Symptoms of Liver Mets

Patricia · 03-25-2006, 10:46 PM

Hi everyone,

For those that have liver mets, did you have symptoms before you were diagnosed? If so, what did you experience?

I was diagnosed in July 05 (IDC, 1.6cm, no lymph nodes ER/PR/HER +++, stage 1, grade 3), recieved 4AC in Oct/Nov, then Taxol & Herceptin Dec/Jan/Feb and have just graduated to Herceptin only. I had my 6 mo. followup mamogram where they found suspicious calcifications. I had a MRI which only confirmed the suspicous calcifications. The tried a core biopsy but because the calcifications are at the back of my tumor site they couldn't get to it with the Core machine. I have a surgical biopsy scheduled for Monday.

I have been having pain in my right ribs on my side for about 3 weeks now. The pain actually seems a little better than it was, but it is still there and is still significant. About 10 days ago my surgeon ordered xrays (which showed no fractures) and liver function tests which showed my liver function off a bit. He said it could be some liver damage from the chemo and that we would keep an eye on it. In talking to my oncologist on Friday he said he had been watching my liver function for awhile because it had been off for awhile. He suggested an ultrasound, but we decided to wait until after the biopsy scheduled for this coming week.

I am probably just being cancer paranoid, but it is worrying me with the calcifications there. If you dont mind sharing I would really appreciate it.

Patricia

lisahammo · 03-26-2006, 07:05 AM

Hi Patricia

Did you have radiation after chemo? That could account for the pain you are experiencing in you ribs. I had that pain too, and was told it was due to radiation.

I have developed liver mets, and my symptoms were nausea that kept coming and going for a couple of months. I had blood tests done that showed an increased liver function, with a CT scan confirming liver mets. I would definitely be getting CT scan done. Hopefully it will be nothing, but it will save the wondering, as it is the worst feeling.

Good luck.

Love Lisa

madubois63 · 03-26-2006, 08:51 AM

I would also suggest a blood test to check your liver enzymes, but know that even Tylenol can elevate the findings.

For me - prior to diagnosis, I had pain under the right rib. Mine would fade and then hit me like a train. I went to the ER months before being diagnosed complaining of the pain. Thought it might be stones or something. They did an x-ray and sent me home. I also had met's to the lungs and the symptoms from that dominated the pain in my ribs. I had a video assisted biopsy for the lungs, and that was when they found the met's on the liver.

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-:¦:- ((¸¸.Maryann -:¦:-´´

clisa · 03-27-2006, 03:58 AM

the time between my intial diagnosis of breast cancer and liver mets was a a mere week but I showed no symptoms - my liver enzymes actually stayed completely normal until 3-4 months of chemo, there was no swelling or discomfort or any outwards signs of problems.

It was by pure chance they saw the mets when they were doing a routine ultrasound to get me in a clinincal trial. Now my mets are very agressive and we are responding in kind but they took a long time to act up.

L

03-27-2006, 03:13 PM

I hope your biopsy went ok, and the result was acceptable.

It must be very difficult facing up to surgery again so soon.

RB

Lisa · 03-27-2006, 09:34 PM

My liver met symptoms had nothing to do with the liver enzymes. For me, it was a pain under my back right shoulder blade. Felt like a muscle issue. I learned later from Web M.D. web site, that this was indeed a sign of cancer in the liver. Later I started having some pain just to the left of my lower front rib cage. I've had the mets, worse and better, for more than 2 1/2 years now. It was diagnosed from a CT scan and a liver needle biopsy.

Good luck on your tests and keep us posted.

Love and light,

Lisa

Toril · 03-28-2006, 04:51 AM

My liver mets were discoverd about 14 months ago. Mine were found the same way as with "Clisa": By pure chance as they saw the mets when they were doing a routine ultrasound to get me in a clinincal trial. I have never noticed anything. I had several, the biggest one was about 4 cm.
It was confirmed by biopsy that it was actually cancer, and not from previous chemo.

Good luck!
Love Toril

Patricia · 03-31-2006, 11:00 PM

Thank you to everyone for your replies.

So I went in for the surgical biopsy on Monday to UCSF. They started out with some mammogram shots to redetermine the location so that they could determine where to put the wire. 7 films later at many angles and magnification, they finally told me that they had determined that the microcalicifications were scatter instead of clustered. When they changed the angle and magnified they realized that there was not enough to worry about it this point. They cancelled the surgery and I burst out in tears. It was a moment of relief after many tests since the beginning of Feb when they 1st found these calcs and the stress finally let go with the tears. I felt like it was one of those rare days, where they say, "well we were wrong, no cancer".

We went home and celebrated with the kids as we popped a bottle of champagne.

I am still having some pain in my side which worries me a bit, but I have decided that I will ask for the ultrasound at my next Herceptin appt if it has not gotten better.

Thank you for your replies, I am so grateful for this site and all of you. I know that I can come here in times of panic and always talk to these amazing women who know what it is like with this disease.

Hugs!!
Patricia

Lee · 04-01-2006, 07:12 AM

My liver enzymes were fine, I had no pain, nothing. So we were all surprised to see liver mets when I had a PET and CT scan done.

I hope your biopsy went OK, keep us posted.

Becky · 04-01-2006, 07:25 AM

Great news Patricia. I would still insist on some scan of some sort for the liver. It will bother you if you don't. I will say that I had the same symptoms as you and I could not tell if it was the rib or under the rib (on the right side) so I got my yearly scans 6 weeks early and it was nothing. My onc and radiologist told me beforehand they thought it was from all the radiation and they were right. But... I didn't want to keep thinking that they were "probably" right. I couldn't stop thinking about it until I knew (one way or the other). If you are like me, you should get a picture done now that the breast situation is behind you (whew).

Warm regards

Becky

PS - My sister lives in Orinda

karenann · 04-01-2006, 09:41 AM

Becky,

I just saw at the end of your post that your sister lives in orinda...I live in Walnut Creek which is very close and I grew up in Moraga (next town over form Orinda). Small world.

Karen

fourboysmom · 04-06-2006, 08:42 PM

Hi Patricia,

I just read through all the replies. My diagnosis was similiar to yours, and I do not know much about liver mets(thankfully). However, you mentioned calcifications in the breast. Any plans for a mastectomy? That was the decisive factor for my surgeons. Good luck to you!!! I had 4 Carbo/Taxotere, mastectomy, 4 A/C 36 rads

Patricia · 04-07-2006, 10:46 PM

Hi Fourboysmom,

I had pretty much gotten my head around getting a mastectomy if the calcifications were a problem. I was trying to psych up prior to the biopsy so that I knew I could handle it if I needed. I do sometimes wonder if it would have been better to just get a mastectomy originally, but my surgeon was a real breast conservation advocate and honestly it all happened so fast that I just did what I was told. I was diagnosed on 7/22 and had surgery on 7/29. If I were to do it all over again, I would get the mastectomy. The fear is a bit overwhelming every now and again and I think if I had gotten the mastectomy that maybe I wouldn't worry so much.

Do you know why your onc. recommended your drug combo? I always wonder when we have such similar diagnoses and are given different drugs. When were you diagnosed?

Where are you in Connecticut? I grew up in Portland. I have been in San Francisco for almost 20 years, but I still miss CT sometimes, especially in the fall or summer, when I wish I could bring my kids to the beach the way I did when I was a kid. The beaches here are very cold with dangerous waves, so it is a totally different experience.

Patricia