Stage 4 HCC - my introduction

stage4liver said:

On the CTCA I've heard mixed
On the CTCA I've heard mixed reviews from people that met with them also possible problems with insurance. I was planning to go in for a consult as there is one about an hour from me but opted to go to Sloan instead for now. When you have HCC or any cancer for that matter I leave all options open! haha

stage4liver said:

Hi Sarah,
Sorry to hear
Hi Sarah,

Sorry to hear your dad is having problems. I havent had any problems related to my resection surgery, knock on wood, and that was about 2 months ago now. I went in a couple weeks ago to try the embolization and that they couldnt finish due to something called disection, a rare 5% chance comlpication, I think the hapatic artery started to tear or split so they stopped for safety reasons? I fly back up Monday to try it again so hopefully no complications this time and all goes well.

Prayers to your father!!

stage4liver said:

Just a little update
Just a little update here...

I went in last Tuesday morning for my 2nd attempt at the TACEdeb clinical trial i'm in. I was just released yesterday after one heck of a hell week in recovery...I went through almost all the post embo syndroms but couldnt be happier. They managed to not only wipe out all the visible liver tumors I had but also a good portion of my liver haha. I didnt have all small spots either we're talking 5-6 tumors ranging from 2.5cm-5.25cm all gone!! I'm pretty confident these results are not typical for a Tace or any other embolization process but you have to keep persistent. Also still not done in this battle but enjoying a lilttle victory right now. I'm trying to not get too excited as I know recurrence is very high in HCC. Thanks MSK!!

stage4liver said:

Just a little update
Just a little update here...

I went in last Tuesday morning for my 2nd attempt at the TACEdeb clinical trial i'm in. I was just released yesterday after one heck of a hell week in recovery...I went through almost all the post embo syndroms but couldnt be happier. They managed to not only wipe out all the visible liver tumors I had but also a good portion of my liver haha. I didnt have all small spots either we're talking 5-6 tumors ranging from 2.5cm-5.25cm all gone!! I'm pretty confident these results are not typical for a Tace or any other embolization process but you have to keep persistent. Also still not done in this battle but enjoying a lilttle victory right now. I'm trying to not get too excited as I know recurrence is very high in HCC. Thanks MSK!!

stage4liver said:

Hi Cheryl,
The procedures
Hi Cheryl,

The procedures in practice are pretty much identical, someone correct me if I’m wrong. However with the process you describe the Therasphere is typically a glass bead with y-90 radioactive material that is then embolized into the tumors..main difference Radiation not Chemo. Both processes are performed through the hepatic artery in the groin where the feed a catheter up into the liver performing an angiograph then follow that procedure with the embolization.

The process I had done can be performed a few different ways.
TAE - Bead block only no radiation or chemo introduced
TACE - Bead block mixed into a slurry of chemotherapeutic drugs
TACEdeb - This is the one I had where the chemo agent Doxorubicin is imbedded into the drug eluting beads and then slow released for longer dwell time and higher sustained concentrations to the tumors.

The clinical trial I'm in at Sloan is comparing the TAE vs the TACEdeb. Currently TAE is their gold standard for this process.

Ask your oncologist or interventional radiologist where you can get these products in Canada? Best wishes and prayers on your journey, keep your head held high and say F@*k Cancer to start your day!

NumOneMom4 said:

Hep C, cirrhosis and liver cancer
Mike, My husband would never do this, so I am doing it for my own information. My husband was confirmed with HCC in January. They found the tumor on a routine ultrasound in Nov. 2009, as he also was undergoing observation for his Hep C. We go to Medical College of VA in Richmond every three to four months. He had a radiofrequency ablation treatment in January for one tumor they said was approx 3 cm. We were supposed to go back in six weeks for his recheck and to discuss evaluating him for transplant. At that time, we were told that his one tumor had now become 10 to 12 tumors involving both lobes of the liver. How can that happen in six weeks time. Now we are looking at a new treatment called sirspheres, which involves injecting him with radioactive beads directly into the hepatic artery that leads to the tumors. It is supposed to shrink them. We are scheduled for May 6. Have you or anyone you know had this treatment done? There is very little real information about it on the internet, and the doctors are very evasive. They have not given us any time line, because right now his liver is still functioning well. Just as you said, he feels great right now, and I almost hate for him to have this done. I would love to talk to anyone who has had it done, or who knows someone who has. They are also going to put him on a new cancer drug called Nexavar. Anyone out there with info on that would be appreciated too.

stage4liver said:

Penny,
Sorry to hear of your
Penny,

Sorry to hear of your husband and this terrible disease. Just a an FYI at Sloan Kettering the #2 cancer hospital (2010 US NEWS rankings) in the nation, TAE - bland is their "gold standard" treatment when it comes to embolization. I got the TACEdb in their phase 2 randomized clinical trial comparing TAE vs. TACEdb. They are currently studying if there is a benefit to one over the other. One problem with TACE is it is more prone to destroying the arteries preventing further TACE proceedures whereas TAE typically doesn't have that effect...that was my understanding. I also read a European study and that one leaned towards TACEdb being the best of the three (TAE, TACE, TACEdb) but I guess that's subject to larger trials and further research.

God bless and I wish your husband and your family the best!

NumOneMom4 said:

Hep C, cirrhosis and liver cancer
Mike, My husband would never do this, so I am doing it for my own information. My husband was confirmed with HCC in January. They found the tumor on a routine ultrasound in Nov. 2009, as he also was undergoing observation for his Hep C. We go to Medical College of VA in Richmond every three to four months. He had a radiofrequency ablation treatment in January for one tumor they said was approx 3 cm. We were supposed to go back in six weeks for his recheck and to discuss evaluating him for transplant. At that time, we were told that his one tumor had now become 10 to 12 tumors involving both lobes of the liver. How can that happen in six weeks time. Now we are looking at a new treatment called sirspheres, which involves injecting him with radioactive beads directly into the hepatic artery that leads to the tumors. It is supposed to shrink them. We are scheduled for May 6. Have you or anyone you know had this treatment done? There is very little real information about it on the internet, and the doctors are very evasive. They have not given us any time line, because right now his liver is still functioning well. Just as you said, he feels great right now, and I almost hate for him to have this done. I would love to talk to anyone who has had it done, or who knows someone who has. They are also going to put him on a new cancer drug called Nexavar. Anyone out there with info on that would be appreciated too.