Cancer Research UK on Google+ Cancer Research UK on Facebook Cancer Research UK on Twitter
Donate

Let's beat cancer sooner

  1. Home
  2. About Cancer
  3. Cancer Chat
  4. Talk about cancer
  5. Ask the nurses
  6. Secondary Liver, Spleen Cancer / Biopsy

Secondary Liver, Spleen Cancer / Biopsy

Post to forum
Search

Secondary Liver, Spleen Cancer / Biopsy

9 Oct 2017 01:00

 

Hi there, this is my forst ever comment on this form as my father who is 59 years of age has been informed that he has suspected secondary liver cancer which has also speard to his Spleen. Was told that the liver is in a bad shape with dark spots all over  and enlarged. He has lost soo much weight within 1 month. His eyes are yellowish, skin is pale but some times dark, feet and lower legs are swollen, loss of appetite, abdominal swelling of fluid build up. He has had a liver biopsy on 26 Sep 2017 and we are currentley waiting on results. We have been informed that the liver tissue sample had to be sent to Oxford for what I assume a second opinion. He now has been given an appointment with his consultant on the 30 October 2017 but I managed to get him one sooner which is now on the 18 October 2017. I dont know what to suspect as it has taken just over 3 months of contstants tests etc to get to this stage and if it is as serious as the hospital have said then why would they leave my dad alone in the dark to wait 4 weeks just to discuss the results of his biopsy? Any feedback or experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Re: Secondary Liver, Spleen Cancer / Biopsy

9 Oct 2017 16:36 in response to alishah1988

Hello Alishah1988,

Thanks for posting a question. I am very sorry to read about your father’s situation.

Waiting for tests, investigations and the results can be very stressful and so I can appreciate that this must be a worrying time for you all. It is difficult for me to suggest what is happening in your father’s case  as I am not directly involved in his care. But it is fair to say that occasionally when people have medical tests they may only give a limited amount of information. Then further tests are needed to find out more.

It is not uncommon to wait a few weeks for biopsy results. When tissue needs to be examined under the microscope this may take several days, depending on the tests that need to be done. The availability of staff, and the workload of the histopathology department can also slow things down.  Even if the specialist looks at the biopsy results quite promptly, they may not be fed back to the patient  quickly. This is because pathology test results are often complex and need skilled interpretation.  You father’s medical team may want to discuss the results with the pathologist, before coming to a conclusion. They may want to use the results alongside other information  from his tests to work out what comes next.

Although I cannot know this for sure, it is also possible that your father’s medical team will want to review his cause at a multidisciplinary team meeting. This will help them to come up with a plan for him. They may want to be able to give him the full picture when they see him later this month.

I am sorry that I cannot be more specific but I hope that this is of some use. Do get back to us if you have any other questions. If you would like to telephone our freephone  number is 0808 800 4040. We are here from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am to 5pm.

Kind regards,

Jean

 

 

Re: Secondary Liver, Spleen Cancer / Biopsy

12 Oct 2017 11:27 in response to CRUK Nurse Jean

Hello,

Thanks for your reply. We managed to get an appointment with the Gastro Consultant for some reason he didnt give us the results about my dad liver biopsy bit instead contacted the Multidisciplinary Team to book an earlier time for them all to discuss his case on 13/10/17. After this he said somebody would be in contact with us to advice us on the next step forward but he did mention that it seems as if mu father has lymphoma whoch is a blood type cancer and he went on to say that if he was to have a cancer then lets hope its just lymphoma and nothing eslse. I got the impression that lymphoma is failrly easy to treat with a high sucess rate, althought Im not sure? 

 

Anybody able to tell me more about the condition and how it made you or somebody you know feel? What was treatment like? Did they fully recover? 

Re: Secondary Liver, Spleen Cancer / Biopsy

20 Oct 2017 16:15 in response to alishah1988

Hello Alishah,

Thanks for posting again. I am sorry we didn’t get back to you sooner.

There are lots of different sorts of lymphoma, some do have quite a good success rate when it comes to treatment. It sounds like the specialist thought a lymphoma could be more amenable to treatment than a secondary cancer. I think that by now your father will have seen the specialist again and I hope he has got some answers and has a better idea of what can be done.

Take care,

Julia

Re: Secondary Liver, Spleen Cancer / Biopsy

6 Nov 2017 00:07 in response to CRUK Nurse Julia

Hello Julia, once again thanks fornyour reply. Well Inwould like to update you and all the readers on the forum that my father had a bone marrow biopsy, tummy fluid was also removed and tested (results of fluid unknown yet). The bone marrow biopsy showed cancer.

 

after this he went for a PET Scan which highlighted Lymph Nodes, spleen and complete liver highlighted. This suggest Lymphoma to be offender. 

 

He is going to have a lymph node removed surgically this Wednesday for further testing, to establish the excat tyoe of lymphoma he has and acording to that im assume they will start chemo. Also this coming Friday they will start him on steriods which should make him feel comfortable.

My father is now looking like a skeleton. I have never seen him like this snd it was distressing to see but i kept my cool infornt on him. His rip cage is exposed, shoulder bones/blades exposed. Basicly he looks like s meatles human and loose skin. I found he had flakey skin like s newborn just under his tricep, do you know why this is? 

 

Will he gain back his mass after/during chemo?  

Will liver and spleen fix after chemo? 

 

 

 

 

Re: Secondary Liver, Spleen Cancer / Biopsy

7 Nov 2017 11:34 in response to alishah1988

Hello Alishah and thanks for the update about your father, it must be very hard for you to see him looking so poorly. I am glad to hear that his specialist team are close to getting a specific diagnosis. 

I can understand you asking, but I’m afraid I can’t say for sure what will happen to your father in the future. I think you want to know if your father will be okay again. This will depend on what sort of lymphoma he has and how well his treatment goes. Only his specialist team can tell you more so do ask them when you have the opportunity. And ask them about the flaky skin, I'm afraid I don't know what is causing this. It could just be the weight loss and that his skin is dry and needs moisturising. 

It sounds like treatment is being planned and hopefully it will be successful, but treatment outcomes can’t be guaranteed, time will tell if it is working. This sort of uncertainty can be difficult to cope with.

I hope the biopsy goes to plan tomorrow and that your father feels a bit better with the steroid therapy.

Take care,

Julia  

Re: Secondary Liver, Spleen Cancer / Biopsy

8 Nov 2017 00:33 in response to CRUK Nurse Julia

Thanks Julia,

I will keep you and the readers updated with his progress. 

15
30
50