View Full Version : Liver Cancer
Anybody got any advise for the treatment of Liver Cancer as a secondary cancer and perhaps the place where the experts are !!
QDMQDMQDM
30th Jun 2003, 02:43
Depends on loads and loads of things, but quite a lot of progress has been made in treating SOME solitary secondary liver cancers. I worked at the Royal Marsden in London a few years ago and there were a few enthusiasts there. That would be my first port of call.
Good luck.
David
STANDTO
30th Jun 2003, 03:06
Put the phrase into Google and be amazed at the amount of stuff on the web. My father had it as a secondary but unfortunately died, but it certainly made things a lot clearer to me.
There is a lot of talk about cooking the liver being quite successful in stopping cell growth. Surgery too is a possibility as the liver regenerates.
Whether its you, or someone you know mate, my thoughts are with you.
STANDTO
Wingover79
30th Jun 2003, 20:29
My father-in-law is undergoing treatment for secondary liver cancer at the moment. Apologies if this is a bit vague but I think there is a top specialist for this type of cancer based in Basingstoke.
Unfortunately for my father-in-law traditional cancer treatments such as chemo and surgery are now out of the question and he is at the stage where they are experimenting with alternative and unproven methods. I believe that they are now going to try and boost his own immune system to fight the cancer by giving him TB.
Hope this helps.
WO79
DROGNA
30th Jun 2003, 20:47
Like Wingover79 my Father-In-Law is also battling secondary Liver Cancer at the moment. As well as the Chemo he has changed his diet to strictly organic food (not as bad as it seems to be honest as I have also done the same) but he is also looking into possibally going vegetarian/vegan to help boost his immune system and keep all the nasties out that are present in everyday food!
At the Hammersmith Hospital in London there is a surgeon there who says that he can operate on the Liver, as per StandTo's post, although he will can only operate on growths that are less than a ceratin diameter and that have been shown to respond to Chemo. Fortunately for us this has been the case and we are hoping to get some positive news. The surgeon's name eludes me at the moment, but if I can remember it I will re-post it here.
The most important thing is to keep positive, the chemo is as bad as the disease somedays but you have to think of it as your friend, my thoughts are with you.
Select Reverse
30th Jun 2003, 21:16
If it is a contact you are looking for, one of the best hepatologists around is Professor Neuberger at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. He has a reputation second to none.
Maybe he or one of his team could help point you in the right direction. GOOD LUCK!!
QDMQDMQDM
30th Jun 2003, 23:41
I should have put a health warning in my previous post. Any medical treatment is always a balance of cost / benefit, none more so than in treatments for secondary cancer, particularly one where the results have been so historically poor. By all means find the top person, but be aware that enthusiasts for their particular specialty / modality of treatment sometimes (often) lose the plot when it comes to quality of life considerations. Keep the big picture in perspective, do what feels right, but try not to pursue increasingly pointless / desperate treatments with little hope of useful remission at the cost of overall well-being.
David
slim_slag
30th Jun 2003, 23:44
Wise words from QDM. Too many people have heroic surgery inflicted on them and their final months are more miserable than they should be. Let the statistics guide you, you cannot fight them and there are no such thing as miracles.
DROGNA
1st Jul 2003, 02:35
The name of the surgeon at the Hammersmith is Mr Habib. Definatley worth getting in touch with if you can.
Many thanks to all for the replies.
Unfortunately my friend is not a cadidate for liver surgery and I was hoping that there were, perhaps, some other proven ways of dealing with the problem.
Wingover79
4th Jul 2003, 19:14
Just to add to my earlier reply. I believe the hospital where my Father-in-law is undergoing his treatment (like I said they are giving him TB to boost his own immune system somehow) is in Tooting. I also believe that they have a number of other alternatives in the pipeline should this fail like the chemo and surgery options have done. Yes they are treating him like a guinea pig so to speak but while there are options there is hope.
WO79