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jessica · 12-04-2005, 05:20 PM

Hi All~
Back from Hawaii...back to reality...within 24 hours of getting back, I met w/my onc & was back on chemo...Taxol+Herceptin...#80. Holy Cow! #80!!! It seems we're going full steam ahead for liver resection, maybe even before the end of the year.But I've been thinking...& would love your input.
Here's the deal...I have one stubborn spot in my liver that keeps popping back up.It's nestled in between the inferior vena cava & the main portal vein, so it never seems to completely resolve w/chemo. RFA was incomplete for the same reason.So after a year of being NED everywhere else, except for this one recurrent spot, my docs are recommending resection.(Incidentally, it's the original metastatic spot that was discovered at my primary dx in May '02 that exploded to "innumerable,immeasureable" & decreased back to one spot by June'03.)They believe it is the only option that would be "curative". I feel certain that I do want to have the resection, I'm just trying to make some decisions about timing.
Right now the spot is ~3x3cms. I'm back on chemo to shrink it down before the surgery. But it just occurred to me that I could have chemoembolization to the spot to shrink it & spare the rest of my body...Any thoughts? Any experience?
I have another detailed CT of my liver tomorrow & meet with my Surgical Onc on Thursday. I'm also planning a trip to MSK for a consult w/a hepatobilliary surg up there too.
Thanks for your wisdom!
Keep the Faith~

12-04-2005, 05:20 PM	#1
jessica Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Atlanta Posts: 87	Has anyone had chemoembo AND resection? Hi All~ Back from Hawaii...back to reality...within 24 hours of getting back, I met w/my onc & was back on chemo...Taxol+Herceptin...#80. Holy Cow! #80!!! It seems we're going full steam ahead for liver resection, maybe even before the end of the year.But I've been thinking...& would love your input. Here's the deal...I have one stubborn spot in my liver that keeps popping back up.It's nestled in between the inferior vena cava & the main portal vein, so it never seems to completely resolve w/chemo. RFA was incomplete for the same reason.So after a year of being NED everywhere else, except for this one recurrent spot, my docs are recommending resection.(Incidentally, it's the original metastatic spot that was discovered at my primary dx in May '02 that exploded to "innumerable,immeasureable" & decreased back to one spot by June'03.)They believe it is the only option that would be "curative". I feel certain that I do want to have the resection, I'm just trying to make some decisions about timing. Right now the spot is ~3x3cms. I'm back on chemo to shrink it down before the surgery. But it just occurred to me that I could have chemoembolization to the spot to shrink it & spare the rest of my body...Any thoughts? Any experience? I have another detailed CT of my liver tomorrow & meet with my Surgical Onc on Thursday. I'm also planning a trip to MSK for a consult w/a hepatobilliary surg up there too. Thanks for your wisdom! Keep the Faith~