Post chemo CT scan showed possible lesion on liver (EMVI/EMLI)

Hi,

I haven’t posted on the forum for many months now, mainly because my hubby was starting his chemo and we just wanted to concentrate on getting him through this. There’s more details of his full cancer journey on my profile. Been a rough ride.

Yesterday was his oncology appointment with the consultant, to find out results of his post chemo scans. Crunch time. Before I go on further, I should explain that at his previous appointment in March (upon completing chemotherapy) his consultant was going to wait to have him scanned 1 year post surgery, as was ‘standard’. However, in view of hubby’s EMVI/EMLI, we pressed for this to be done earlier, rather than have to wait wait until July.

So, hubby had 2 scans done in April. One was an ultrasound of his neck, since he had developed a lump there last year (scanned previously, was told it was fine, just enlarged lymph node). However, as hubby felt this was becoming bigger and was now aware of a trickling sensation in the area, he asked for it to be checked again. The ultrasound was repeated and results came back showing as before, an enlarged lymph node that was not causing any concern. 

The other scan carried out was a CT (with contrast) of his chest, thorax, abdomen and pelvis. The result of this was not what we had hoped to be told. They have found a small area on his liver, measuring about 1.4cm, which was documented in the report as ‘suspicious’, ‘unexpected’ and further checking was recommended.

Oncologist said that it may or may not be a lesion (tumour), so was planning to send hubby for an MRI scan, as recommended by radiologist who reported the scan (but wasn’t going to mark it as urgent). However, with some polite but very firm persuasion from myself as a concerned wife (hubby was sitting in shock) he agreed to request an urgent scan and said that he could understand my reasons for asking him for this. What 6 months of chemo and waiting on these scan results has taken out of my poor hubby (and both of us if I’m honest) is difficult to put into words. It’s been awful. MRI will be done in a few weeks and we will need to return for results in a month or so.

If it does turn out to be a tumour, it would be classed as a stage 4 spread (this, from his original tumour which was only T1 N0 M0 - but EMVI/EMLI). Treatment would be liver ablation. Thank goodness we pushed for earlier scanning post chemo or else we would still be sitting here worried, yet still unaware of what was going on inside.

We are both gutted to be honest. Trying to be positive but finding this so difficult in view of yesterday’s news. From the moment we met hubby’s oncologist back in August, while he could obviously give no guarantees, he told us he was optimistic of the cancer not coming back. He didn’t seem to think the EMVI/EMLI was significant in deciding whether to embark on chemo, it was more from a psychological viewpoint that he thought it would be helpful adding a small percentage onto his chances. Hubby got the choice and he decided to take the chemo which was a single drug, Capecitabine, taken in tablet form over 8 cycles. Unfortunately due to complications with two infections which halted treatment, he effectively lost 2 of these and only completed 6 full ones.

My hubby is still so glad he made the decision to take chemotherapy and throw everything at the cancer.

Can anyone tell us if they’ve been in this position? Did you have any chemotherapy and if so, was it a single chemo drug or a combined one?

Have you had any liver ablation and if so, how did you get on? Were you offered adjuvant chemo after ablation?

Just trying to get a feel for what lies ahead now. 

Thanks,

Roses x