Confusion and need advice / transplants - liver & bile duct

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Hi,
We've just received my partners scan results. It's a bit confusing. He's been told that he has a lump in his liver (near the top of the liver at the back near 3 Major blood vessels) but it can't be cut out because of the location, so he needs a liver transplant. But the consultant said this is unlikely as people with cancer generally aren't offered transplants. The lump hasn't grown at all in the 2 months since the previous scans and it hasn't spread. The location of the lump also means trying to get tissue from a biopsy is apparently very risky, so they can't confirm it is cancer. The consultant said if we can't get a transplant, my partner would need to have chemotherapy, but because my partners biopsy (taken originally from the bile duct) came back as pre-cancerous, oncology at the hospital won't do it.

Has anyone received a liver transplant or know anything about it? The consultant seemed less than confident that my partner would receive a transplant even though he fits the criteria so he is referring my partner anyway. Does anyone know of any surgeons who would potentially be prepared to remove a lump such as this?

My partner is only 38 and has already been through so much already, I can't lose him yet. We live in the UK.

Millibob 24 days ago

Hello Hopefulnetty

I can't answer your question as I have a very different cancer, however to expand your search here on the Community why not add your post to these two cancer specific groups, here are the links you need:

Liver cancer forum and Bile duct cancer forum

As this is the general chat group, it's possible you will get a better response by posting in the cancer specific groups.

I hope you get some answers.

Best wishes - Brian.

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OzStu 15 days ago

Well, I'm in Australia, but I have a friend here who had bile duct cancer, as well is a tumor not far from the ducts. The only possible cure, was a full liver transplant complete with bile ducts. That mean's it had to come from a dead person. To make matters worse, he had the rarest blood type that is compatible with nobody except as person with the same rare blood type. He is 65, and he thought no way I'm going to get a liver. But he went on waiting list. Amazingly, he got one. Unfortunately, he suffered acute rejection a few weeks after transplant. They put him on mega doses of anti rejection drugs and kept him in hospital, but his liver function continued to deteriorate while he waited for yet another rare liver. He was in intensive care for six months with a barely functioning liver, and he got another one. Since then they have kept him on higher and normal doses, so he battle I bit staying clear of colds etc, and often has to go on anti biotics. But he's recovered and getting on with enjoying his retirement hobbies. Looks and seems like his old self.