Anyone with progressive liver mets...

Glow
Glow Member Posts: 41
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I was diagnosed with liver mets in 2001 and have been on multiple chemo agents. In April of this year I went off all meds. I just needed a break. Recent tests revealed that I have progressive liver mets as well as progressive bone mets which I have had for many years. I need to hear from anyone with liver mets.. I guess I want to know how long I have, how long people have survived with liver mets. It will help me make the decision to go back on chemo or not. My Oncologist is offering me Doxil in weekly doses. I am terrified to take it because in the past I had severe peripheral neuropathy (severe painin the hand and feet accompanied by numbness and burning). There was nothing that helped the pain including morphine, dilaudid, Duragesic, Neurontin. I am so afraid of it coming back full force. I need to make this decision soon as my liver is quite involved. Thank you so much for any input. God bless!

Comments

  • judiek
    judiek Member Posts: 71
    #2
    Glow,

    I'm sorry to hear that the mets are progressing...but without meds I guess that's what happens. I have mets to lungs and liver and have been doing a clinical trial of avastin and taxol. My lungs have been in remission since June and my liver tumors are now stable...no more shrinkage on last ct. Stable is good. You should ask your doctor about avastin...I'm hearing that it may be approved soon for bc (already approved for colon cancer). It is one of the veg drugs that chokes the blood supply to the tumor. I don't blame you for not wanting to go back on chemo...that's a decision you have to make for yourself.

    I have just started cycle 11, chemo #31 this week...there are side effects but is doable. I feel fortunate that I am tolerating treatment as well as I am. I might not be as lucky with the next tx. Are you er/pr positive...then you could try the hormonals. Best of luck to you and keep us posted

    Warmly,

    Judiek

    History

    Discovered lump Sept. 2002 (mammo didn’t pick it up)
    Dx Oct 2002-just turned 41
    IDC and pagets disease, stage 2B, grade 3/3, nottingham scale 9/9
    3cm, lumpectomy,clean margins
    er/pr-pos, her2 neg, 2/25 nodes w/cancer
    Nov 2002-March 2003-FEC (5fu, epirubicin, cytoxen)
    March 2003- started tamoxifen
    May 2003- finished rads (33tx)
    June 2003-CT/PET Scan- clear
    Started 3 month check ups w/lab
    Dec 2003-complete hysterectomy
    Jan 2004-extensive mets, both lungs & liver(labs normal)
    Jan -stopped tamoxifen
    Feb CEA-23 (0-3 normal) CA27.29-66.1 (0-38 normal)
    Feb 23to current-clinical trial, taxol & avastin
    April 15th, -CT-significant shrinkage on all tumors/plueral effusion gone
    June 8th -CT-all liver lesions decreased in size/lung mets gone
    Aug 9th, -CA27.29 is 22.3, CEA is .8)
    Aug 9th, 2004-Brain-CT neg, lung mets/pleural effusion still gone, liver mets had slight shrinkage. Largest hypodesne lesion is 2.1cm, 6 others 1cm or less.
    Sept 13th-bone scan negative, mri revealed herniated disc.
    Sept 27- Ct of brain, negative/lung mets still gone/ 2 liver lesions gone, 4 under 1cm, 1 @1.7cm.
    Nov 29-CA27.29 is 24, CEA is 2.4
    Nov 29-CT shows stable, lungs still clear, liver tumors stable
  • Glow
    Glow Member Posts: 41
    #3
    judiek said:

    Glow,

    I'm sorry to hear that the mets are progressing...but without meds I guess that's what happens. I have mets to lungs and liver and have been doing a clinical trial of avastin and taxol. My lungs have been in remission since June and my liver tumors are now stable...no more shrinkage on last ct. Stable is good. You should ask your doctor about avastin...I'm hearing that it may be approved soon for bc (already approved for colon cancer). It is one of the veg drugs that chokes the blood supply to the tumor. I don't blame you for not wanting to go back on chemo...that's a decision you have to make for yourself.

    I have just started cycle 11, chemo #31 this week...there are side effects but is doable. I feel fortunate that I am tolerating treatment as well as I am. I might not be as lucky with the next tx. Are you er/pr positive...then you could try the hormonals. Best of luck to you and keep us posted

    Warmly,

    Judiek

    History

    Discovered lump Sept. 2002 (mammo didn’t pick it up)
    Dx Oct 2002-just turned 41
    IDC and pagets disease, stage 2B, grade 3/3, nottingham scale 9/9
    3cm, lumpectomy,clean margins
    er/pr-pos, her2 neg, 2/25 nodes w/cancer
    Nov 2002-March 2003-FEC (5fu, epirubicin, cytoxen)
    March 2003- started tamoxifen
    May 2003- finished rads (33tx)
    June 2003-CT/PET Scan- clear
    Started 3 month check ups w/lab
    Dec 2003-complete hysterectomy
    Jan 2004-extensive mets, both lungs & liver(labs normal)
    Jan -stopped tamoxifen
    Feb CEA-23 (0-3 normal) CA27.29-66.1 (0-38 normal)
    Feb 23to current-clinical trial, taxol & avastin
    April 15th, -CT-significant shrinkage on all tumors/plueral effusion gone
    June 8th -CT-all liver lesions decreased in size/lung mets gone
    Aug 9th, -CA27.29 is 22.3, CEA is .8)
    Aug 9th, 2004-Brain-CT neg, lung mets/pleural effusion still gone, liver mets had slight shrinkage. Largest hypodesne lesion is 2.1cm, 6 others 1cm or less.
    Sept 13th-bone scan negative, mri revealed herniated disc.
    Sept 27- Ct of brain, negative/lung mets still gone/ 2 liver lesions gone, 4 under 1cm, 1 @1.7cm.
    Nov 29-CA27.29 is 24, CEA is 2.4
    Nov 29-CT shows stable, lungs still clear, liver tumors stable

    Thanks for you reply. Have been on all hormones except Fasladex. I will ask about avista. Thanks so much.
  • jeancmici
    jeancmici Member Posts: 665 Member
    #4
    Glow said:

    Thanks for you reply. Have been on all hormones except Fasladex. I will ask about avista. Thanks so much.

    The slow growth of liver mets was not affected favorable by femara, herceptin, nor the chemo navelbine. For a while one lesion disappeared and returned larger. Wonder where it was while growing unseen!?!

    Now it can be felt somewhat enlarged but I feel not bad and do not intend to go on anything. When God wants me I'll go and that thought I can handle. But I am 67 and that makes a difference - and husbandless and childless. For many of you, much younger, it is a harder choice.

    I hope I helped a little - realistically liver mets are hard to beat in the long run - any doctor will honestly tell you that.

    Love and prayers, Jean

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