Liver Mets

[Sherry in WV]

Hi, I saw my Onc. yesterday. If you remember, I underwent Chemo embolization to my liver in May. I hve stateIV BC with Mets to liver. Now it looks like I may be going into liver failure. My LFT"S and bilirubin are climbing. I was doing well but in last two weeks, I am becoming tired very easily. I had MRI yesterday and started on Xyloda Tuesday. I wonder if this time is it. I have been through, like so many of you, ups and downs. I guess I am lucky, I was given 6 mos in 2002 and just passed 3 years in Sept. My Son is expecting their first child the end of March, first of April. I just hope I make it till then. Has anyone faced this problem and "beat it" ?
Sometimes I think these set backs are worse then the original dx.
Sherry

[Barbara H.]

Sherry,
There are others here who have been though this and I'm sure that they will respond to you. You have a strong will to see that grandchild and that will help your immune system fight it to be around in April. My thoughts go out you.
Best wishes,
Barbara H.

[jessica]

OH Sherry~
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this!The burden of this disease can be heavy, sometimes so heavy, I've also wondered, how much more?You will make it to see your new grandchild in the Spring! Know that you have the love & support of your family-here & at home. We are all pulling for you!
I don't recall your treatment history...can you post a quick synopsis? Then we can all put our heads together & offer and educated guess.
The first thing I'm thinking of is RFA...If you have multiple lesions in your liver, or even one big one, RFA can be used to help decrease the tumor load in your liver. That way there's "less" for the chemo to have to work on...maybe even benefit your liver function..
It's a minimally invasive procedure-I was in & out in 12 hours.
Prayers, faith & courage, Sherry~
Keep the Faith!

[StephN]

Hello Sherry -
"OH, RATS!"
I thought you were doing pretty well after the chemo embolization - had not heard much from you here for a while.

There are several women here who have had their liver threaten to shut down, and had good results on Xeloda. Maybe just do a search with some pertinent words and you can find some posts or "stories." Did yoiu take navelbine in the past??

Are you using Milk Thistle and any kind of detox teas with things like red clover that are good for cleansing your blood?? I found these things helpful in my case with raging liver mets. Anything to assist your immune system and liver in cleansing should be condsidered. These are not antioxidents and should not interfere with the Xeloda, but it is always good to check.

Keep the faith and I just know that little unborn child is sending you good "grandma" thoughts!

[Lisa]

Sherry,

I've been tired for 2 years! And when I'm feeling bad, I think "this is it." But then it turns around. Numbers go up, numbers go down. Hang in there, Sister. Enjoy the holiday season and try not to let fear run rampant. Sounds like your onc is on top of it.

Love and light,

Lisa

[al from Canada]

Dear Sherry,

I'm very sorry to here about your new troubles. I know Steph mentioned Navelbine, a drug commonly used for liver mets; it is also a viable option as this drug (+ herceptin) pulled Linda through her crisis.

The nice thing about Xeloda is that it is less systemic, ie it is only activated by cancer cells but it has also been known to cause liver problems. Keep a close eye on this one and if the xeloda isn't working...be prepared to switch at the drop of a dime. Vigenance is the key! keep an eye on your LFT's as they should start leveling off very soon after starting treatment. If they don't, it's time to start asking a lot of questions and start acting on second opinions. Listen to your gut feelings! Don't let your onc make decisions for you that you are uncomportable with. This type of thing is usually quite managable UNLESS you let it get out of your control! Notice I used the "you" word, meaning don't give-up 100% of your medical destiny. They main side effects of liver disfunction are #1 loss of appitite, #2 loss of energy and #3 dark urine. All that said, it does sound that your onc is doing all the right things; just don't let your guard down.

Take care,
Al

[Lolly]

Dear Sherry, you've been through a lot of trials and tribulations with this thing, but remember you've made it this far and can keep going. The others have given good advice on their experiences with liver mets, and I agree with Al, you need to keep a weather eye on things and don't be afraid to ask questions. Determination is key to survival, and you can do this. We're here for you.

<3 Lolly

[Gina]

Hi, Sherry,

I was born in Welch, WV, so howdy neighbor. >>smile... I, too, have struggled off and on with liver mets since 1999 and am still here and going quite strong. What worked HANDS down best for me...was simply taking a higher dose of herceptin more frequently...every time the liver mets came back--which they did again and again for about 4 years--now I have mets in my sternum, but at least..smile..it is different hee hee hee. Anyway, every time I got it, I just knocked it back down with herceptin alone and avoided any chemos which were just toxing out my already over-loaded liver. For some reason, the oncs don't seem to be aware of the incredible power of simply increasing the dose of herceptin for mets folks--for really severe cases, even hitting it with 8mg/kg is NOT too much..but at least going back to a loading dose of 4mg/kg and then weekly 2/mg is also beneficial--just monitor your Serum her-2 levels and take as much Herceptin as you need as frequently enough as you need to start causing the numbers to drop and the liver enzymes to stabilize.

You did not mention how much herceptin you are currently taking. If for any reason, you are NOT taking herceptin, get back on a loading dose ASAP and if you switched from weekly to every 3 weeks, return to weekly which is best for very active disease...you can and should be taking it with the Xeloda, if you like. Also, there are MANY things nutritionally and with supplements you can do to help yourself. Many are posted right here on this site. I found walking also very helpful and mind-clearing. In a REAL emergency, and as long as your kidney function is still ok, you could try taking a 5-day Z-pak to bring the numbers quickly, but temporarily back down and there are just so many other things, like the olive leaf, and milk thistle mentioned, and eating artichokes, etc., etc. With so many advances today, there is no reason not to have hope, especially, if the the mets are only in the liver, as those are some of the easiest to clear with the Herceptin, whether used alone, or coupled with some agent, like Xeloda, which back in 1997, I found very useful in normalizing my cancer in the form of 5-Fu, long before Herceptin was even approved...fyi. Xeloda is effective against most varieties of her-2 mediated mets, but in my humble opinion, works BEST when combined with the APPROPRIATE increased dosing of Herceptin.

Please take care and feel free to write me any time with any specific questions or worries you might have as I have a lot of experience with resolving liver mets in myself and in others. You can e-mail me direct at GPopp@Comcast.net.
Please take care, Gina

[Esther]

Sherry 2 years ago my liver was shutting down from mets. My skin was yellow (jaundiced) the whites of my eyes were yellow, I felt SO sick. Everyone was sure that I was not going to make it.

My onc. was never sure if I'd be around for my next appt. Fast forward, after treatment with Xeloda, Navelbine, and Herceptin, my liver is NED, and has remained so for 9 months now on Herceptin alone.

Keep your spirits up, it is possible to go to the edge and come back safely. Keep us posted on how your treatment goes.

[Sherry in WV]

Thanks to all of you that took the time reply to my post. My MRI show very active disease again. My Onc. increased my Xyloda to 6 a day. So far no diarrhea like the last time. I will talk to Dr. R about increasing the herceptin. He is very open to ideas. I have been on herceptin for 3 years without a break.
I am so tired and that is what bothers me the most. After I recovered from the chemoablation, I was able to do a lot of things that I had not been able to do before. Now, I am back to getting tired and SOB quickly. But I am thankful that I am still standing and will fight on.
Thank you all. You are simply the best!
Sherry