My dearest uncle has been diagnosed with primary liver cancer. He has been unwell for some time for over a year or 2 and drs haven’t really been helpful in working out the problem. They said the medication he was taking was causing him to black out but never referred for further tests. About 2 weeks ago he became very unwell with a cough and general weakness and we took him to A&E. After concerns from the blood test he was sent for a CT scan whilst in A&e to then be told he potentially could have liver cancer. We had no other info and sent home. We chased it up a few times ringing drs secretaries and the GP and they just said his case is being discussed and no further tests are required at this stage. A week later we were told Leeds would discuss his case and learnt it was a MDT meeting. The same afternoon we were contacted to ask to come in for a meeting. They’ve given us the heartbreaking news he has stage 4 primary liver cancer which has now spread He is 70 never smoked never touched alcohol. The consultant has said due to his bilirubin levels which are currently at 65 he is heavily jaundice and they are unable to offer any treatment apart from palliative care and pain relief to help with symptoms. Prognosis is 3-6 months however within the last 2 weeks he has deteriorated and he is never one to complain about pain. He is just so caught up in his thoughts. Wanted to ask if anyone else has had similar experiences and in terms of life expectancy can deterioration be very fast? I’ve read in some forums it can be extremely unpredictable. He is now struggling to eat at all and he is very tired and struggled to get himself up and walk about. I just don’t know how much time he has left I feel like we will be blessed if he even reaches a 3 month survival mark. Any experiences will be helpful thank you
Hi Zara2468 and welcome to the Macmillan Community but so sorry to hear about your uncle’s diagnosis.
A cancer diagnosis like this in the family can be such a challenging and stressful time but getting support from others who are dealing with the ‘exact same' support challenges can help you a lot.
This New to Community area is like our reception desk where we try to direct you to the best part of the Community for you to get support. The Community is actually divided into dedicated Support Groups (Discussion Rooms) and when it comes to the practical and emotional challenges of supporting your uncle and indeed yourself you may benefit from joining and posting in our
Supporting someone with incurable cancer
……. support groups where you will connect with a wide range of members navigating the exact same support challenges.
To connect with a group click on the “Bold Italic Links” I have created above …… then once the group page opens click in the [ Black - Click to Join - Banner ] that appears at the bottom of the page and this will then confirm that you have joined the group.
When you are ready……. you can introduce yourself by putting up your very own post by clicking [ + Create new post] or [ + ] in the top right of the group page.
You can copy and paste the text from this post into your new post.
It is an emotional time supporting family so you might find this Macmillan information your feelings when someone has cancer helpful as well as this link getting help with your emotions.
You may find it helpful to call the Macmillan Support Line open 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00. This service provides cancer information, practical information, emotional support, benefits/financial guidance or just a listening ear.
We also have our Ask an Expert section but do allow 3 working days for a reply.
Talking to people face to face can be very helpful so do check to see if you have any Local Macmillan Support in your area, do also check for a local Maggie's Centre as these folks are amazing and support all the family.
Please do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community.
