Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Why is secondary liver cancer from the colon so hard to treat

Why is secondary liver cancer from the colon so hard to treat?
My friend's Dad has received bad news about liver cancer and she's having a hard time processing the information. I've looked on google but I cannot find something that simply explains why liver cancer (secondary) is so hard to treat. Her Dad has two small spots on his liver and feels good but there are no treatments for him left. His CEA is very high (100+). She's struggling with understanding why two small spots cannot be treated. Anyone have an articles online that explains it?
Cancer - 3 Answers
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1 :
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091211074929AAAKnQ6&r=w
2 :
The cancer cells has to traveled thru the lymphatic system to the liver. This is called stage 4 metatstatic colonc cancer. It may have traveled many other places thru this system of lymphatics. Cancer is considered curable as long as it doesnt get into the liver by way of the lymphatics. Once its in the liver, its hard telling where else it is and how fast it is moving. With a CEA of 100+ it means the tumor is proliferating quickly. Treating it with chemotherapy is like putting out a forrest fire with a garden hose.Sounds very depressing, but I believe in God, and miracles. So pray.
3 :
He does not have "liver cancer" but metatstatic (Stage IV) colon cancer. The spots in the liver are colon cancer cells, not liver cancer cells. Yes it seems trivial, why not just operate and take them out, but many years of experience has shown us that this treatment is futile. The patient is put at risk during the operation and his life will not be lengthened at all by removing the two spots. The two spots you see on the imaging are only the tip of an iceberg; there are many more cancer cells growing and spreading, and we can not operate to remove them all. Your friend's father will almost certainly die of colon cancer, but no one knows when. There are some very effective treatments for Stage IV colon cancer that can let him live a productive and happy life for a few years. My advice is to get the very best care he can and to live every moment he has left as well as he can. You can play a part in this too, help your friend through this, tell her to cherish every moment she still has with him. Take trips, throw parties, bake cakes, celebrate his life, and live! Good luck to you all.

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