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Liver mets are growing-please help
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Mar 19, 2004 - 9:23 am
My Mom has been fighting liver mets with chemos for over 2 years and her latest ct showed that the mets are growing even after starting Oxal/5fu this past November. She had 7 treatments and is still continuing. She has 3 tumors and the biggest one is now over 5cm. I'm really scared that any other options that she may have had like rfa will not be available to her because of the size of her tumors. Her doctor wants her to continue on this treatment for another 2 months because he said the growth was minimal (about 1cm in 4 months) and he regards her as somewhat stable. All I know is that they are twice as big or bigger than there were last year and they keep growing. The next course is Erbitux. But I want to look into other options before that. Any ideas?? I did take her for a consultation on rfa but the doctor said he wanted the tumors to shrink a little more and to come back when they did. Well...they didn't and I don't know where to turn. Sorry to ramble...I'm just really sick over this and I want to help her now when she still feels good. Thank you for any suggestions and God Bless all of you. |
Joined: Dec 2002
Re: Liver mets are growing-please help
What about Avastin? Have you spoken to your doctors about that possibility? It is supposed to cut off the blood supply to tumors and thus kill them/ or at least shrink them down. Do you know if her tumor exhibits epithelial growth factor? Then she could get the RFA...Is she not a candidate for a liver resection?
Joined: Mar 2004
Re: Liver mets are growing-please help
Thank you so much for replying. I did mention Avastin but he seemed to push Erbitux instead. I don't know why. I have to ask him check about the EGF at her next visit. That's for Erbitux...right? As far as a resection goes..from the first time she was diagnosed we were told because she had 3 tumors and due to the location (right side, left side and center) she wasn't a candidate for resection. All 3 tumors were only little dots when this all started over 2 years ago....it makes me so sad that I didn't push harder for rfa then.
Joined: Dec 2001
Re: Liver mets are growing-please help
Hi bradka,
According to Dr. Ralph Moss who was a researcher for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Erbitux did not prolong life. You may read about it on www.cancerdecisions.com.
I can send you the article if you are interested.
peace, emily
Joined: Mar 2004
Re: Liver mets are growing-please help
Hi Emily,
Would you please send me the article. I appreciate it very much. Perhaps I should be pushing Avastin for her next course of treatment instead of Erbitux. I feel lost and confused.
Bradka
Joined: Dec 2001
Re: Liver mets are growing-please help
hi bradka,
Due to my limited computer knowledge I do not know how to cut and paste. So if you feel comfortable sending me you email addy then I can forward the article to you.
Email me here on the ACS site (do you know how to do this?) and send me your addy.
peace, emily who knows exactly what it feels like to be lost and confused after cancer dx! :-)
Joined: Mar 2004
Re: Liver mets are growing-please help
Hello Emily,
Thank you again for responding. I sent you an email through this system. I hope you get it.
Bradka