Recommendation from my Cancer Team In - Next Steps In Treatment- Theraspheres

pluckey
pluckey Member Posts: 484 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
The Loyola Cancer Team went over my case yesterday and recommend the following:

No more chemo- it has gone as far as it can go at this point - will gain no more from it

TheraSpheres- injection directly to the liver tumors to help further shrink tumors

Surgery - Not an option at this point until more tumors are shrunk/eradicated

I am pursuing 2nd opinion with Dr. Al Benson at Loyola.

If for some reason I decided against the Therashperes, then they would put me on a different chemo cocktail and see if that further shrunk tumors, but I will pursue these other treatment options.


For nearly 8 months, give or take some breaks due to hospitalizations, I have gone to Loyola Cancer center EVERY WEEK for chemo and DR. appts. It will be kind of weird to not have that weekly routine.

Also, even though chemo is poison and while it's good for tumor-shrinkage and BAD for the rest of your body, I feel scared that it will no longer, at least for now, be infused in me. It's run its course. I've responded very, very well to chemo, but time to take a break.

On the bright side, I gained 7 Pounds in the last week! I had an eating orgy last weekend - Benihana and Pappadeaux, I have to start weaning myself from the bad fattening foods and get better foods in my system. I need to figure out how to go from Skeletor and not be a tubbo!


Has Anyone here had Therasphers? What can I expect?

thanks!

Peggy

Comments

  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #2
    Never had them
    Have you tried Avastin at all? That worked wonders and made me able to have liver surgery. It shrank the tumors there significantly.
    -p
  • robinvan
    robinvan Member Posts: 1,012
    #3
    Hi Peggy
    Phera-spheres? Never had them. Never heard of them.

    It will be nice to have the chemo break and move on to another stage of the healing journey.

    Good weight gain!

    TTFN... Rob; in Vancouver
  • sfmarie
    sfmarie Member Posts: 602
    #4
    Peggy
    Is this like Sir Spheres? I have not heard about this. Please tell us more. If I remember correctly, the chemo has worked quite well for you as your numbers have gone quite down.
    If liver is the only thing, can you see a liver surgeon? Good to take a break. Weight gain? From what I have been told, you need the weight gain since these procedures do make you loose weight. Blessings, Marie
  • snommintj
    snommintj Member Posts: 601
    #5
    sfmarie said:

    Peggy
    Is this like Sir Spheres? I have not heard about this. Please tell us more. If I remember correctly, the chemo has worked quite well for you as your numbers have gone quite down.
    If liver is the only thing, can you see a liver surgeon? Good to take a break. Weight gain? From what I have been told, you need the weight gain since these procedures do make you loose weight. Blessings, Marie

    Therasphere?
    I think you mean therasphere. I see no reason not to get the therasphere/sirsphere treatment. Almost everyone has a positive response, many have complete responses, and they are effective for a few years. I met a lady many months back that was eaten up with liver cancer. She was on systemic chemo, then hepatic infusion, and finally everything stopped working. She was given very little time. She wound up in a clinical trial for sir spheres. I saw her last week and she looks great, feels great, and the Drs can't tell if the spots on her liver are cancer or necrosis. I think that is a pretty good result. There are little to no side effects and the procedure requires very little down time. When my embolizations fail, I have full intentions of getting therasphere treatment. I just wish they worked on lung mets.
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    #6
    TheraSphere
    is a type of radiation that supposedly goes to tumors in the liver direclty using tiny glass beads. Google "TheraSphere", which is where I got this from as I had never heard of this before either....Best of luck either way.Steve
  • lizbiz
    lizbiz Member Posts: 120
    #7
    Hi Peggy
    I just had my first of 2 Theraspheres treatments. Chemo didn't work for me at all - any of it. So, I'm going after my tumors one area at a time as they are all (with exception of the liver tumor) very slow growing. The first site being my liver. I will have my last treatment sometime before Christmas.

    If you'd like to ask me some questions, please feel free to send me a PM and I'll answer as best I can.

    It's not a very intrusive procedure, but it has left me nauseated and with some pain (no different than I had throughout chemo, however).

    Good luck,
    Elizabeth
  • pluckey
    pluckey Member Posts: 484 Member
    #8
    lizbiz said:

    Hi Peggy
    I just had my first of 2 Theraspheres treatments. Chemo didn't work for me at all - any of it. So, I'm going after my tumors one area at a time as they are all (with exception of the liver tumor) very slow growing. The first site being my liver. I will have my last treatment sometime before Christmas.

    If you'd like to ask me some questions, please feel free to send me a PM and I'll answer as best I can.

    It's not a very intrusive procedure, but it has left me nauseated and with some pain (no different than I had throughout chemo, however).

    Good luck,
    Elizabeth

    TheraSpheres
    Thanks Elizabeth. I'm so sorry that chemo didn't work for you. I am meeting with interventional Radiologist Nov 23rd. If not too bad of side effects, should I have it doen now or wait until after the Holidays?

    I never had nausea with chemo (5FU, erbatux, campostar,ironitcean). How many treatments are you getting?


    Peggy
  • jenhopesprays
    jenhopesprays Member Posts: 128 Member
    #9
    pluckey said:

    TheraSpheres
    Thanks Elizabeth. I'm so sorry that chemo didn't work for you. I am meeting with interventional Radiologist Nov 23rd. If not too bad of side effects, should I have it doen now or wait until after the Holidays?

    I never had nausea with chemo (5FU, erbatux, campostar,ironitcean). How many treatments are you getting?


    Peggy

    There Spheres
    Peggy,

    A great place to learn a bunch about this topic is at Beatlivertumors.org.

    Sign up for the chat a learn from the best.

    This organization, YES, was started by an 11 year metastatic colon cancer survivor!!

    Hope it helps..


    Jen

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