[chrisy]

Hi Jackie,

Unfortunately, there is no cheap and easy way to diagnose liver mets. Standard LFT blood tests are not usually too helpful for that. You can have a liver chock full o'tumors (as I did) and still show normal liver functions in blood tests. Rich is right, you would rule out liver mets with an ultrasound at minimum and/or a CT scan.

Sometimes other types of cancer markers (ca19.9 for pancreatic cancer) will elevate with liver mets but I wouldn't recommend that without other reasons, as it is not really specific and as you know, tumor markers themselves are not always reliable.

Noting your onc-described hypochondriac-ness, don't get all excited about this...but symptomatically, you may not have any symptoms at all or minimum symptoms with liver mets. But likely symptoms would include pain in upper right quadrant of the abdomen, or radiating up to the right shoulder. Another common symptom could be a general digestive complaint. My diagnosis came after tests looking for an answer to a stomach ache (which had by then resolved).

I think pain under the ribs on both sides would not indicate liver problems - if only on the right side maybe, but not on both sides.

You mentioned weight (an area in which I unfortunately have ABUNDANT experience!). I've had pain under both ribs caused by having the waistline on my clothes being too tight! I hate to admit that, but at least it wasn't cancer!

You know the drill, tho. If the symptoms persist over two weeks, you want to discuss it with your doctor...but the symptoms you describe don't fit with what MY experience was.

Have you had recent abdominal scans? If not, maybe that is a way to have the discussion with your onc, just wanting to make sure everything is clear...