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CoolBreeze · 09-18-2011, 01:36 PM

Hi ladies,

I haven't posted in a while but I wanted to update you with what is going on with me, and ask if anybody else has had the same treatment I'm getting - I remember somebody here having it!

October 3rd, at UCSF, I will be having a liver resection for my mets. They are taking all of the right lobe and part of the left. This is an open surgery and they will do a sonogram on my actual liver and if they find anything unexpected, will do microwave ablation if it can't be removed - this is all happening with curative intent.

I am very lucky in that I only have mets to my liver, and only three (although bi-lobular). I've been on Navelbine, Herceptin and Zometa for about 3 months now, with mixed result. (Two shrank, one did not.) My oncologist had heard about an aggressive doctor in SF who does this kind of surgery and contacted him on my behalf. After seeing me, he agreed I was an excellent candidate.

Here is my surgeon:
http://cancer.ucsf.edu/people/nakakura_eric.php

They have been doing liver/lung resections in people with metastatic colon cancer with good results - at ASCO this year, it was presented that women with breast cancer may get the same benefit.

While I'm not the first person to get this surgery for breast cancer, I can't find a whole lot of people who have had it. I know the women here are very on top of new thought and I know somebody here who has experienced it and can tell me what to expect.

Did you have it? What did you experience? What chemo were you on afterwards?

Thanks!

09-18-2011, 01:36 PM	#1
CoolBreeze Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 562	Liver Resection Surgery Hi ladies, I haven't posted in a while but I wanted to update you with what is going on with me, and ask if anybody else has had the same treatment I'm getting - I remember somebody here having it! October 3rd, at UCSF, I will be having a liver resection for my mets. They are taking all of the right lobe and part of the left. This is an open surgery and they will do a sonogram on my actual liver and if they find anything unexpected, will do microwave ablation if it can't be removed - this is all happening with curative intent. I am very lucky in that I only have mets to my liver, and only three (although bi-lobular). I've been on Navelbine, Herceptin and Zometa for about 3 months now, with mixed result. (Two shrank, one did not.) My oncologist had heard about an aggressive doctor in SF who does this kind of surgery and contacted him on my behalf. After seeing me, he agreed I was an excellent candidate. Here is my surgeon: http://cancer.ucsf.edu/people/nakakura_eric.php They have been doing liver/lung resections in people with metastatic colon cancer with good results - at ASCO this year, it was presented that women with breast cancer may get the same benefit. While I'm not the first person to get this surgery for breast cancer, I can't find a whole lot of people who have had it. I know the women here are very on top of new thought and I know somebody here who has experienced it and can tell me what to expect. Did you have it? What did you experience? What chemo were you on afterwards? Thanks! __________________ http://butdoctorihatepink.com 08/17/09 Dx'd. Multifocal/multicentric IDC, largest 3.4 cm, associated ADH, LCIS, DCIS HER2+ ER+/PR- Grade 3, Node Negative 10/20/2009: Right mastectomy, reconstruction with TE 12/02/2009: Six rounds TCH, switched to Taxol halfway through due to neuropathy 03/31/2010: Finished chemo 05/01/2010: Began tamoxifen, the worst drug ever 11/18/2010: Reconstruction completed 12/02/2010: Finished herceptin 05/21/2011: Liver Mets. Quit Tamoxifen 06/22/2011: Navelbine/Zometa/Herceptin 10/03/2011: Liver Resection, left lobe. Microwave ablation, right lobe - going for cure! 11/26/2011: C-Diff Superbug Infection, "worst case doctor had seen in 20 years" 03/28/2012: Progression in ablated section of the liver - no more cure. Started Abraxane, continue herceptin/zometa 10/10/2012: Progression continues, started Halaven, along with herceptin and zometa. 01/15/2013: Progression continues, started Gemzar and Perjeta, an unusual combo, continuing with herceptin and zometa 03/13/2013: Quit Gemzar, body just won't handle it. Staying on herceptin, zometa and perjeta. 04/03/2013: CT shows 50% regression in tumor, so am starting back on Gemzar with dose reduction, staying with perjeta/herceptin/zometa. Can't argue with success! 05/09/2013: Discussing SBRT with Radiology due to inability of bone marrow to recover from chemo. 06/07/2013: Fiducial placement for SBRT 07/03/2013: Chemo discontinued, on Perjeta, Herceptin and Zometa alone 07/25/2013: SBRT (gamma knife) begins 08/01/2013: SBRT completed 08/15/2013: STABLE! continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 06/18/2014: *** NED!!!!*** continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa 01/29/2014: Still NED. continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin. Zometa lowered to every 3 months instead of monthly. 11/08/2015: Progression throughout abdomen and lungs. Started TDM-1, aka Kadcyla. Other meds discontinued. Remission was nice while it lasted. 5/27/18: Stable. Kadcyla put me right back in the barn. I have two teeny spots on my lungs that are metabolically inactive, and liver is clean. I’m beating this MFer. I was 51 when this started and had two kids, 22 and 12. Now I’m 60. My oldest got married and trying to start s family. My youngesg graduates from Caltech this June. My stepdaughter gave me grandkids. Life is fantastic.