Gallbladder Cancer Stage 4

KatieDeBakey said:

My Dear Mother...
This is my first post. Or so I think. Not sure how to use this. My mother has been diagnosed with stage IV gall bladder cancer and just started undergoing chemo a few days ago. If she does do well, do you think we could have her gall bladder taken out? I could give her half of my liver and a kidney if she needs one, my sister could give her another kidney. And I saw a clinical trial about zapping spinal tumors with radiation and chemo to get rid of them. She could also have the affected lymph nodes removed and that would just leave her with a little bit of pancreatic cancer. Just a small spot. I know this sounds WAAAAY out there but, if you or anyone has heard of success with this, PLEASE let me know and direct us to the right people. If not, I will let you know what I find out so at least some progress can be made with this horrible cancer. It's great to meet you all. I wish it were under better circumstances.

Lily50 said:

Your Dad
My heart goes out to you for the difficulty in dealing with this disease. I have a question for you, since he was just diagnosed recently have you gotten a second,third,fourth,etc opinion? No two doctors ever say the same thing. There are many treatment centers out there who are willing to go the extra mile if you are willing to travel down this hard road. This type of cancer is very aggressive and it is right up there with pancreatic cancer. There isn't alot of information out there because most people were in the advanced stages when diagnosed including myself. It can cause severe pain and nausea that you wouldn't think possible. I hope that your Dad is able to have the hospital stablize him so that he can explore some options. There is hope and treatment out there you just have to find it. I'll pray for him.

Tracy R. said:

Treatment
My husband, best friend, lover, companion, my life, soul mate; was diagnosed with stage IV gallbladder cancer on Oct. 23, 2009 and told the prognosis was 12 months at best, could not remove gallbladder as had metastasized to stomach lining. We did the same thing, hurried into treatment as the oncologist stated that it was a fast growing, aggressive cancer and needed to be treated as such, while also stating that surgery was not an option that the treatment would be for palliative only (reduce symptoms the cancer would cause and extend his life hopefully for a few extra months). He was put on Xeloda pills (2 AM and 2 PM) and after 4 days on that - while still taking the Xeloda - outpatient chemo of gemzar and taxatere, continued taking Xeloda and same chemo the following week, then an overnight chemo the next week with cisplatin added. Had his first cat scan early January which showed some recession and tumor shrinkage so we asked if he could get his gallbladder out at that time as I had read that was the only chance for survival. The oncologist stated that he could get it out but that she highly recommended that he did not as there would be too much chance of infection and that even if he had it out the prognosis would still be the same. She recommended continuing on another round of the same and to have another cat scan early to mid April when the 2nd complete round is done. Should we have pushed more for the gallbladder to be removed? My husband's cancer was written down as "metastic adenocarcinoma of biliary origin". He turned 54 in December and I am 50...so close to our "Golden Years" together with plans of traveling - finally - after raising 6 children. I cannot lose him!! Just ordered the Gerson Therapy program of dvd's and our new Health Master has just arrived. I will be watching the dvd's and buying organic fruit and vegetables to make into fresh juices that he must drink all day. Has anyone else tried this? Results? He has been pain free, still active and eats a lot to keep his weight on even when he says the food tastes like metal he still eats...he is a fighter and so am I.

Tracy R. said:

No Surgery
The reason we were given was that the cancer had spread too much and that he has 12 months to live. When we heard after first round of treatment that the cat scan showed some recession and small amount of tumor shrinkage, the first thing my husband asked was if he could have the gallbladder removed. The oncologist stated that the chance of infection was a higher risk than not removing the gallbladder and that even if he took that chance that the prognosis would still be the same (12 months). We did have one other opinion before he started chemo and they said the same prognosis so we stayed with the closer oncologist. We contacted Mayo Clinic when we received the news on the cat scan and the present oncologist did not want to remove the gallbladder. Mayo Clinic asked for my husband's treatment regimen and told me that our oncologist was working outside of the box and they would not be able to the same aggressive treatment approach and that we should stay with her protocol at this time because, if it isn't broke - don't fix it - in other words since the treatment had shown some recession stay with the same. I asked about having my husband come in to see if they may consider removing the gallbladder at Mayo Clinic and they suggested going with the same treatment and waiting for the next cat scan in April first. I get so frustrated and scared because they act like a couple more months is no big thing...but to us it is! And we may not even be in this bad of a situation had the doctor's done a better job at finding what was wrong to begin with. My husband's first doctor appt. was in June of 09 with stomach pain. Many, many tests and being sent to the next "specialist", to find gallbladder cancer stage IV the end of October. He had a cat scan (upper and lower) that showed seeding in the right ascending, thickened wall in gallbladder and appendix that was enlarged - they scheduled him for colonoscopy and told us probably 70% chance it is colon cancer. When that was negative, checked for prostate cancer, urine track, so many tests that were always scheduled 2 weeks or more apart. One specialist told him that everything pointed to diverticulitis and gave a prescription for antibiotic and to take for one month and come back! We wasted an entire month going on that specialists say. So when they say to wait now, I panic and do not trust anyone's advice, so came on here to have someone tell me what to do next. Terri - THANK YOU for your prayers!! There is strength in prayers...
did your mother have stage IV also? was she given an original prognosis that she beat? hope that she is doing well at this time!

KatieDeBakey said:

Thanks, Lily
Thank you for your quick response, Lily. We are actually in Austin, Texas. I have only found one clinical trial near us that has to do with gastrointestinal cancers (that my mother would qualify for) and it is in San Antonio. I'm not sure about the type of chemo she is receiving. I'll be taking her to her second appointment for it on Thursday and I will have PLENTY of questions for the doctor. I was going to ask him about what I mentioned above and I will also ask him about the type of chemo she is already receiving. I'm so glad that you made it and that you are now helping others! THANKS, LILY! = ) Off to check out your profile!

justne said:

Tracy
All I can say is if you are not happy with your Dr. take your husband someplace else. Keep going til you are satisfied with what they have offered you in the way of treatment. I can fully relate with the wait and see that so many Dr.'s seem to say. It's fustrating on our end to not see our love ones getting seen more often. I will also say that I can understand their fear of infection. Sadly my mom passed away in Nov. and We feel alot of it had to do with an infection. She had a port put in for Chemo and it became infected. The Dr. and the infectious disease Dr.'s did not agree on this and my mom was sent home 1 week later with what we believe was an infected port. she was back in 1 week later and never left the hospital again until she passed away with many complications. I truly do not feel it was the cancer that got her I feel it was the infection that made things worse. So As I said keep going with your gut feeling. If you are not happy keep seeking out the best care for your husband. My mom was stage IV and was never given a prognosis.

Tracy R. said:

God Bless YOU!
Lily50, thank you so very much for taking the time to write such a detailed reply. I hadn't told my husband that I was looking at discussion boards when I couldn't sleep, not knowing where to turn, but had to read him your post. He was very positive afterward and told me to go ahead and start mixing those darn organic veggies and fruits! He had been being a stinker about that...not much for trying new things. Wanted to stick to his hamburger and steaks too but have pretty much weaned him off that except for his spaghetti and garlic toast dinner that he has to have. We don't know where we're heading but as I stated before, we are fighters. With the not knowing, it is heart warming to read a reply like yours, to let us know that we are doing the best we can and to give us hope. My husband is in his 2nd round and another CT scan will be done in April - so if we hear more recession/tumor shrinkage - we will push and get other opinions on the gallbladder being removed as you did. After reading your reply for the umpteenth time, I know why you are a cancer survivor - to help others is so very apparent - as you have such a way with words and are so detailed that it makes one feel special. Thank you for your prayers - means so very much to us!! If you would like, visit our website and email using our contact page, if you don't mind me emailing you. Our website is: http://www.eaglecrestk9resort.com We own our own business so get to work together every day and play with dogs which is very therapeutic, especially for me as Mike sleeps a lot more than he used to, needs that daily nap or two. God Bless You Lily50

mttallo said:

Starting chemo today
I was diagnosed in the beginning of December with inoperable gallbladder cancer that has metastasized to my liver and bile ducts and was given "2-3 good months to live and 6-9 months total" even though I had no symptoms. At that point, I told the Dr I had to make it at least two more years to see my son graduate from college. I am still asymptomatic and will be starting chemo with Gemzar and Xeloda today with the hope of shrinking the tumors enough to become operable or at least extending my life to see him graduate.

Since I am 61 and can't afford to stop working since I am the soul support for my son and I, of course I am nervous about starting the chemo and it has been very helpful to read your posts of chemo helping.

FriendoftheFamily said:

Treatment Option
Hello to all of you,

My wife was also diagnosed with stage 4 gall bladder cancer. It has spread in to her liver and possibly into her colon. It is also in the lyph node outside of the gall bladder. We got second and third opinions and was given a very grim prognosis and is not operable at this time.We are not ready to accept this ! She is only 47. Through this experience I have been learning every possible thing that I can do to help her. I have been keeping a journal every day of her treatment and also of her symtoms. What I have learned is that diet is a big part of keeping her pain low. I have put her on a special diet of every food that fights cancer. STAY AWAY FROM FATTY FOODS! Foods that are high in fat will cause pain. Fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meats, yogurt, and fiber are all good. Be careful with foods that cause gas. Prevacid and Gas X help to keep the pressure down. The gas pain seems to be her biggest complaint. She is recieving chemo that consists of GEMOX and Cisplatin. She is also taking another drug that is a protocol. If we find it to be something that works, I will share the data with the world. She has only had two sessions of chemo. Her chemo regiment is once per week for two weeks and then one week off. We will be monitoring the tumor marker in her blood work to see if it is showing signs of progress. After two months, she will have another PET scan done to see if the tumor has shrunk. Our hopes are to shrink the tumor down to get her to a point to where she is operable. She will then have the gallbladder removed along with part of her liver, the lymph node and possibly a partial colonoscopy. If any of you would like any further information, please feel free to contact me, and I will be happy to share.

Let's all be friends for the cure!