Flash back

[Annie1373]

Why is visceral metastasis especially liver virulent in prostate cancer?

[Tall_Allen]

Can't answer why - it just is.

[ctarleton]

Some "models" speculate that the environment of prostate cancer cells is different within the liver, where certain liver cells may interact to form an environment or cell changes that somehow "protects" the prostate cancer cells from various existing types of chemotherapy. Some really detailed study of these mysteries continues in labs and in mouse models, but it's nowhere near testing in humans. Here is some heavy reading:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

Perhaps someday there will be some type of adjuvant inhibitor drug given in conjunction with some type of chemotherapy to make that chemotherapy more effective at getting to and killing prostate cancer cells within the liver, too.

Charles

[Chask]

This must sound very strange, but I think I would readily accept liver mets. Don’t have them yet, just one small met on my scapula.

If I ever develop liver mets, it will put me in tune with my daughter who was diagnosed with breast cancer 11 years ago. She was fine for 4 years, then developed liver mets. That has been successfully treated (well, has been contained for the last 5 years) by 3 weekly infusions of Herceptin and Perjeta.

It seems weird, but we are so much closer, sharing such a horrendous diagnosis, but we draw from each other. She is incredibly strong and in spite of massive doses of chemo has retained her fitness ( has been an athlete all her life) , she has a full time job as well as helping her husband to run their sheep farm and has raised three wonderfull daughters - my treasured grandchildren. Now she has brain mets.

My daughter is ahead of me on this journey, and she is my hero.

I assume the treatment for Breast Cancer liver mets is not the same as for Prostate Cancer liver mets, but at least I will know she has been there before me and handled it with amazing strength and grace. I will try to do the same.

Chas

[monte1111 in reply to Chask]

Nothing else to say except that you are both my heroes. Granddaughters are to be treasured. After huge sneezing event, traced it to the source. "Are you wearing perfume?" "Yes, 3 different kinds." They grow up fast.

[ctarleton in reply to Chask]

Those are great emotional sentiments. Shared family support and understanding certainly are priceless.

Charles

(Keep in mind, however, that her combination treatment involving Herceptin and Perjeta are likely working because she was probably determined to have "HER-2 positive" breast cancer tissues. The HER-2 status/mechanism typically does not apply to prostate cancer tissues or their treatments.)

[pakb in reply to Chask]

❤

[j-o-h-n in reply to Chask]

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I say from an apple seed a mighty tree will grow.

God Bless.

j-o-h-n Thursday 04/25/2019 7:33 PM DST