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StephN · 02-11-2008, 04:24 PM

Hi HavahJ -
I know what you mean about watching a movie starring someone other than yourself. There is a defense mechanism that kicks in (I believe) that allows us to detach ourselves somewhat from what is happening to us. Thus the "unreality" syndrome. Plus we don't feel really bad as if we were "sick" in the usual sense.

There are more serious places your mets could be than your liver. As a 6-year survivor of extensive liver mets, I can say that the liver has certain properties that are in your favor.

The liver is a large filter, so any cancer cells in the blood that are caught in this filter don't get a chance to go elsewhere. If your treatment is successful, the areas of dead tumor can actually regenerate. This is the only major organ that has this ability.

My med onc gave me about a year if my treatment did not work, but I had "too many tumors to count" and a couple were fist size. If I can prevail over this kind of mets invasion, keep your chin up and try to think positive.

I know that is hard until you have some scans to see how you are doing. You should be getting tumor markers checked often, but it may take a while to show a significant drop.

P.S. I had no spread to other organs or lymph nodes during my active treatment. My 2 brain mets showed up a couple of years after I was NED.

02-11-2008, 04:24 PM	#4
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	Keep us posted Hi HavahJ - I know what you mean about watching a movie starring someone other than yourself. There is a defense mechanism that kicks in (I believe) that allows us to detach ourselves somewhat from what is happening to us. Thus the "unreality" syndrome. Plus we don't feel really bad as if we were "sick" in the usual sense. There are more serious places your mets could be than your liver. As a 6-year survivor of extensive liver mets, I can say that the liver has certain properties that are in your favor. The liver is a large filter, so any cancer cells in the blood that are caught in this filter don't get a chance to go elsewhere. If your treatment is successful, the areas of dead tumor can actually regenerate. This is the only major organ that has this ability. My med onc gave me about a year if my treatment did not work, but I had "too many tumors to count" and a couple were fist size. If I can prevail over this kind of mets invasion, keep your chin up and try to think positive. I know that is hard until you have some scans to see how you are doing. You should be getting tumor markers checked often, but it may take a while to show a significant drop. P.S. I had no spread to other organs or lymph nodes during my active treatment. My 2 brain mets showed up a couple of years after I was NED. __________________ "When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau Live in the moment. MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~ Found suspicious lump 9/2000 Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR - Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds 36 rads - very little burning 3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED! 2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18 All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?) 2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava 2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec. Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011 STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer 7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED 2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED. Same news for 2016 and all of 2017. Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.