A 'hello' and some questions

PS67 9 months ago

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Hi. My partner has recently received her cancer diagnosis and, unfortunately, the tests following surgery showed that there was cancer in the part of the bowel that was removed and, worse, that this had spread to some lymph nodes and to her liver. The gastro surgeon has referred her to an oncologist and we are waiting for an appointment and also for a PET scan.

We are undoubtedly in a state of shock. Maybe me more than my partner as I have done a bit more reading about secondary liver cancer and I know the prognosis is bleak. She has wisely not been Googling this and will wait to see the specialist.

I have a couple of questions and I am not sure where to turn.

1. If a liver resection can be performed, does this generally result in an improved outcome?

2. Is it worth getting a second opinion regarding treatment and prognosis? I am happy to find money to pay. We were/are a bit confused by it all. She did her "poo on a stick" test in the autumn and this came back clear. She had multiple CT scans in the autumn, along with a colonoscopy, and the cancer was not picked up. It was only when a blockage was removed in January that the pathology showed the cancer in the bowel and liver. So our faith has been a little dented.

My partner is only 56, has generally been in very good health and has three lovely grown up kids and two beautiful grandchildren so is not lacking in motivation but we know it is not down to this at all sadly.

Both just devasted and trying to find answers where there probably aren't any.

Many thanks,

Coddfish 9 months ago

I can’t really answer your questions but can tell you my own experience. I have metastatic triple negative breast cancer. Initially, the sole metastasis was a single lesion in my liver. There was nothing in lymph nodes at breast or liver (travel route was vascular invasion). Liver resection wasn’t offered, but I did have a (less invasive) procedure to ablate the lesion using microwave heat. 3 months later, a scan showed that not only had the lesion grown back, but I had a second one elsewhere in the liver. I was told at this point that one of the lesions was too big to ablate. I qualified for an immunotherapy that targeted my cancer’s method of hiding from my immune system, so went on a course of this combined with chemo. I had a serious adverse event, where my immune system attacked a number of my healthy organs. I had to stop treatment. The immunotherapy had reduced the tumours, so once I was well enough, I was offered microwave ablation again. This was done last week.

I would imagine a liver resection is more effective than ablation, but it’s a very big operation and is only likely to be an option is the cancer is contained in an outer segment. The PET scan will be useful in showing whether there is anything outside the liver. Medical choices are going to depend on how much cancer your partner has and where it is. With lymph node involvement they might recommend some form of systemic treatment anyway. Then it’s down to the specific profile of the cancer to decide what’s the best cocktail.

all the best. Please don’t get too hung up on prognosis - everyone is different. I have had secondary liver cancer for 18 months, and from a cancer load perspective, am no worse off than I was when it was originally picked up.

PS67 9 months ago in reply to Coddfish

Thank you Coddfish. Pleased for you that things seem to be largely under control for you for now. I'm sure you will remember your own feelings and I am hating thinking about my partner's emotions. I'm inwardly a mess but maintaining as much of a brave face as I can, just for now. I understand there'll be some darker moments but am hoping for the best outcome possible for her. Wish you the best and thanks again for replying.

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