My husband was diagnosed with stage B bilateral liver cancer and hepatitis c on the 5th January, diagnosis 20 months to 5 years if he responds well to treatment. The hepatitis c is the cause of the liver cancer. We didn't know he had hepatitis c, but apparently he's had it for 30 plus years , we've since traced it back to 1988 when he had a blood transfusion.
He's having immunotherapy treatment as chemotherapy would cause more problems with the hepatitis c. He's only had one session of immunotherapy and the change in his health is awful. He's lost weight, looks haggard and is exhausted all the time. The most harrowing thing is his eyes, he looks like he's given up. He's gone from working full time and being relatively fit and healthy to a shell of himself.
We've discussed him withdrawing from treatment if he doesn't feel it's helping, because he'd rather have quality of life than quantity.
I'm holding on for dear life, I feel helpless.
Hi Llsjn
I well remember the looking forward with dread to scan part way through my wife's chemotherapy thinking what it she had gone through all this for nothing - on here we often refer to this as scaxiety. How long is the current round of treatment and what do the oncolgists plan for seeing if it is helping. The "good" news is the treatment is generally quite expensive and so the NHS is generally quite keen on not doing treatment unless they are fairly sure it will help.
Cancer treatments can be very rough and as carer things can be really difficult, especially when our loved ones make decisions that we may feel uncomfortable with. My wife was very clear she never wanted a prognosis and I found that really hard - nobody could have guessed though that she would respond so well to treatment, it even surprised and delighted her oncologist.
The hep-c of course as I am sure you know makes things more complex, could i ask if you are aware of the England infected blood support scheme?
<<hugs>>
Steve
Hi src60, he is facing another 16 sessions, one every 21 days, so it'll be a year of treatment altogether. It's always been understood because he's got two tumors one on each lobe of the liver that surgical intervention wouldn't be an option. Also the fact that he's hepatitis c positive that he's at risk of liver failure. He's being monitored by a liver specialist as well as oncology and we know what to look out for in both cases.
They could have treated the hepatitis c but that would take about three to four months and they can't treat both at the same time, so obviously the cancer is priority.
It's just so hard to see him go downhill so quickly. We're aware of the blood infected thing and I've still got to contact them.
Thanks,
Denise 
