Husband Diagnosed With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

lumen_4231121
lumen_4231121 Member Posts: 13
in Liver Cancer #1

I've had 2 primary cancers - colon and thyroid, had colon resection and total thyroidectomy. No chemo for my colon cancer but had radioactive iodine theraphy for my thyroid cancer. With God's blessings, I have been cancer-free for 2 years and counting. A week ago, my husband has been diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer). The cancer was found by accident - our primary doctor recommended that my husband go see his cardiologist because his cardio-vascular profile was not good and our doctor called my husband a "candidate" for stroke/heart attack. The cardiologist did all the necessary tests on him, yet, all the results came back normal. When the cardiologist did a physical exam on his abdomen, he felt something. He sent him to imaging for abdominal CT scan. A solitary mass (about 5cm) was noted on the right lobe of the liver. My husband's GI doctor then, ordered biopsy. The biopsy result is hepatocellular carcinoma. My husband cannot believe he has cancer because according to him, he feels fine. His GI doctor ordered a series of blood tests prior to the biopsy and he is negative for hepatitis and cirhossis. My husband does not have the usual cancer symptoms. No weight loss, or loss of appetite. It's the opposite for him. No jaundice, or pain, or fatigue. I am also wondering what's going on... my husband looks fine. I have read that the symptoms for liver cancer don't usually show up until the later stages. Hence, I am hoping and praying that his cancer was detected early. He will undergo upper and lower endoscomy in 2 weeks, to make sure the cancer is primary, not metastatic. Considering the absence of symptoms, his doctor thinks the cancer may have started in the liver. He is also scheduled to go see my oncologist for staging and treatment recommendations.

Any input on this will be very much appreciated. My husband used to be a heavy drinker when he was younger. A heavy smoker also but he's slowed down as he got older. He's now 73 years old and has been a diabetic for more than 20 years. His diabetes was initially diagnosed Type 2, but has been Type 1 for 3 years now. I know that cancer is not contagious, yet, I had to ask our doctor and he assured me it's not.

Comments

  • lumen_4231121
    lumen_4231121 Member Posts: 13
    #2
    HCC Update

    My husband had upper and lower endoscopy done last week (April 20) and thanks to God, no other cancer is found. He had to go for more blood tests. When we went back to see his oncologist, Friday, the 24th, he told us that my husband's liver cancer is primary and stage 1. He is referring my husband to UC San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center for surgery and possible chemo to shrink the tumor before surgery.

    Anybody out there who has a husband/wife/parent/sibling/relative/friend/and or acquaintance who had stage 1 liver cancer surgery and treatment, PLEASE I need to hear from you. I need some input as to what's the best treatment option for liver cancer at its early stage. Many thanks and may God bless us all.  

  • Rindakay
    Rindakay Member Posts: 1
    #3
    lumen_4231121 said:

    HCC Update

    My husband had upper and lower endoscopy done last week (April 20) and thanks to God, no other cancer is found. He had to go for more blood tests. When we went back to see his oncologist, Friday, the 24th, he told us that my husband's liver cancer is primary and stage 1. He is referring my husband to UC San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center for surgery and possible chemo to shrink the tumor before surgery.

    Anybody out there who has a husband/wife/parent/sibling/relative/friend/and or acquaintance who had stage 1 liver cancer surgery and treatment, PLEASE I need to hear from you. I need some input as to what's the best treatment option for liver cancer at its early stage. Many thanks and may God bless us all.  

    HCC

    I don't know how much help I will be to you.  My husband also has HCC but with tumor in the portal vein.  There has been a lot of debate on how to treat this.  What they have came up with now is taking Nexavar (chemo Pills) and then Y90 radiation seeds.  My husbands tumor is rather large 5x6.  With the clot in the portal vein resection or transplant is not an option. Like I said I don't know what advice I can offer but I am more than willing to listen if you would like to talk.

     

  • milly mccoy
    milly mccoy Member Posts: 4
    #4
    lumen_4231121 said:

    HCC Update

    My husband had upper and lower endoscopy done last week (April 20) and thanks to God, no other cancer is found. He had to go for more blood tests. When we went back to see his oncologist, Friday, the 24th, he told us that my husband's liver cancer is primary and stage 1. He is referring my husband to UC San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center for surgery and possible chemo to shrink the tumor before surgery.

    Anybody out there who has a husband/wife/parent/sibling/relative/friend/and or acquaintance who had stage 1 liver cancer surgery and treatment, PLEASE I need to hear from you. I need some input as to what's the best treatment option for liver cancer at its early stage. Many thanks and may God bless us all.  

    UCSF FOR HCC

    i am svery sorry about your husbands diagnosis.  I'm sure you know HCC is rarely found when it is still

    stage I. I think that means he has an excellent chance. 

         My husband was just diagnosed but he's stage IVb.  Don't know what the "b" means.  Last week we had our first appointment at UCSF.  He will be put into a clinical trial.  Who knows, that may keep him alive until the next discovery.  The doctor said that liver cancer today is were melanoma was four years ago.

     

    My best friend was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma almost 3 years ago.  He's being treated at UCSF and is living a normal life, except for regular infusions with minor side effects and regular scans. 

     

    My point is, be ooptimistic about what the liver people can do at UCSF.  You are going to be seen by the best.

     

     

    milly

    good luck

  • lumen_4231121
    lumen_4231121 Member Posts: 13
    #5
    Rindakay said:

    HCC

    I don't know how much help I will be to you.  My husband also has HCC but with tumor in the portal vein.  There has been a lot of debate on how to treat this.  What they have came up with now is taking Nexavar (chemo Pills) and then Y90 radiation seeds.  My husbands tumor is rather large 5x6.  With the clot in the portal vein resection or transplant is not an option. Like I said I don't know what advice I can offer but I am more than willing to listen if you would like to talk.

     

    HCC

    Thank you and God bless your husband and mine and all people afflicted with cancer. We are scheduled to go see Dr. John Roberts @ UC San Francisco Medical Center on May 18. We will know then what would be the best treatment option/s for my husband. 

  • lumen_4231121
    lumen_4231121 Member Posts: 13
    #6
    milly mccoy said:

    UCSF FOR HCC

    i am svery sorry about your husbands diagnosis.  I'm sure you know HCC is rarely found when it is still

    stage I. I think that means he has an excellent chance. 

         My husband was just diagnosed but he's stage IVb.  Don't know what the "b" means.  Last week we had our first appointment at UCSF.  He will be put into a clinical trial.  Who knows, that may keep him alive until the next discovery.  The doctor said that liver cancer today is were melanoma was four years ago.

     

    My best friend was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma almost 3 years ago.  He's being treated at UCSF and is living a normal life, except for regular infusions with minor side effects and regular scans. 

     

    My point is, be ooptimistic about what the liver people can do at UCSF.  You are going to be seen by the best.

     

     

    milly

    good luck

    HCC

    Many thanks! Sure, it is really comforting to know that HCC is very seldom detected early and I couldn't thank enough our family cardiologist who was instrumental in the detection of my husband's cancer. We will go see Dr. John Roberts @ UCSF on May 18.

    Meanwhile, I wish your husband well and I will keep you posted.

  • alicth6961
    alicth6961 Member Posts: 1
    #7
    Rindakay said:

    HCC

    I don't know how much help I will be to you.  My husband also has HCC but with tumor in the portal vein.  There has been a lot of debate on how to treat this.  What they have came up with now is taking Nexavar (chemo Pills) and then Y90 radiation seeds.  My husbands tumor is rather large 5x6.  With the clot in the portal vein resection or transplant is not an option. Like I said I don't know what advice I can offer but I am more than willing to listen if you would like to talk.

     

    My husband

    My husband just found out that he has liver cancer april this year, he HEP c and Esophageal varices with bleeding , and  one tumor 8 cm and one in the portal vein, The Radiologiest was going to do a treatment called TheraSphere but the nulcear medicine  would travel into his colon and stomach,  Now they want to try Nexavar , I read that your husband is taking it is helping the one tumor in the portal vein cause myhusband has one in the portal vein too. and that might be reason the therasphere wont work

     

  • Positiveme
    Positiveme Member Posts: 10
    #8
    lumen_4231121 said:

    HCC

    Many thanks! Sure, it is really comforting to know that HCC is very seldom detected early and I couldn't thank enough our family cardiologist who was instrumental in the detection of my husband's cancer. We will go see Dr. John Roberts @ UCSF on May 18.

    Meanwhile, I wish your husband well and I will keep you posted.

    HCC

    Sorry to hear about your husband, and also happy for you that your doctor can detect early.

    My father also was diagnosed as HCC 3rd stage on August 2014. The doctor recommneded him to do operation as his tumor is still contained in the liver, not yet spread. After the operation, his tumor marking is perfectly great- afp is about 2 as per normal! we are thankful to god that his case can be operated. On April 2015, we found out that it reoccur and met to lung. The doctor said it went on the bloodstream as liver is the organ that has a lot of blood vassels. For now, he is taking nexavar for one month now with no sign of growing tumor in lung. He changed his diet completely by not taking all meats except fish occasionally and more on vegatables / soy protien.

    Liver cancer can reoccur quite easily as it is micro-cell that can flow and embed to the new organ fast.   After operation/treatment, the follow up session is very important.  Wish your husband have a successful treatment and keep us posted

     

    Good luck and take care  :)

Discussion Boards