
    #7
    Hi Sharon :)
    I was told that the pain comes from the tissues that encase the liver, not the liver itself. When tumors begin to press on the tissue, the pain occurs.
  • peterz54
    peterz54 Member Posts: 341
    #8
    yes
    At the time my wife was diagnosed she had significant right side pain. she also had significant liver mets, much of it near the side. was tender to touch. after first chemo it subsided. whatever the precise mechamism, her pain was associated with liver mets.
  • steveandnat
    steveandnat Member Posts: 886
    #9
    No liver pain
    Don't have liver mets pain but like others have said areas around the liver will have pains. Pray your pain goes away. Jeff
  • SharonVegas
    SharonVegas Member Posts: 189
    #10
    Thanks
    Thanks for all your replies. Much appreciated. I read the CT scan report today and the peritoneal met(s) on top of my liver has grown since April (I was told but had to read it for myself). That would make sense that I have pain in that area considering that I now know the sac has nerves. I was semi-awake during the CT guided biopsy and it was a cluster from the beginning. I could go on about it but that's water under the bridge. The good part was the radiologist was able to take a good look and that's how it was determined that it was a "pimple" on the sac surrounding my liver. Of course there are other lesions in the entire sac but this one seems to be the biggest.
    My best to all :-)

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