HCC

[Grommet]

Hi I have a52mm tumour and an 11mm tumour in my liver , my hepatologist says there is no cure .Does anyone know of any treatments to reduce the size of the tumors and give me more time.

[AyrshireK]

Sorry to hear of your diagnosis Grommet. Your hepatologist is going to be better qualified on what options are available that we are sadly.

Have they mentioned TACE (Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization) at all ? - it can be used to try and shrink tumours but I guess it will depend on whereabouts they are within the liver. Worth asking the question.

Sadly, transplant wouldn't be a possible option owing to the size and number of tumours due to the massive risk of them seeding during the operation and spreading cancer outwith the liver.

The BLT page/publication on HCC might prove useful to you :- britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

Wishing you the very best of luck.

Katie

[gromet in reply to AyrshireK]

Thankyou for the advice,I see my hepatologist on the twenty third I definitely ask her about tace

[Paderico in reply to gromet]

Hello Gromet, I have had 5 TACE procedures they really are a piece of cake, non-invasive, minimum discomfort just make sure the hospital give's you lots of anti-sickness and painkillers B4 discharge, max stay for the procedure is 3 days, but I was unlucky due to a temp had to stay on my hospital is Kings College in London I wish you all the best.

Paderico

[Grommet in reply to Paderico]

Thankyou Paderico this sounds encouraging

[Dallo100 in reply to AyrshireK]

I had TACE treatment to shrink for 2 of my liver tumours due to HCC. One tumour was 40 mm and the other 35 mm before I had my liver transplant March 2016. You should ask about TACE or ask for a second opinion

[Mama41]

Have you been referred to a surgeon yet. I have FLHCC (slightly different to HCC) but have had a few surgeries to remove tumours. My first tumour was over 20cms and was removed surgically.

Liver transplant surgeons are a good place to start as they have more experience with the tricky ones.

[gromet in reply to Mama41]

Thank you I will ask my hepatologist

[RioBautista]

Resectioning is always a possibility. You just need to find a good surgeon and make sure you're physically "fit" to undergo surgery.

You can also google for "CyberKnife" which is a very high precision targeted radiation therapy that could reduce the tumour or eliminate it totally. Radioiodine pellets therapy is also another option if the tumour is too big for CyberKnife.

Don't loose hope, there are many options out there. Ask your Oncologist about Onconomics, it's a service that will profile your specific cancer cell and test it against all available treatments and procedures to find the best approach that is suitable for you. Combine that with ChemoSNIP to see how your DNA responds to theses treatments so you'll get the least side-effect.

Some doctors will say "it's incurable" so as not to raise your expectations. Some will say "there's always a chance"... But truth is no one can really tell... It's up to you to choose who you will believe.

But most of all, pray and be with people who will believe with you in prayer... may God's healing hand be upon you... in the name of Jesus!

[cammeag]

hi grommet. The waiting will drive you insane as you just want the days to come around and have your questions answered and the pause clock pushed on your life. It is amazing, but up until any of us get a serious diagnosis our lives fly past so quickly and sometimes all we want to say is ,'Stop the bus!! I want to get off for a walk'.

My heart aches for you. I have felt that fear and worry. There's not much worse. While you wait please try to be as proactive as you can. Start a detoxifying diet and fill any emptiness with good thoughts and spiritual goals. I would never preach to you but i recommend you look up jw.org then audio and kingdom melodies for music to soothe you. There are even articles within to help you find a semblance of peace while you await directions from the doctors/hospital.

Leave no stone unturned. Keep busy all day to give yourself a chance to sleep at night and the advice you have received here, try to make a note of it.

We are all here to help and some of us will be praying for you, while others will smoke their peace pipes and chant mantras

Hopefully we will see you posting again soon.

David.

[Hidden]

Hi Gromet,

We are sorry to read of your diagnosis. Hopefully the consultant can discuss your options when you meet with them.

Katie has already shared our publication. You may want to think about calling Cancer Research UK's nurse helpline as they have oncology specialist nurses who can discsus possible treatments and clinical trials general info with you.

cancerresearchuk.org/about-...

Best wishes.

[25laval]

TACE is used to reduce liver tumors. also, surgery to reduce or remove tumors. TACE is Transarterial Chemoembolization. An interventional radiologist performs TACE. Under sedation and local anesthesia, physician inserts tube through small incision. Delivers to the tumor a very strong dose of chemotherapy agent directly to the tumor PLUS cuts off blood supply to tumor. I had ths performed just before my liver transplant in 2010. Six weeks after the TACE, liver removed. On X-ray before TACE, two or three small tumors. At time of transplant, no evidence of tumor. TACE had eliminated. Check to see if physicians will work to reduce tumors and help you out. Best of luck.

[alfredthegreat]

Hi Grommet,

I had one 40mm tumour and one 20mm tumour. I had 2 sessions of TACE. The first session for the larger tumour and the second session for both of them. I was on a trial called TACE2. I had the daily chemo drug Sorafenib alongside TACE. The trial ended abruptly as it was said that there was no conclusive proof that taking Sorafenib alongside TACE was of any benefit.

The TACE shrunk my tumours and held them stable. Roughly four years later, as my cancer was still primary contained in my liver I was put forward for transplant assessment.

I was told that I only had a 30% chance of getting on the transplant list due to my age (then 68) and the fact that I had type 2 diabetes and had had it for over 20 years.

I had my successful transplant just over two years ago.

Wishing you all the best on your way forward.

Alf.

[Mama41]

How did you get on with your hepatology appointment?

[Grommet in reply to Mama41]

My consultant increased my diuretics and advised me to have a regular diet of protein every three hours.I have an M R I booked for the end of this month and blood tests. If all is good they may offer me TACE. After a while of regular monitoring I could possibly be added to the transplant list,but she said I have a lot of obsticals to overcome and should be prepared to face the prospect of me not being offered a transplant.Thank you for asking about me the support gives me lots of hope.