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Posted 11/24/2010 1:11 AM (GMT 0)
I'm scheduled for chemoembolization and I'm not getting alot of info from my radiologist. Has anyone in the group gone through this procedure? Any info you can post would be greatly appreciated. I have already gone through therasphere --two years ago--and now I have five new tumors in both lobes.

Thanks
Posted 11/24/2010 3:11 AM (GMT 0)
Fonics, I saw your other post today and responded to it.  Again, welcome.

I had chemoembolization prior to the TheraSphere.  Thankfully, I've remained cancer free for 3 1/2 years.  With chemoembolization, they will go through your groin and place little clips on the vessels supplying blood to the tumors.  I had a little nausea and small "pangs" in the area of my rt. lobe after this on the first couple of days, but then was fine.  With my cancer, there was just one huge (12 cm x 11.5 cm) tumor in the right lobe.  However, it had metastasized into the right vena cava.  So after the tumor was shrunk by chemoembolization and the metastasized part shrunk into the main tumor, the TheraSphere killed it.  It also killed my rt. lobe, so they removed it.  Has anything other than chemoembolization been mentioned to you, such as cryosurgery or laser to the new tumors?  Are you a candidate for transplant?

Hugs,

Connie

Posted 11/24/2010 5:24 PM (GMT 0)
Connie: thanks for getting back to me. I'll elaborate a little more. I was diagnosed with hep c in the early 90's. In 2008 I was diagnosed with liver cancer. I was not and never will be a candidate for a transplant. They removed the tumors via theraspere and in the process severely scared my liver. After hearing that you (and several others i've read about in this forum) had to have your rt. lobe totally removed due to therasphere --well I feel pretty lucky. In 2009 I went through the interferon process which got rid of my hep c. At that time I was hoping that the liver cancer was a product of carrying the hep c virus for so long. Now I dont' know. All the MRI's --except the most recent one in October--were clear. Now I have five tumors showing up in both lobes and chemoembolization is being recommended.

I'm glad to hear that you have remained cancer free. Perhaps after this next tx I will too.

Rick
Posted 11/24/2010 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
Rick, I am so sorry this has happened to you.  I'm curious as to why you aren't a candidate for transplant.  You can e-mail me if you like (I sent you an e-mail yesterday, so you can just reply to that...my e-mail name is dancingdigits1.)  I was told that my liver cancer was the result of hep C.  I was told by the surgeon that if the cancer came back in the remaining lobe that I would need a transplant.  However, my hepatologist told me that they would catch it right away (they're doing blood work and scans every 6 mos.) and it would be treated.

I was diagnosed with hep C in 1993 (thus the screen name) and tried interferon but was taken off after about 6 weeks due to very low white count.  I am now awaiting the new treatment that adds a 3rd drug and only has to be taken for 24 wks.  It has shown a 75% success rate in trials.  Of course, it's too soon to know what the relapse rate is.  This new treatment is supposed to be available in the summer of next year.  I was diagnosed with liver cancer in '05.  It's interesting that our experiences are almost parallel...except that my cancer hasn't returned.  If losing my rt. lobe was the price I paid to get the cancer into remission, that's fine by me.  One can live on just a piece of liver.

Even though I'm in remission, you have to realize that there are probably a few cancer cells lying dormant somewhere in my body (and probably were in yours.)  They could show up anytime, anywhere.  I believe this is probably what happened to you.  I was told that hep C treatment was the best way to prevent the cancer from returning--but I think the doctor was referring to the liver, not other body systems.  I was not willing to put my body through  the combo treatment after what it had already been through (I had 2 incisional hernia repairs post hepatectomy and bilateral hip replacements with 3 revisions since late 2002.)  However, now that it's been 18 mos. since my last surgery, I'm interested in trying the new treatment when it becomes available.

I hope the chemoembolization is successful in killing off the liver tumors you have now.  When is it scheduled to take place?  Please keep us posted.

Hugs,

Connie

Posted 11/24/2010 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
Connie my MELD count is the reason I'm not eligible for transplant. In 2008 I had multiple tumors in both lobes. Most were the size of a pea and due to them being in the liver the chance of metastasis is too high to qualify me for transplant.
You can email me directly at gmail as listed on my left column of this forum. I don't see that option listed for you.

I must say our cases are very similar! They didn't bombard me enough whereas I would have needed one or the other lobe removed. Very close though--I have severe fibrosis (scarring) of the liver due to the procedure. Even though I'm hepc free the tumors came back. Most likely that's due to the fact that the therasphere tx didn't get them all. I guess I shouldn't complain because I was cancer free for two years. Hopefully the chemoembolization will knock these out and they'll never come back. I'm always told to remember one thing--palliative --not curative.

I'd like to return the sympathy. You've been through an awful lot. It's interesting to note that 7 or 8 years ago we'd have been finished.

Stay well--Rick
Posted 11/24/2010 8:46 PM (GMT 0)

Rick, they never even mentioned MELD score to me.  I was not a transplant candidate due to the metastasis.  They couldn't even do surgery prior to the chemoembolization, due to the metastasis.  Even after that, they wanted me to do the TheraSphere.  It took months for the approval to finally come through, and after treatment there were still some months of waiting time to allow the treatments to do their job before surgery.  I have had 3 1/2 years that I wouldn't have had if I had not received the treatment I did.  But it took from 2005 to 2007 before I got the surgery.  All during that time, I was afraid I was going to die before getting the TheraSphere and surgery.

There's an online site where you can calculate your MELD:  http://www.mdcalc.com/meld-score-model-for-end-stage-liver-disease-12-and-older  That's what I've done and it's a 7.  Once it was an 8, but it's never been higher.

I'm seen at Mayo Jacksonville.  Where are you going?

I took my e-mail off my profile due to spam and a virus that possibly came through e-mail.

I believe that a positive attitude goes a long way towards better health.   So keep believing...

Hugs,

Connie


Posted 11/25/2010 4:40 AM (GMT 0)
Hello phonics, and welcome. My computer sucks......I tried posting to you last night but I got kicked off HealingWell. Glad that Connie came on.......she was in my original post as to a member with first hand knowledge with both procedures.

My husband had the chemoembolization in 2006. It made him one sick puppy for a couple of weeks. We couldn't keep the encephalopathy under control. His hair also thinned a little.

Good luck with yours......thoughts and prayers.......
Posted 11/25/2010 6:50 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your reply. Feel free to elaborate a bit more about his chemoembolization.

fonics

Post Edited (fonics) : 11/26/2010 1:24:43 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/25/2010 11:43 PM (GMT 0)
At the time he had the chemoembolization he had liver cancer that had showed up on ta MRI 7 months before. We were not made aware of it until 2 months later. It took his hepatologists 4 months to decide that yes indeed it was cancer. He had 3 tumors by the time he had the procedure and they were all under 2.5 cm. He was having problems with edema,ascites and encephalopathy along with all the other usual symptoms of ESLD. After the procedure in May his symptoms expanded to include focal seizures for which they prescribed Keppra. They had to raise the dosage a few times to stop the seizures. When they did the follow up CT scan in June......to me it looked like the cancer cells were blasted apart. There seemed to be hundreds of little specks everywhere where before there was only 3 larger ones. They were supposed to give him a second Chemoembolization 6 months after the first if it looked like the cancer was growing again. They didn't...So we thought it worked...He continued to lose weight so that in November of 2006 his doctor wanted him to be brought back to the transplant committee for a re-evaluation. He ended up in ER about 3-4 times from the beginning of November to the end of November........He had had a minor stroke. That's when I was in panic mode and found HealingWell. (Thank God!)
In the middle or last week of February 2007 they listed him for transplant.......It was short lived.....His cancer had regrown and multiplied so much that they took him back off the list by the end of March. They told me there was not anymore that they could do for him and that it was time for me to call in Hospice. He passed away 3 weeks later.

All is well with him now.......he is not suffering anymore.......He's my and our grandchildren's Guardian Angel now.

I'm not sure if you wanted to know all that but I felt the need to tell you. I hope you don't mind.

Thoughts and prayers.........
Posted 11/26/2010 8:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hello Pink. Thanks for the information, I'm sure it wasn't easy for you to do and once again I appreciate it. I'm noticing how each case has a few similarities but even more differences. For instance it took my clinic nearly 2 months to figure out what whether my tunors were cancerous and or treatable or not and then another few weeks to discern which treatment option to use. The waiting was tough!! Their are so many types of liver cancer cells and we're all so different in how our bodies respond. Even though I'm dealing with 5 tumors in both lobes I feel fine and I'm ever so grateful. Hopefully my procedure will be a success and give me a few more years.

In your reply you mentioned focal seizures. I never heard of that. Now I know.

Wishing you peace!

fonics
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