Help! Stage 4--Liver Mets

casabaum · 02-05-2007, 01:08 PM

I am writing on behalf of my sister, a 41 year old female with metastatic breast cancer to both the liver and the bone.<o =""></o>

<o =""></o>My sister has rising tumor markers (CA27-29: 571), a rising bilirubin number (1.7),<o =""></o>
ALT and AST that are rising, but in the area of 180. She has tried a lot of chemo, most recently, Doxil.

Thanks to some links from this site, I found two options.Her last 3 chemo/biological treatments have done little to nothing to stop porgression and I am therefore looking at procedures directed at the liver tumors.

1) LIIT-Laser Induced Interstital Thermotherapy
2) Sirtex Microspheres

I am starting my search now to find hoospitals that might do these procedures. She lives in Dallas Texas and the closer to her the bbetter

If anyone knows of places that offer these procedures or other treatments I should be looking at, please respond.

I have lurked this sight for years, but nevber posted.

Below is a list of some of her other treatments.

Othe treatments:<o =""></o><o =""></o>

Navilbene Carboplatinum Herceptin 11/06-12/06<o =""></o>

Carbo Abraxane Avastin Herceptin 8/06-10/06<o =""></o>

Lapatininb trial (not the Xaloda arm) 6/06-8/06<o =""></o>

Avastin Herceptin carbo 3/06-6/06
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carbo herceptin 9/05-12/05<o =""></o>

Thank you,

Colleen

StephN · 02-05-2007, 01:17 PM

- in Houston. I am sure that being so close you know about this top ranked cancer center.
My thinking would be to start close to home and see what they suggest. Your sister's oncologist must know some of the docs at Anderson, and can get her an appt over there. Seems to me she needs a second opinion anyway.

Looks like she has not had Zometa or anything to help her bones. They can also perhaps do CYBERKNIFE on bone tumors.

I am surprised the way they have jumped her around from drug to drug. Are they sure that some of the "tumors" are not now scar areas? PET/CT lighting up as before?
What about the HER2 serum test? This would also have been a good way to see what the treatments are doing.

Mary Anne in TX · 02-05-2007, 02:31 PM

Here is a link to the center I go to in San Antonio.

http://www.stoh.com/

casabaum · 02-05-2007, 03:48 PM

I was in a hurry and only included her most recent treatments. The reason it seems to jump around so much is that each treatment either never worked, or stopped working. The evidence of failure over the past 6 months or so has been evident in her tumor markers, Liver function, and scans.

She is doing something for the bones--I don't remember what--I think a pill, but you are right, they are progressing too.

To date, she has not received any direct treatment to the bone lesions (i.e zapping then with radiation, cyber knife), I guess, because they were not causing symptoms, and we have been focused on the whole body treatment.

Thank you for your response and if anyone is following, please keep any thoughts or ideas coming.

<st1:GivenName>Colleen</st1:GivenName>

heblaj01 · 02-05-2007, 03:58 PM

Colleen,
In case you need to find other possible treatment options you may look into these sites:

http://jjco.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/c...l/29/8/390#hd9
Multiple Liver Metastases of Breast Cancer: Report of a Case Successfully Treated with Hormone-Cytokine-Chemotherapy

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1024082032.htm
Precision Radiation Therapy Yields Rare Success For Liver Tumors

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/omega...lls_10334.html
Omega-3 fatty acids inhibit growth of liver cancer cells

Linda · 02-05-2007, 04:31 PM

Colleen:
A friend who had liver mets had ablation surgery at OHSU in Portland, OR. She also found a top surgeon for liver ablation at John Wayne Cancer Center in Santa Monica, CA. I'm in Oregon, so I don't know of any places closer, but the other women are probably right, MD Anderson would be the first place to look.
I send best thoughts to your sister.
Linda

fullofbeans · 02-05-2007, 05:07 PM

Hi Colleen,

I am sorry to hear about your sister. I am not sure how many or how large her liver tumours.

Resection is the best option of all and is generally only offered if there are few tumors 1 or 2. ALternatively if there are several tumours: RFA (radio frequency ablation)(available in the US) or Litt (only in Germany), these treatments are quite similar.

Generally before the above treatment is given, it is required that the tumours are controlled i.e. either decreasing with chemo or stable. If they are not, as it seems to be the case for your sister then you can think of chemo-embolisation i.e. TACE or targetted radiation (the name escape me). TACE worked for me and it worked in synergy with my systemic treatment taxotere. I went from six tumours (2 more than 3cm) to 3 tumours (all less than 2 cm) which then could be zapped. I have notice that your sister did not have any taxane (taxotere or taxol) yet. These often give good results.

Good luck, don't let your sister give up, and well done for the support you bring her.

Best wishes