Re: What should I do next? I am a little confused.

[Guest guest]

Hi

[Guest guest]

Sorry about that accidentally sent message

What I meant to say was there is a place in Pittsburgh that is very good on

liver mets and colon cancer. I will look up the site and get back to you. Will

it help? I really don't know but I know this dr. is supposed to be very good

so I guess it's worth a shot

I will be back to you shortly

hang in there

Narice

[Guest guest]

O.K. try this:

it is on a Dr Roh out of Allegheny Hospital in Pittsburgh

http://www.livercancer.com/about/bio.html

Narice

[Guest guest]

Jennie,

That's a really tough question, and one that I would get a

couple of professional (i.e. oncologist or surgeon) opinions about.

I'm kind of in the same boat - I started out this whole thing with

liver tumors and went on systemic chemo to prepare for a liver

resection, but in the meantime I either developed or recurred cancer

in the perirectal area right above where they took the primary tumor

out originally. I've been thinking about the same thing, as I'm

going on my third different chemo regimen now, all within a span of

five months.

The problem with a resection is, if other lymph nodes are now

malignant, is that you will go through one heck of a surgery, only to

have the stuff reappear again and mayber rather quickly. On the

other hand, surgery is the most currative option, and I think they

can probably cut out the affected lymph nodes while they are at it.

To add to the confusion, SBRT is supposed to be a really good option

as well.

What I am doing, what you might consider, is to have a PET scan

done, if you haven't already. I'm having one this coming monday.

It'll (ideally) show if there is cancer anywhere else that the CT

hasn't picked up. If there is, maybe (I don't know how to answer

this), maybe you don't aggressively pursue surgery; if it confined to

what you describe here, maybe you do - point is that it will be one

more indication as to how aggressively the cancer is spreading and

give you one more indicator as to how to make your decision.

I'm having the scan done on Monday, and will start another round

of chemo shortly thereafter, regardless of what it shows. I think,

if it is " good " , I'll try to find a surgeon in 2 mos and make one

last shot for the gusto. If it is " bad " , I will probably try to find

somebody to zap the liver tumors with radiation and quit chemo in a

couple of months, and enjoy the remainder of the time with my kids.

We'll see.

Hope all goes well. Hope this helps - understand what you are going

through...

Joe

> Hi Everyone,

> I am a little confused. I stopped systemic chemo on June 6th but

> continued to take the trial drug PTK787. I had my CT on Tuesday and

> they now see the retroperitoneal lymph node and possibly a

mesenteric

> lymph node. I am not sure where to go from here. I was going to

have

> liver resection in Cincinatti but now am not so sure. I want to

look

> at RFA, IMRT, SBRT and a study here at Univ. of Penn. for Photo

> Dynamic Therapy. I will follow up with chemo but what seems to work

> best. I know a few of you have been here and my concern is I want

> surgery but is it the best thing for me now.

>

> Thanks,