Cancer Question

[coccinelle]

A friend has had cancer for 3 years. She was operated on the colon to remove the tumour and has been operated on the liver twice where the cancer had spread to. Each time after each operation she has gone through chemotherapy. Another cancer 'cell' was found on the liver in December which couldn't be operated on due to its position and she went through three very high doses of radiotherapy (not sure of the name) along with a mild form of chemo. We were hoping that she would be clear but after a scan this week she has found out there's yet another cancer 'cell' on the liver, this was not there on the last X-ray scan. She will find out next week what her options are. Can anybody tell me from experience if this could be a recurring thing? The cancer has only spread to her liver, nowhere else. I would have thought the chemo would have killed off cancer cells in the bloodstream.

[bednobs]

i don't really understand what you mean by is it a recurring thing? it obviously HAS already recurred (twice)

[kawakiri]

This may help to understan metastasis a little
http://www.news-medical.net/health/Metastasis-What-is-Metastasis.aspx

[coccinelle]

What I mean is that when she was operated on the liver, both 'cells' could be seen on the scan. The third 'cell' was concealed and showed up after the op. This new one is very new.

[bednobs]

sorry coccinelle, i'm still not getting what you are actually asking

[coccinelle]

Thank you kawakiri; I'll have to find out what chemo really does.

[hippyhoppy]

In my experience (with both mother and friend) once the bugger starts to roam there is precious little that can be done. After witnessing what they went through the last thing I'd want would be Chemo/radio.. just let me fizzle out as painlessly as possible... sorry to be negative.. but this is based on experience..

[coccinelle]

bednobs; could this, finding a lesion, operating and treating with chemo. be something she's going to be putting up with until it spreads somewhere else. There's only so much of this you can take until you say 'what's the point?'...

[lcg]

you can't find a cell, they are way too small. i think you are talking lumps/tumours, coccinelle.

[bednobs]

if the tumour is inoperable, and has grown/spread through radio and chemotherapy, there is usually no more treatment/

[coccinelle]

hippyhoppy; I must say she's been through all this and still fighting and getting on with life. Quite extraordinary. However, as she says morally, there's only so much you can take.

[Sqad]

\\\The cancer has only spread to her liver, nowhere else\\\

mmmm! nowhere demonstrable............but almost certainly it has from your description.

It is worth operating on solitary liver secondaries from primary sites.......but re.operating on liver secondaries is certainly questionable.

Chemotherapyhas the best chance on the primary...........on the metastasis is a different story.

[coccinelle]

Icg; the name I was looking for was 'lesion'. bednobs, this isn't a tumour it's a lesion which didn't exist 3 months ago.

[coccinelle]

Sqad; the scan shows nothing elsewhere. She might be offered radiotherapy again on this new metastasis / lesion (what's the difference by the way?)

[bednobs]

tumour/lesion - it's the same thing

[Sqad]

A lesion is a description by eyesight.........what you look at and see with your eyes..........the nature of the "lesion" is only discovered under the microscope.

coccinelle....I hear what you say........but the prognosis for your friend is very poor, whatever treatment is offered. She will be lucky to be alive at Christmas.

[Connemmara]

Hippy hoppy I am inclined to agree with reservatins - friend going through this 3 and half years - another 5 died - another 7 - died - 1 years - died - I just it like alittle bug hopping about the body - but then my friend says life's sweet - but my God it is painful - bless everybody out there suffering. particularly little children

[coccinelle]

sqad; they might decide to operate we will see, I won't be as pessimistic...

[Connemmara]

When Cheryl Barrymore was diagnosed - she said leave me alone and died within 6 weeks. but then there people who do genuinely recover - mind you not too many

[coccinelle]

connemarra: all depends on the cancer and all depends on how far it has spread.