HCC treatment at Georgetown hospital, DC.

Fortie
Fortie Member Posts: 7 Member
in Liver Cancer #1

If anyone has received treatment for HCC at the Georgetown hospital in DC can you please share your experience? My husband was diagnosed with HCC on 11/03/16. He saw a Surgeon at Georgetown hospital who after reviewing his MRI decided it was inoperable. He then sent him to a Radiology interventionist for TACE treatment. We met the Radiology Interventionist who said the tumors have covered the whole of the left part of his liver and entering the right. He also said it may actually be entering his lungs and so he is not eligible for the TACE treatment. He told us he may have just about 6 months to live and sent us to an oncologist who does clinical trials to see if he will be eligible for any of the trials. I was shock to hear him say even if he does the TACE it may buy him only two more months. My husband is 5'9 and weights about 175lbs. Except for tiredness he looks completely healthy. He is not in pain and is able to go about his daily activities. It is just unbearable to think he could die in 6 months. Anyway, we saw the oncologist for the clinical trials who was a little bit more reassuring but it is difficult to get appointment to see her. She asked him to do a CT scan of the upper body to determine if tumors are spreading to his lungs. He did that about a week ago but we can't see the oncologist for another week. I am thinking of calling John Hopkins for a second opinion and to see if they will show some sense of urgency. It is mostly the delay that is killing me. He hasnt started any treatment since being diagnosed 5 weeks ago. I dont know if I am just being impatient or if this just how they handle things with liver cancer.

Comments

  • Cris_617
    Cris_617 Member Posts: 16
    #2
    The waiting

    I'm sorry to hear of your husband's diagnosis. I will keep you both in my prayers. My husband has been diagnosed with the same, inoperable primary liver cancer. I agree that the waiting for appointments makes it feel as if they have no sense of urgency. Waiting is taking precious time from us. Our initial appointment was scheduled quickly. After that, it seems to be a month in between everything. 

  • Johns Wife
    Johns Wife Member Posts: 14
    edited December 2016 #3
    My husband as well

    I am so sorry to hear of your husbands diagnosis, my husband was diagnosed with HCC primary as well, last week.  They have told us it is inoperable and haven't offered any treatment other than Nexavar. My husband still looks healthy and is going about daily life too, you would never know he is so ill.

  • Fortie
    Fortie Member Posts: 7 Member
    edited December 2016 #4
    Johns Wife said:

    My husband as well

    I am so sorry to hear of your husbands diagnosis, my husband was diagnosed with HCC primary as well, last week.  They have told us it is inoperable and haven't offered any treatment other than Nexavar. My husband still looks healthy and is going about daily life too, you would never know he is so ill.

    Thank you John's wife and

    Thank you John's wife and Cris for responding. We received a new CT scan result and it has indeed spread to the lungs. He just signed paperworks to start clinical trials with two drugs Avastin and Atezolizumab in January. We are told it has only 20% success rate.

  • Fortie
    Fortie Member Posts: 7 Member
    #5
    It's over for us.

    My husband died on 02/25/17, three months after he was diagnosed with HCC. The sad part is he did not receive any serious treatment. His oncologist promised to get him in clinical trial at Georgetown University Hospital but they later refused him because he still had active hepatitis B virus. He was only 47years.

  • eighmey97
    eighmey97 Member Posts: 3
    edited July 2017 #6
    HCC tumor with lung invasion

    My husband was diagnosed with HCC liver tumor in the RUQ in February through the VA as a service connected disability secondary to Hep B. He has late stage cirrhosis. He initially had a Y90 treatment at the Houston VA in April, which did not work. In June he had to go the the ER and had a CT Chest where they found a few lesions measuring 8-9mm, which have grown from 5mm in March. Last week he had a TACE procedure. At this time he will have an MRI Liver & CT Chest in a month to check the progress of this procedure and measure the lesions in the chest. He is 50 years old.

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