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Lori R · 07-23-2010, 05:21 AM

Laurie,
I am glad that the biopsy procedure is complete and went well. Ugh...A weekend of waiting.

I have more questions than answers but hope this generates some thoughts for your meeting with your Dr.

#1 "Surgical" Options
Cyberknife - My onc (somewhat conservative and I question that at times) is not a proponent of Cyberknife to the liver. The liver can be very reactive (in a bad way) to the radiation. Felt this wasn't a tried/true option. Yet there are a few on the web site that have had great success.

RFA - JML has had RFA on her liver met and had success. This process uses heat and has been used for a long time. See note below on size limitation

Cryo - This is the procedure that I've had once and will have again. Concerned that due to the size of the met, that Cryo is not going to be an option. for you My interventional radiologist prefers the met to be 3 - 5 c.m. or less. After the cryo procedure, a 2-3 week recovery period is required and my medical team follows up with "insurance" chemo.

Liver Resection - I've started to make phone calls on this option. JML (jessica) and KK1 have used this option.

#2 Available Drugs
Here is my humble opinion. I will be heading into by 3rd round of "traditional" chemo. (Taxotere, Abraxane, soon Navelbine) These traditional chemos bought me a very stable home life for my daughter. At the time I was diagnosed, she was a freshman in highschool and I prayed to be there for her graduation.

But.....the TDM-1 trials weren't in my backyard. I would have had to travel and it would have been very disruptive. Now...due to previous chemos, I am not an ideal trial participant.

Hmmmm...I think I am suggesting that you push for access to the TDM-1 trial. Others on the site can chime in, but it appears to be very tolerable and hopefully would be the silver bullet that it has been for many.

I SOOOO hope that all of this is just precautionary and the mass is not BC.

One last word of hope....I worked with a woman who was a BC survivor and she had a mass that was NOT cancer. She simply had it removed. It is NOT guaranteed to be cancer.

Sending positive thoughts for a wonderful weekend with your family.

07-23-2010, 05:21 AM	#22
Lori R Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Evergreen, Colorado Posts: 454	Re: Mass in liver Laurie, I am glad that the biopsy procedure is complete and went well. Ugh...A weekend of waiting. I have more questions than answers but hope this generates some thoughts for your meeting with your Dr. #1 "Surgical" Options Cyberknife - My onc (somewhat conservative and I question that at times) is not a proponent of Cyberknife to the liver. The liver can be very reactive (in a bad way) to the radiation. Felt this wasn't a tried/true option. Yet there are a few on the web site that have had great success. RFA - JML has had RFA on her liver met and had success. This process uses heat and has been used for a long time. See note below on size limitation Cryo - This is the procedure that I've had once and will have again. Concerned that due to the size of the met, that Cryo is not going to be an option. for you My interventional radiologist prefers the met to be 3 - 5 c.m. or less. After the cryo procedure, a 2-3 week recovery period is required and my medical team follows up with "insurance" chemo. Liver Resection - I've started to make phone calls on this option. JML (jessica) and KK1 have used this option. #2 Available Drugs Here is my humble opinion. I will be heading into by 3rd round of "traditional" chemo. (Taxotere, Abraxane, soon Navelbine) These traditional chemos bought me a very stable home life for my daughter. At the time I was diagnosed, she was a freshman in highschool and I prayed to be there for her graduation. But.....the TDM-1 trials weren't in my backyard. I would have had to travel and it would have been very disruptive. Now...due to previous chemos, I am not an ideal trial participant. Hmmmm...I think I am suggesting that you push for access to the TDM-1 trial. Others on the site can chime in, but it appears to be very tolerable and hopefully would be the silver bullet that it has been for many. I SOOOO hope that all of this is just precautionary and the mass is not BC. One last word of hope....I worked with a woman who was a BC survivor and she had a mass that was NOT cancer. She simply had it removed. It is NOT guaranteed to be cancer. Sending positive thoughts for a wonderful weekend with your family. __________________ 2007 Oct - Diagnosed - Stage IV 5 c.m. IDC - Left Side er/pr- Her2+++ Node + 2/14 - Single Liver Met Double Mastectomy Nov - Begin T+H 2008 Feb-Complete 6 cycles- T&H- NED March - Continue - Herceptin Only April - Rads for 6 weeks 2009 Continue Herceptin - Continue NED April - Recurrance- 3 cm. Liver Met May - Cryosurgery June - November - Abraxane + Herceptin Aug - PET/CT - CTC = 0 Back to NED 2010 January - Continue NED July - Recurrance - 3 cm Liver Met CTC=1 August - Cryosurgery #2 August - November Navelbine November - Back to NED - End Navelbine 2011 Feb - Recur - 4 cm Liver Met - Same Left Lobe March Surgery it is -Couldn't get a clean margin July - Confirmed continued liver involvement August - Begin Herceptin + Tykerb October - Mixed results from H+T Add Abraxane + H + T - Nov - April 2012 January PET Scan - It's working!! April - Back to NED July - Recurrance August - Begin TDM-1 Trial (Taxol + TDM-1)