Liver cancer metasised to lungs immunotherapy

[Valentina_22]

Hello everyone I am due to have immunotherapy next week for my liver cancer but I’m also waiting for a blood test to come back for a possible clinical trial so while I’m waiting I wanted to ask if anyone has had TECENTRIQ + Avastin immunotherapy and if anyone has had good results from this particular one such as it shrinking the tumours significantly?

I am very anxious about it and would love to hear from people who have or are currently using this form of immunotherapy

[Turkman]

Hi Valentina, I am having this treatment at King College Hospital for my liver cancer. I had my first infusion in November 2021, and my next one on 28 June 2022 will be the 26th in total. I go every three weeks provided the blood tests I get done four days before the infusion are ok.I am pleased to say I am responding well to treatment and the tumour has shrunk significantly over the period and the last CT scan showed a continuing response to the treatment. So I am one of the fortunate patients who has benefited significantly from the treatment.

I really hope your response to this treatment is the same. I will also say the side effects are mostly minor. I get a little tired now and again, and a couple of mouth ulcers , so all in all compared chemo very tolerable. If there is anything else I can tell you please don’t hesitate to ask.

All the best

Alper

[Valentina_22 in reply to Turkman]

Hello alper thank you so much for your message! It’s so nice to hear some positive news and I am very happy to hear it has worked for you. I also have liver cancer but it’s in my lungs as it’s metasised there but my liver is currently fine so I wonder if that makes a difference but it is still considered liver cancer so hopefully.I am hoping very much that I can get a good response also as everyone else I spoke to said it had just stopped the tumours from growing but did not shrink them so I was feeling quite low and hopeless yesterday. Can I ask how long did it take you, how many cycles before you could see if the immunotherapy was responding to your tumours? As I have heard of a clinical trial which I am awaiting the bloods from to see if I’m eligible but I am in two minds on which way to go. My liver cancer is terminal so I don’t know if you’re way also but would be interested to know if you don’t mind. I am just praying for a miracle 🙏

[Turkman in reply to Valentina_22]

Hi Valentina,It’s very important to understand that every persons body reacts differently to medications., and treatments. When I was diagnosed, the consultant gave me his prognosis. I can say now after doing intensive research on the way consultants decide how long anybody will survive a terminal illness that their method has little merit. It’s usually based on flawed statistics, and as I mentioned earlier, we are all different, and react to treatments differently. There are also too many variables to be able to give an accurate prognosis. I am testament to that being the case, as according to my prognosis I have two months left before I meet my maker, and that contradicts the latest scan that showed quote “very little cancer activity”, and ongoing excellent response to the treatment.

I want to emphasise though that this is my story, and nobody can say how you

will respond. It’s very important to have a strong positive attitude.

You asked if this treatment actually shrunk my tumour, yes in my case the tumour shrunk from 10cm x. 9cms. to 7pms. x. 5ams. I’m not sure exactly how many cycles it took but it was quite quick, around 6 or 7, possibly 8.

If you are one of the fortunate patients and you respond well to the treatment, the cancer will be controlled and stop any further spread. One of the infusions stops the blood pathways from developing allowing the cancer to spread, while the other one makes your own killer cells recognise and destroy cancer cells.

I was not expecting anything more than a controlling the cancer and to have a good quality of life for a few more years. I’m delighted to say that’s how it’s looking right now.

Give it a try, I would.

Alper

[Alexliver in reply to Valentina_22]

Don’t you mind me asking what was your symptoms?