Black_Hawk
Juggernaut
I needed to know a few things about Liver Metastasis and had a couple of questions in particular so any help in answering them would be really appreciated.
Anyone here who is an Oncologist?
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If you need to know more than what the internet can tell you, like advice or second opinion etc, you would be better served finding a contact though friends or relatives and consulting directly along with case details. Its not an area that a professional specialist would talk (or should talk) to you about without detailed case specifics. They tend to be tight lipped about sharing information or advice and for good reason.
Black_Hawk
Juggernaut
prabs
Herald
Metastasis in any form of cancer is actually bad news. From what I have seen - It means that the cancer is now using lymph nodes or blood stream to spread away from the actual tumor.
I would advice seeing an oncologist at earliest to contain the spread because they spread to any part and restart the formation. Generally the most affected key parts of the body are bones, liver, lungs and brain. If it is Metastasis then consider this to be an advanced stage of cancer. Chemotherapy and Radiation is the most effective treatment in this case.
Now since it has spread to the liver a surgery to remove the affected area if possible might be an option but the doctor will be your best guide.
I suggest getting a PET-CT Scan done immediately. Please note that if the patient is diabetic then the sugar level has to be under control at the time of scan.
Best of luck and do keep us posted in case. Regards.
I would advice seeing an oncologist at earliest to contain the spread because they spread to any part and restart the formation. Generally the most affected key parts of the body are bones, liver, lungs and brain. If it is Metastasis then consider this to be an advanced stage of cancer. Chemotherapy and Radiation is the most effective treatment in this case.
Now since it has spread to the liver a surgery to remove the affected area if possible might be an option but the doctor will be your best guide.
I suggest getting a PET-CT Scan done immediately. Please note that if the patient is diabetic then the sugar level has to be under control at the time of scan.
Best of luck and do keep us posted in case. Regards.
Why in this thread? You could have created a separate thread. Mods, can you move this to separate thread?
As for the question, yes, even a single puff a day will have its toll. Forget that, even passive smoking (being exposed to a smoker) has its toll. So, its not just the smoker, but the people around them that are effected too.
And cancer is not the only life/quality of life threatening situation either. My father suffered severe lung and spine damage from tuberculosis (both lung & spine) which in turn also affected his heart function.. Before his death, he also suffered brain damage and lost his memories. He used to smoke 4-5 cigars per day.
An uncle of mine suffered brain and nervous system damage. He cannot even keep his limbs steady anymore and occasionally passes out out of the blue. . .
Harpy.eagle
Forerunner
Are you serious? or just kidding?Is smoking injurious is probably dumbest question in this century. Forget the count, as mentioned in previous post, even passive smoking is injurious. Or even a single cigarette a day.
Watch this http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5069074/?ref_=nv_sr_3 documentary. It may portray that its alternatives are better than smoking, but best thing is to stop consuming all bullsh!t tobacco products.
Unless one wants to die early or have poor quality of life and want one's health to affect his/ her family because of complications, one MUST stop smoking.
Is smoking injurious is probably dumbest question in this century. Forget the count, as mentioned in previous post, even passive smoking is injurious. Or even a single cigarette a day.
Watch this http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5069074/?ref_=nv_sr_3 documentary. It may portray that its alternatives are better than smoking, but best thing is to stop consuming all bullsh!t tobacco products.
Unless one wants to die early or have poor quality of life and want one's health to affect his/ her family because of complications, one MUST stop smoking.
I don't disagree with you. But once you start making friends, it's inevitable at around 20+
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Black_Hawk
Juggernaut
Hi Prabs,
Thank-you so much for the concern mate and also for the information you provided. I really do appreciate it. Unfortunately, the person I was asking for passed away. Her liver as well as her lungs gave in (due to end stage acute Pneumonia and being severely jaundiced). Age was also not on her side. The cancer had metastasized to her vertebrae as well. Thankfully there was no pain and she slipped into Coma (due to increase in Carcino Toxins and Hepatic Encephalopathy). She was a person who I was extremely close to and needless to say it's been shattering. The sheer speed at which it happened caught me completely unprepared for such a devastating end. I still can't fully fathom that something that started as a simple upset stomach would ultimately lead to her being completely taken away from my life, so swiftly.
As for the tests, yes a bulk load of them were done. Like you mentioned it started from USG and CT scans. I had admitted her to one of the premier nursing homes here in Kolkata because I wanted nothing but the best care and treatment possible for her but now that I think back the odds were way too much. Among other tests, things that struck out were remarkably increased levels of ALP and GGT but importantly her Alpha-Feto Protein (ALP) had reached astronomical figures.
Losing her was hard. Very hard. But what I didn't realize at that point is what lay before me. Living without her, now, is something I can't really explain. She was a key architect in pushing me to where I am in my life now. I had a rough childhood and if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be half as successful as I am today. The best part was she never once asked anything of me but gave me her constant support, always. I still remember the evenings I used to come home and sit by her, completely exhausted from my initial business setup days and also prior to that when I was shuttling between a part-time job and higher studies. Those days were long, draining but talking to her, seeing her smile always lightened up my mood. Kept me going. She never shut me out. I'm just thankful I got to take care of her for the last two decades of my life.
I tried but... couldn't save her. I just hope she is in a better place now...
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prabs
Herald
I am really sorry about your loss. My deepest and sincerest condolences.
There is not much I can say to make you feel better despite having witnessed first hand the progressive nature of the disease.
I completely understand how you feel having gone berserk myself begging the hospital to do a SDP (Apheresis) as a last resort but they left the decision to the Oncologist and he felt that the stage the patient was at it made no difference. Looking at it now I understand his decision because keeping or trying to prolong someone's life beyond a certain point is just making them go through more and more suffering but at that point I was just not willing to let go and that kind of blinded me. Selfishness had set in - all that mattered to me back then was she was alive and with us irrespective of the quality of life. By the end we had gone through 47 transfusions and we still didn't want to stop, sadly we couldn't change her fate.
You should take solace in the fact that you tried your best. There are things in which one can make a difference and there are things in which the outcome is known but we should still try and knowing you, you did try.
Regards.
Harpy.eagle
Forerunner
Very well said. Instead of prolonging life just because we like, love ones's company, i think what is best for the patient should matter more. Its only because we are attached to our / others body so much, we feel bad for one's loss. Of-course its natural as well on broader scale but think of it like your closed one doesnt have to suffer anymore out of illness or pains from proceeding treatment.
Hope you come out of the grief of losing you loved, soon and understand that death is not necessarily bad.
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Harpy.eagle
Forerunner
This needs a separate thread and may as well be moved to, as topic is completely out of context with the thread. But what you are saying is completely wrong. All reasons like, social/ friends circle, peer pressure, work pressure etc are stupid excuses. If one wants to then very well can stay away from all such things like smoking, drinking etc. I am 30+ and even when my friends and colleagues used to smoke and now drink casually, i dont drink or smoke (never did it, not even once). And i was offered / was insisted to try out from champagne, scotch to other forms of liquor (for free as well).
Person has to learn to say NO to few things in life imo. And stay firm irrespective of circumstances or conditions.
I rather insist you as well as your friends to watch that documentary, i mentioned earlier. I repeat, smoking, drinking etc will hit you exactly when you least expect. When you have a family, kids and when you grow old and wish spend time with your family more. Then it will raise a finger on you and make you sick from your decades old habits.
Sorry for your loss mate. My condolences. You got my PM, so you know when I say, as long as there's no undue suffering more than what one already went through, that's all that matters.
prabs
Herald
I didn't really get time to grieve because of what happened post that. I was forced to shut the chapter close and move on very quickly to take care of the aftermath and still am trying to set things right. I do my best not to think about what happened and what is going on at present. I am not in denial but at the same time I realize that there is no point in brooding about past and present because it only worsens the future.
Black_Hawk
Juggernaut
@mach9: Yes, I read your PM. Thank-you so much for writing in. Really appreciate the support my friend.
@prabs: My condolences to you as well. I do remember that you told me she was admitted the last time we spoke, I'm so sorry. I guess we have to let go at some point.
I was hopeful as well but when the ultimatum was laid on me I knew the battle was lost. I don't think I'll ever forget the day I was told about her Alpha-Feto Protein level. It's was unrealistically astronomical. Then the CT Scan confirmed it all. The last 7 days she was completely comatose and didn't respond at all. It's uncanny when you see someone in coma, they move, only slightly, cough even but never respond. On her last day I went in the morning and she was on BiPAP. Her breathing was extremely heavy and it was evident her lungs were giving up. When I came back home in the afternoon I got a call from the nursing home and rushed back. She had passed away and I was late. I wish now I hadn't gone back home that morning. It was a long night and the dreary hours spent waiting in the nursing home had me completely drained. When I reached, I held her hand and said a silent prayer. She finally looked at peace. I had already asked the doctor and RMO not to put her on ventilation because that was one thing she didn't want me to do. Ever. I respected it. I wanted her to go out with dignity, not to suffer. Perhaps I was wrong but I feel it was the right thing to do. Certain times in life where your at a fork and you need to go down one way or the other.
It seems like a nightmare now but it all happened and she is no more. The quickness of it really tore me up to begin with... 16 days is all it took. Of course the silent manifestation of the cancer within her was much, much longer. With time and reading I have come to realize that sometimes these things progress without any symptoms till they do and then it's a little bit too late to do much. I scoured her medical reports and poured over them for hours to link up everything to know what had gone wrong. For the most part I now know.
I didn't ever have much of a family. I pretty much had to man up and take care of things from the get go. It's funny when I think back, so many things went wrong but I'm happy I always had her in my life and she was someone I will always carry with me, through the good memories now. I'm mightily grateful I got to know at least one person who never asked for anything and always gave her support and love to me. Always.
@prabs: My condolences to you as well. I do remember that you told me she was admitted the last time we spoke, I'm so sorry. I guess we have to let go at some point.
I was hopeful as well but when the ultimatum was laid on me I knew the battle was lost. I don't think I'll ever forget the day I was told about her Alpha-Feto Protein level. It's was unrealistically astronomical. Then the CT Scan confirmed it all. The last 7 days she was completely comatose and didn't respond at all. It's uncanny when you see someone in coma, they move, only slightly, cough even but never respond. On her last day I went in the morning and she was on BiPAP. Her breathing was extremely heavy and it was evident her lungs were giving up. When I came back home in the afternoon I got a call from the nursing home and rushed back. She had passed away and I was late. I wish now I hadn't gone back home that morning. It was a long night and the dreary hours spent waiting in the nursing home had me completely drained. When I reached, I held her hand and said a silent prayer. She finally looked at peace. I had already asked the doctor and RMO not to put her on ventilation because that was one thing she didn't want me to do. Ever. I respected it. I wanted her to go out with dignity, not to suffer. Perhaps I was wrong but I feel it was the right thing to do. Certain times in life where your at a fork and you need to go down one way or the other.
It seems like a nightmare now but it all happened and she is no more. The quickness of it really tore me up to begin with... 16 days is all it took. Of course the silent manifestation of the cancer within her was much, much longer. With time and reading I have come to realize that sometimes these things progress without any symptoms till they do and then it's a little bit too late to do much. I scoured her medical reports and poured over them for hours to link up everything to know what had gone wrong. For the most part I now know.
I didn't ever have much of a family. I pretty much had to man up and take care of things from the get go. It's funny when I think back, so many things went wrong but I'm happy I always had her in my life and she was someone I will always carry with me, through the good memories now. I'm mightily grateful I got to know at least one person who never asked for anything and always gave her support and love to me. Always.
ayaskant12
Herald
I am an anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist in a cancer hospital.
I daily see such cases and feel for the patients and their family.
Am recently in charge of a patients intrathecal chemo part. And pre op workup.
The lady had breast ca which completely cured after systemic chemo.
But suddenly after a year she presents with CNS metastasis. Our oncologist says she has poor prognosis. She comes to me twice a week. The drugs I give into her CNS are severely painful. So this week I tried adding analgesics to relive the pain. was thinking to myself at least henceforth I won't let her have pain in anything we do.
She is so thankful.
One thing she said is "Doctor I will tolerate any pain, I just want to kill this cancer once and for all!!"
I wish doctors knew everything. This evidence based medicine blah blah. All are bullshit. It changes after more patients are enrolled into studies.
I wish the oncologist is wrong and she makes it through. She thinks I am the best Doctor who can relive anyone's pain!
I just wish she recovers.
Not related to this thread but just wanted to tell is that Doctors are not God's. We know very less about future and whatever we predict is statistics based and can change. So anyone suffering from cancer be positive. We never know who can come out victorious.
Extremely sorry for your loss dear friends.
I daily see such cases and feel for the patients and their family.
Am recently in charge of a patients intrathecal chemo part. And pre op workup.
The lady had breast ca which completely cured after systemic chemo.
But suddenly after a year she presents with CNS metastasis. Our oncologist says she has poor prognosis. She comes to me twice a week. The drugs I give into her CNS are severely painful. So this week I tried adding analgesics to relive the pain. was thinking to myself at least henceforth I won't let her have pain in anything we do.
She is so thankful.
One thing she said is "Doctor I will tolerate any pain, I just want to kill this cancer once and for all!!"
I wish doctors knew everything. This evidence based medicine blah blah. All are bullshit. It changes after more patients are enrolled into studies.
I wish the oncologist is wrong and she makes it through. She thinks I am the best Doctor who can relive anyone's pain!
I just wish she recovers.
Not related to this thread but just wanted to tell is that Doctors are not God's. We know very less about future and whatever we predict is statistics based and can change. So anyone suffering from cancer be positive. We never know who can come out victorious.
Extremely sorry for your loss dear friends.
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