CT scan results of liver mets

Honeybee68

I am on week 14 of weekly Taxol, and every three week Herceptin and Perjeta. I had a 3 month CT scan last week. I had two liver mets before starting treatment. The CT shows that nothing new has grown and the liver mets have shrunk. I had a 24 mm liver mass prior that is now 11 mm. The other liver met was 25 mm prior and is now 9 mm.

But, the radiology report also says the first liver mass "appears necrotic today". It also says: "No definite viable tumor persists."

I am confused about whether I have had a partial response or a complete response. Do the tumors have to completely disappear to be considered a complete response. Or does "necrotic" and no definite "viable" tumor mean the radiologist thinks the tumors are no longer living and that is a complete response? Can a CT scan show that? I didn't get much time with my oncologist to go over it and we discussed other things. Just curious if anyone else has seen such language and if they now what it means.