RFA information needed

[Angela]

Hi ...
My oncologist finally, reluctantly gave me the okay to see the RFA specialists about the 2 tumors on my liver. Everything seemed to be looking up - I was hoping for RFA in a couple weeks and to stay on my Femara and Herceptin for a good long time. BUT... the radiologists did an MRI of my liver and told me that my 2 tumors sit on the top right lobe of my liver... nicely tucked close to my heart... so they are not feeling so sure that they can get a clean margin. And worse. there seems to be a small tumor on the left side of the liver that no one knew about... either a new one since I came off chemo in Nov and switched to the Femara, or its a tiny one that's been there, but the CT scan didn't pick it up. My next CT scan is scheduled for the 31st - before the RFA, so we'll get that important question answered... I hate to think that I won't be able to do the RFA after all the hoops I jumped through to get my oncologist to allow it... but more importantly, I'm scared and upset to think that the Femara didn't hold me long at all :( I was hoping for a longer break from chemo after a long 9+ months of every week treaatments (Taxol/Carbo/Herceptin - shrank the tumors about 60%).

What I was wondering - from you who have considered or done RFA - were any "new" tumors found when they were doing your RFA or before in the pretreatment scans? Did any of you have more than one met treated? Did any of you have mets in a tricky place in the liver? How did it go? Did any of you decide NOT to do RFA? Did you decide to go ahead? Who was your doctor/Where?

I would truly appreciate some insight.....
Warm wishes...
Angela

[AngelaNC]

I am waiting to find out if I have mets to the liver. Did you have any symptoms prior to finding out you had mets to the liver? What were the symptoms and how long did they last? I am having pain on my right side but it is not constant. Some days I don't hurt at all and others I have to take pain meds.

Thanks and I hope you get answers to your questions.
Angela from NC

[anonymous]

I had 3 mets to the liver on my CT, but when they went in to do the RFA ( by laparoscopy not through the skin ) they used a special inside the abdomen ultrasound that picked up 5 more lesions. So I had 8 lesions. 2 of them were on the top dome of the liver right next to the diaphragm but he was able to do them. I had this done in August of 2002 and as of my last CT in December, my liver remains clean.
If you can find someone who has done alot of these, that is the best, and someone like a surgeon not a radiologist who does it through a laparoscopy rather than percutaneously through the skin. They can see more and get better control.


Good luck.