Breast cancer that has spread to liver

Kathiwest

My mom is 77 years old and was diagnosed 4 1/2 years ago with breast cancer and had a lumpectomy.  We  she was hormone positive but now the cancer has gone to the liver and she has 3 tumors.  And it is triple negative which from my understanding means it is very aggressive.  Is anyone participating in a study?

dlb823

Kathi, I'm so sorry about your Mom's recent diagnosis.  I don't have any information for you, but I wanted to stop and bump your thread (to move it up in the Active Topics listings), hoping it will get you some additional input.  You might also want to repost your question in the Stage IV Forum.  Look for it under "All Topics," and see if there might already be a specific thread regarding liver metastasis.   Good luck to you and your Mom.      Deanna

Denny123

Kathi,

Sorry about your mom.  Gemzar put my liver in remission and is very easy.  So maybe that is an option.

My liver was full of tumors 11 years ago, and the biggest tumor was the size of a softball.

Gemzar put my liver in remission and it has remained so.

JCSindia

Kathi,

My Mom is starting with Havalen for Liver Metasis. I am hoping it works .

ahdjdbcjdjdbkf

Denny, I am going through evaluation for liver mets. How did you know you have it? Did you have surgery also? Yours is the most positive outcome I have heard of.

mammalou

mariasnow... Can I ask what your symptoms are?  I have to see a liver specialist next week and I am nervous.

ahdjdbcjdjdbkf

mommalou, my primary symptom is a swollen and sore liver lower right rib area sourness. It is very sore to the touch. 

Denny123

Maria,

When my BC was first found, the CT scan showed a spot on my liver.  I had 2 liver biopsies, both of which missed the spot.

So they assumed it was just a lesion.  So I had a double mast, chemo and rads.

After the rads were done, I had a scan which showed that the original 3cm spot was now 9cm and I had "too numerous to count" mets throughout.

I had another biopsy and a resection of the 9cm tumor.  Then I started on the clinical trial of Gemzar with Herceptin-Phase 2.

9 months later, my liver was NED.

I had no pain in my liver, until after I started on Gemzar.  My onc said that meant that the chemo was working and he was right.

I promise that I am not a fake.  Lord, I wish this was all a dream.  This past 12 years have been a challenge.  But I am still here!

Woodylb

denny, you have your mastectomies before you found out you have liver mets? Because when when i was dxd with reoccurrence in the liver , i asked my onc what if it was the good breast ? He told me it would not matter anymore it has moved to the liver , so it is useless to operate weaken your body. He said at this stage it does not matter if the primary tumor is elsewhere since it already in the body...

Woodylb

kathiewest, if your mom is triple negative and even tough it is thought to be aggressive, but is she responds to chemo she could go stable or ned. Triples when they have full response their chances are better than us pr+ . Wishing her to get well xxx

SofieKatz

I'm triple neg and had mets to the liver.  I was put on Xeloda and after a year the tumor is "almost imperceptible" (from the path report.

So hopefully it will also turn your mother around!  Good luck.

Denny123

Wood-sorry that I just saw this!  It makes me mad that now they seldom do a mastectomy if one is Stage 4.  I would prefer to have had my liver treated and save my breasts.

It goes both ways, actually.  Some doctors still would treat the liver first, then decide whether to do the mastectomy.

The horse is out of the barn so to speak.

But in my case the spot on the liver wasn't confirmed to be mets-both biopsies missed the spot. If it had been confirmed, my liver would have been treated first.

amgsc

I am just seeing this thread and wanted to offer some encouragement. I was also diagnosed with liver mets and am currently on carbo/gemzar which has had a dramatic effect. I never had a mastectomy and my onc. did want to treat the liver mets first. She said that studies are conflicting on if it would matter if I had a mastectomy or not. I have been having pain in my breast and an increase in the number of satellite masses even though the size of the primary tumor has decreased. The size of the liver tumors , I now only have 2 of them, have decreased so much that they want to try and surgically remove them so they are going to go ahead and do a mastectomy at the same time. I think they are doing this because of the pain that I am having in my breast and it will get rid of all of the cancer that I currently have, hopefully. I'll still be on carbo/gemzar for a period after the surgery until scans are clear and she feels comfortable that they have removed all of it. So hopefully I will be able to report in a short while that you can be NED with liver mets and triple negative!

Woodylb

i went for conservative therapy of the breast all the cancer was in my lymphs. And too many. The tiny,tiny cancer which was in my breast was probably stage 0 . Unfortunately the number in the lymphs was too high 22/23 2/2 axillary so jumped from 0 to stage III b they all agreed no mastectomy bilateral or otherwise until i pass the 5 years. They didn't want to weaken my body . So now it is in the liver it is their focus , i asked about mastectomy he said no except if there is pain. Like you said the horse is out . For them it is the same out...they will treat the out i dont regret not having to remove my breast , if cancer wants to be ,it will find a way in....so don t regret anything because in spite of the fatal liver you. Won. Against all odds. My hero lollll. Take care sweety and give me some good news next time...  

Radiant13

Hi, 

I'm new to writing but not to the discussion boards. I was diagnosed with triple negative, stage 2, no node involvement in February 2012 at the age of 43. I did neo adjuvant chemo of Taxol and AC and had a complete pathological response. I then opted for double mastectomy as my mother had breast cancer at my age too. I then did radiation. I have been feeling great and feeling optimistic. I had my 6 month checkup with my oncologist this morning and he wants to do an ultrasound on my liver as he feels it being slightly enlarged. I'm freaking out right now!!!! Has anyone experienced enlarged liver and if so, what were some of the outcomes??

bevin

I am sorry you are facing this. While I don't have any experience with this I do know someone will be along soon to chime in and give guidance. Good luck to you many prayers 

Woodylb

Radiant sorry you are here, and i hope it is just an enlarged liver. However, i have to tell you that after my first neo adjuvant therapy my liver was seen enlarged all the time even on scan it showed nothing but fatty changes and enlargment.m it wasn't until this year that the spread to the liver showed. What  imean an enlarged liver does not necessarely mean cancer and an ultrasound won't show if there is anything because i did one six month before my reoccurence i had a full ultrasound on my abdominals nothing showed. Sonif your doctor suspect something , o believe he should do a scan with contrast. Do not be afraid it could just be what it is an enlarged liver, people woth fatty livers have enlarged liver all the time although some will develop later in life liver cancer a lot of others won't. Stay well , and i hope it is nothing.