Liver Resection and PVE

But am sure someone with more experience in both procedures  will answer later. Both my medical  oncologist and radiation oncologist are  hoping we can go ahead  with an ablation on my liver lesion after we've  hit it with some more chemo to shrink it. It's my understanding  that ablation works best with  tumors that are under one and a half inches and  when there are no more than four tumors present. You mentioned that you have only two tumors, but didn't mention the size.  Has your doctor offered you an option between the ablation or a resection? If not, maybe you should  ask him or her if ablation is an option for you.

HalThompson said:

Yes. The Dr. has offered

Yes. The Dr. has offered ablation as well.  The size of the largest tumor is 1.9 cm or about 3/4".  Most of the reading that I have done states if you can operate; that is always the best option.

but noticed that most of the articles were from around 2004 or earlier, and  techniques may have improved since then.  When I asked my radiation oncologist, he said "It depends on who you ask." There are  arguments  favoring both sides.  He feels the  results are comparable in smaller tumors, and that in cases where  surgery is not the best option because of  other medical conditions, ablation is better. I've also found a couple of more recent medical journal articles that seem to confirm what he said.  This is one from 2012 that I read recently: http://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/male-reproductive-cancers/survival-after-radiofrequency-ablation-might-be-comparable-to-resection-for-liver-cancer/article/273665/. 

Trubrit said:

Bigger

My tumour was 2.5 cm; bigger than what they normally like to Ablate, but they didn't know that until they got inside and did an ultrasound on the actual liver. It didn't measure that big on my PET Scan. He went ahead and ablated it, which was almost two years ago.  Will find out this coming Friday how I'm doing. 

Certainly Ablation is far less invasive. My liver surgeon was adamant not to cut out a large portion of healthy liver in order to treat one spot and it sounded good to me, so I went ahead. Obviously, as of now, I have no regrets. 

Good luck as you move forward with treatment. 

Sue - Trubrit

 

Is ablation only for the liver? Can it be done to a lung?

lizard44 said:

Lung tumors can be ablated too

from what I've read, Jan. I just found this on a google search.  Maybe someone here  who has had  an ablation on a lung tumor will  jump in and add something. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=rfalung

There are also two kinds of Ablation, thermal (which I had) and Cryo which I know Jeff has had done. 

Sue - Trubrit

Always thought surgery waas the "gold standerd", but that may very well be changing. I know major surgery on the liver comes with a price. I now have half a pot belly, consisting of a hernia and muscle wall weakness, because they cut through main nerves, rendering my abs on the right side, useless and weak, unable to hold my innards in place. Doesn't screw with my movement, but I'll never have a "six-pack" which at 57 wasn't a big priority anyway. I just hope if I get to 2 years clear I can get surgery to suck it in.