Q
: 1
12/09/2009 |
In June 2009 my 39-year-old husband was diagnosed with colon cancer with metastases to the liver and lungs. Currently, his colon is inactive and the lungs have stabilized. However, the main tumor in his liver has grown to 14cm. He has smaller lesions but only one large one. His blood work and numbers have been surprisingly good all things considered. He has been receiving IPT chemo and has been treated approximately 40 times. His CEA numbers have been up and down and yesterday registered at 1511. What would you recommend to arrest the development of cancer and get the tumor in the liver under control. We've been told it cannot be surgically removed at its current size.
In addition to chemotherapy, your husband should be evaluated for Sir-spheres (liver directed radiation beads) as this treatment may help to shrink the tumor.
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Q
: 2
10/10/2009 |
My husband has colon cancer. he had the FOLFOX treatment after removal of the original tumor and part of his colon. The cancer spread to his abdomen and liver. Now he is on the FOLFORI treatment. I have heard that hyperthermic treatment plus the chemo is more effective than the chemo alone. Do you have knowledge of this combination therapy approach?
We are one of the few institutions in the U.S. that perform cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for carcinomatosis. You can find more information on our web site. (http://www.umgcc.org/surgonc_program/hipec.htm) We will be happy to review your husband's case and evaluate him for the procedure. Feel free to call my office, 410-328-7320, for more information.
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Q
: 3
09/04/2009 |
What are the pros and cons of chemoembolization for metastasized liver cancer?
Liver-directed therapies are reserved for non-resectable (inoperable) tumors. The effectiveness is dependent on the histology, or microscopic characteristics, of the tumor. Side effects (pain, nausea, vomiting, hematoma)are usually minor and self-limiting.
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Q
: 4
08/07/2009 |
I recently had a CT scan to check out a suspicious lesion on my lung. Two large cysts were discovered on my liver, but the Radiologist said they have a benign appearance. I'm having some pain in my upper abdomen and was wondering if I should have these checked out. Could they be cancer even though the Radiologist says they are benign. What type of doctor should I see? I have made an appointment with my gastroenterologist.
Cysts on the liver are benign and rarely cause any symptoms. Seeing your gastroenterologist is an appropriate course of action.
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Q
: 5
07/06/2009 |
I am a 51-year-old female who is experiencing upper right abdominal pain. The pain is mild, but bothersome, and usually feels like an aching/burning sensation that comes and goes throughout the day and while I am sleeping. Typically, it lasts for a few weeks and then nothing for months or a year later. An ultrasound 7 years ago did show small cysts in the liver but subsequent imaging showed no abnormalities. I have addressed it with my doctor on several visits, noting that I have always had wine with meals, but he says there is no relation to alcohol intake. The last few weeks I have noticed pain in my right side after drinking. I stopped drinking wine for a month to see if I noticed a difference and the pain was reduced, although I still felt it from time to time. I am very worried because now, there does seem to be a cause-effect relationship between consuming wine and the pain. Is it possible that my drinking caused liver damage? Is there another test that should be done?
The only relationship between alcohol intake and pain is in a condition called porphyria. Excessive and heavy alcohol intake can cause liver damage and eventually lead to cirrhosis. I do not think you are drinking that much especially if your liver function tests are normal. For peace of mind a CT scan or MRI would evaluate the liver
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Q
: 6
05/22/2009 |
My wife had a check-up with her GP and several small lesions were found on her liver. We were told that they presented as benign, but to come back for ultrasound in 3 months. She got her 2nd ultrasound yesterday and was told that the lesions had doubled in size. What could the possible explanations be for this occurrence?
I would recommend a biopsy to determine the exact nature of these lesions, especially if they are enlarging.
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Q
: 7
02/08/2009 |
My father has stage 4 colon cancer that has spread to his liver. He's had chemotherapy and can no longer tolerate it and is now facing liver failure. He has no pain, but tires easily and is 78 years old. I watched the World News report regarding the clinical trials that Dr. Alexander is working on with targeted chemo saturation of the liver on a patient who had melanoma that had spread to the liver. Could this treatment work for my father too?
Unfortunately, the treatment you specified is only used for patients with melanoma and is not used for patients with colorectal cancer.
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Q
: 8
02/05/2009 |
My husband has carcinoid tumors throughout his liver. We watched the segment on ABC news with Dr.Alexander's trial, and I want to ask if you are using chemoembolization for this advanced stage of carcinoid tumors. My understanding is that they don't respond well to traditional chemotherapy.
The isolated hepatic perfusion trial is for melanoma only. For neuro-endocrine tumors, alternative targeted liver-directed options include SIR-Spheres (http://www.umgcc.org/sir-spheres/about_sirt.htm).
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Q
: 9
02/02/2009 |
I have a tumor on the right lobe of my liver. The size of it is about 1.3 cm. Is it too small for a biopsy?
Size alone is not the only factor in determining whether or not a biopsy should be performed. Other factors include location, proximity to other structures and how easily the tumor can be seen.
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Q
: 10
01/29/2009 |
my 30 year old husband was diagnosed with stage IV GE junction cancer (Adenocarcinoma) with innumerable liver metastasis. His bilirubin level hovers around 18 and
his ALP level is in the 800s. The doctors are concerned that his liver is going to fail. He started on FOLFOX the
day he was diagnosed and we hope to see an improvement soon. Would he be eligible for any additional liver
treatments?
This would depend on his response to the current treatment and his liver function.
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Q
: 11
01/09/2009 |
My sister was diagnosed with colon cancer a year ago. She was treated with chemotherapy for 6 months. After three months, she had blood work done and it showed her cancer markers were high. They found that her liver had numerous tumors and she was told that they cannot do resection. She is now receiving chemotherapy. I have heard about a procedure called Isolated Hepatic Perfusion. Would she be a candidate? I just would like to look into all possibilities for her.
Isolated hepatic perfusion is not currently being done for colorectal cancer. However, there are other targeted therapy options we can provide, such as chemoembolization, or Sir-Spheres. Please see our Web site for more information at this link: http://www.umgcc.org/gi_program/liver_dir_therapy.htm.
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Q
: 12
12/30/2008 |
My 84-year-old father has just completed his 4th chemo treatment for spots on the liver as a result of colon cancer. He is not able to tolerate more of these treatments. He has become very weak. Before this ordeal, he was in excellent health. He never got a second opinion and chemo was the only treatment offered. Since we have to discontinue the chemo treatment because of the side effects, do you think there is anything else we can do for him? Thank you for any suggestions you can offer.
At this stage and considering his age and overall condition, it is important to focus on and maintain a good quality of life. If the liver lesions are small and limited in number, liver-targeted therapy may be a good option. (See information on our Liver-Directed Therapies Program at: http://www.umgcc.org/gi_program/liver_dir_therapy.htm).
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Q
: 13
09/12/2008 |
My 55-year-old brother has been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. MRI of brain, colonoscopy, egd all negative. Pancreas looks OK on CT. Is there any treatment when the disease is advanced? He has now developed edema and ascites. They are still investigating the primary site of the cancer.
Treatment is dependent on what type of cancer, primary hepatocellular carcinoma or metastatic disease. If it is unresectable or inoperable, chemotherapy or targeted liver therapy may still be possible.
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Q
: 14
04/15/2008 |
My mother was just diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma. She is 77 years old, Asian and her tumor is 5 cm. What is the best treatment for her?
Surgery is the best option if she is in good shape. If there is liver cirrhosis, she should be evaluated for liver transplant. Will be glad to see and evaluate her.
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Q
: 15
04/05/2008 |
I am a patient who has been diagnosed with VIPOMA tumors in the liver, too numerous to operate. I'm in the process of seeing if I am a candidate for chemo-embolization. I'd like to know whether this an appropriate treatment and what are the chances that I can have a little longer life if I go through this.
We will always be glad to review your files as well. One possible treatment option is radioembolization (Sir-spheres). Here's a link: http://www.umgcc.org/sir-spheres/index.htm.
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