Guest guest Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 We just returned from UVA where Mom saw the radiologist. The good news is that it does appear to be only one met to the liver, but it is too large to allow for a clean enough margin to do an RFA. He will do an RFA but doesn't think it will get rid of the tumor entirely. It is 5 cm or was two months ago when the PET and MRI were done. He recommends the resection as the surest way to get it all. I don't know what to think. A resection at 77 seems like an awful lot to go through. Our general surgeon says it is a debilitating surgery, and Mom has not been emotionally stable since the recurrence. Would it make any sense to have the RFA if the odds are not high that it can be completely ablated? Any experience along this line? Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 Sharon, this is a tough call and I really don't know what to tell you. Most doctors are concerned with quality as well as quantity of life, with quality being first. Perhaps you should speak with all your mom's doctors to get the " big picture. " Have they considered some chemo to shrink the tumor to where an RFA would be possible? Is radiation still an option? My mom has lung cancer and can't be operated. She is now 71 but when diagnosed was 69. She would have opted for a complete resection if it had given her a chance at cure, but alas, operating was not an option as they found a neck lymph node...one lousy node...had cancer in it too. Her response to chemo was that it shrunk the 3 cm tumor by over 60% and radiation burned away the rest. I am not familiar with colon cancer met to the lungs so perhaps on a met tumor, radiation is no longer on option, but it couldn't hurt to ask. Please bear in mind that after obtaining all the facts, the final decision is ultimately your moms and whatever her decision is, be it what you want to hear or maybe not want to hear, it must be respected. I would proceed with talking with all of her doctors and get a list going of all pros and cons and keep mom in the total loop and take it from there. Hugs, Monika > We just returned from UVA where Mom saw the radiologist. The good > news is that it does appear to be only one met to the liver, but it > is too large to allow for a clean enough margin to do an RFA. He > will do an RFA but doesn't think it will get rid of the tumor > entirely. It is 5 cm or was two months ago when the PET and MRI were > done. He recommends the resection as the surest way to get it all. > > I don't know what to think. A resection at 77 seems like an awful > lot to go through. Our general surgeon says it is a debilitating > surgery, and Mom has not been emotionally stable since the > recurrence. > > Would it make any sense to have the RFA if the odds are not high that > it can be completely ablated? Any experience along this line? > > Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 Sharon, this is a tough call and I really don't know what to tell you. Most doctors are concerned with quality as well as quantity of life, with quality being first. Perhaps you should speak with all your mom's doctors to get the " big picture. " Have they considered some chemo to shrink the tumor to where an RFA would be possible? Is radiation still an option? My mom has lung cancer and can't be operated. She is now 71 but when diagnosed was 69. She would have opted for a complete resection if it had given her a chance at cure, but alas, operating was not an option as they found a neck lymph node...one lousy node...had cancer in it too. Her response to chemo was that it shrunk the 3 cm tumor by over 60% and radiation burned away the rest. I am not familiar with colon cancer met to the lungs so perhaps on a met tumor, radiation is no longer on option, but it couldn't hurt to ask. Please bear in mind that after obtaining all the facts, the final decision is ultimately your moms and whatever her decision is, be it what you want to hear or maybe not want to hear, it must be respected. I would proceed with talking with all of her doctors and get a list going of all pros and cons and keep mom in the total loop and take it from there. Hugs, Monika > We just returned from UVA where Mom saw the radiologist. The good > news is that it does appear to be only one met to the liver, but it > is too large to allow for a clean enough margin to do an RFA. He > will do an RFA but doesn't think it will get rid of the tumor > entirely. It is 5 cm or was two months ago when the PET and MRI were > done. He recommends the resection as the surest way to get it all. > > I don't know what to think. A resection at 77 seems like an awful > lot to go through. Our general surgeon says it is a debilitating > surgery, and Mom has not been emotionally stable since the > recurrence. > > Would it make any sense to have the RFA if the odds are not high that > it can be completely ablated? Any experience along this line? > > Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 Sharon, this is a tough call and I really don't know what to tell you. Most doctors are concerned with quality as well as quantity of life, with quality being first. Perhaps you should speak with all your mom's doctors to get the " big picture. " Have they considered some chemo to shrink the tumor to where an RFA would be possible? Is radiation still an option? My mom has lung cancer and can't be operated. She is now 71 but when diagnosed was 69. She would have opted for a complete resection if it had given her a chance at cure, but alas, operating was not an option as they found a neck lymph node...one lousy node...had cancer in it too. Her response to chemo was that it shrunk the 3 cm tumor by over 60% and radiation burned away the rest. I am not familiar with colon cancer met to the lungs so perhaps on a met tumor, radiation is no longer on option, but it couldn't hurt to ask. Please bear in mind that after obtaining all the facts, the final decision is ultimately your moms and whatever her decision is, be it what you want to hear or maybe not want to hear, it must be respected. I would proceed with talking with all of her doctors and get a list going of all pros and cons and keep mom in the total loop and take it from there. Hugs, Monika > We just returned from UVA where Mom saw the radiologist. The good > news is that it does appear to be only one met to the liver, but it > is too large to allow for a clean enough margin to do an RFA. He > will do an RFA but doesn't think it will get rid of the tumor > entirely. It is 5 cm or was two months ago when the PET and MRI were > done. He recommends the resection as the surest way to get it all. > > I don't know what to think. A resection at 77 seems like an awful > lot to go through. Our general surgeon says it is a debilitating > surgery, and Mom has not been emotionally stable since the > recurrence. > > Would it make any sense to have the RFA if the odds are not high that > it can be completely ablated? Any experience along this line? > > Sharon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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