primary liver cancer help needed please

needhelp · New User Joined: 22 Jul 2008 Posts: 2

My dad is 63, and in march was diganosed with Primary liver
cancer...his tumor was said to be 2cm.

He had Hep B about 10/12 years ago and was treated for it,
but that led to cirrosis of the liver which then led
to the liver cancer.

The dr booked him in april for chemo emobiliation and also
to see if they could get him on the liver transplant list.
He was in hospital for a few days and it was only then
they realised they could not do the chemo emobiliation
as his billrubin level was too high ( 70)..

However he got on the liver transplant list and is currently waiting
for one....nothing was done for him to stop the cancer
from growing or spreading as they said they cannot use that treatment
when somones billrubin level is too high.
So its obvious we are very worried about the cancer spreading, but the
dr's either dont seem too worried or dont really care..

Now the qs i have are..

1) anyone going through something similar?

2) Any actual way of bringing the billrubin level down?

3) How much time do you think he has before the cancer
would start to spread - which would knock him of the list?

4) i have read about a lot of things to eat/drink and things
not to eat or drink - which help to kill liver cancer cells
anyone have any information on stuff like that?

5) Does the tumor's location in the liver have any impact
if it will spread quicker or not?

I would really appreciate any help - thank you all.

brainman

Hi needhelp, I am very sorry about your father's cancer. While I do not have answers to your questions, I do have comments about a couple of them.

3) Are at a major medical center? I ask because I do not understand why your father has not received ANY type of treatment up to now. If you are not at a major medical center, I would get to one for a second opinion.

5) While I do not know for sure, it seems like the tumor location would have little if anything to do with its spreading. The liver is full of little blood vessels any of which could care cancer cells throughout his body.

I am sorry that I cannot be more helpful or positive. I guess my bottom-line advice is to have your father get a second opinion.

You and your father are in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

needhelp · New User Joined: 22 Jul 2008 Posts: 2

brainman,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes my dad was seen at a major medical centre and is said
to be under the care of the best specialist ( he does not do the
liver transplant)

They said the reason for not giving him the chemo emobilization
is because his billirubin is too high it could do too much damage to
the liver.

You see its a race against time - as nobody knows when you will get the
transplant done ( another 4/5 months is what they say) but then that
would have been nearly a year he would have had the cancer untreated and its very worrying that it will spread without something to stop it from
spreading.

They want the billirubin to go to 50 or lower before they give him the chemo - but it might never go that low.

We did want to get a 2nd opinion but all the other dr's we know have said
he is at the best possible place and you cannot get a better opinion that
what they have given us....

It really is a hard and tough time - its changed our lives i just hope with the help of god we can pull through it.

Does anyone know the timeline in these sort of things - how long it normally takes cancer to spread from the liver ?

brainman

Yes needhelp, I can understand why they are not giving him chemo. High Billirubin already shows that the liver is not functioning as well as it should. Chemo would potentially just make that worse.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

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