Newly diagnosed with liver cancer, having trouble coping

Posted by joemina @joemina, Oct 27 8:57am

Just diagnosed with liver cancer 4 days ago. Looks to be an early diagnosis. Still my anxiety and thoughts are all over the place. Any help or advice will be appreciated. Are there zoom or online cancer support groups. Joe

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Hello Joe,
Sorry for your diagnosis of liver cancer. Are you being treated at a teaching hospital? There are many treatment available now and it is good you got an early diagnosis. That gives doctors more options for treatment. See below for some insight.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/liver-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20353659
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9418-liver-cancer
Glad you found Connect as you will find patients here with liver cancer experiences and support. Wishing you the very best outcome.

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What are your drs suggesting for treatment?

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Diagnosed April ‘24, surgery June. We chose wait and see with 90 day MRI. September MRI showed another tumor. Tumor board thought ablation was the way to go and I agreed. Oct 18 surgery/ablation was unsuccessful because tumor had grown 2c more and is against the bile duct. Bad news. Good news I still have options. Friday I get mapped for Y90 drug which will be administered 11/7. I am hopeful the drug will shrink the tumor so it can be ablated. We won’t know if possible until 6week MRI after Y90. I was not a transplant candidate, too old. So we are following protocol for HCC liver cancer. I’ll report in how the mapping went for me. We feel alone but there are many liver cancer patients who are living daily with this disease. Fight on!!

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Sounds like you have several options! Keep fighting and if you feel good enough get outside.. everyday is a miracle!

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Thank you everyone for your replies. It makes me feel less alone in this. Next week is a big week. Monday body CT scan since my AFP levels are high. Wednesday meet my liver specialist. Friday liver biopsy. Having trouble staying positive. Don’t mind saying I’m scared. Thank you all again, Joe

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@joemina

Thank you everyone for your replies. It makes me feel less alone in this. Next week is a big week. Monday body CT scan since my AFP levels are high. Wednesday meet my liver specialist. Friday liver biopsy. Having trouble staying positive. Don’t mind saying I’m scared. Thank you all again, Joe

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@joemina: I am so sorry to learn of your liver cancer diagnosis. However, there are tests being done soon that may reveal specifics about your cancer that may change the diagnosis.
Try not to let your mind jump to disasterous conclusions, like I did 3 yrs ago. The biopsy and pathology radiologist’s report will give Dr. and you specifics needed to determine diagnosis.
Be positive as possible prior to tests and procedures. You can do this! Walk through this next week and know you are doing all you can. We all recall those difficult days before we knew the score. It is normal to be anxious in regard to the wait time for test results. We call it Scanxiety!
You can do this! Best for you…

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@dbamos1945

@joemina: I am so sorry to learn of your liver cancer diagnosis. However, there are tests being done soon that may reveal specifics about your cancer that may change the diagnosis.
Try not to let your mind jump to disasterous conclusions, like I did 3 yrs ago. The biopsy and pathology radiologist’s report will give Dr. and you specifics needed to determine diagnosis.
Be positive as possible prior to tests and procedures. You can do this! Walk through this next week and know you are doing all you can. We all recall those difficult days before we knew the score. It is normal to be anxious in regard to the wait time for test results. We call it Scanxiety!
You can do this! Best for you…

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I agree. Stay positive and stay fit. There are so many treatment options available these days. In my case I had 3 small tumours removed surgically on 14 August, plus my gall bladder which was in good condition but in the way, and 10 weeks later I'm eating normally, walking 15 - 20 miles a week and in the gym once a week.
Best of luck with your treatment.

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@martin77

I agree. Stay positive and stay fit. There are so many treatment options available these days. In my case I had 3 small tumours removed surgically on 14 August, plus my gall bladder which was in good condition but in the way, and 10 weeks later I'm eating normally, walking 15 - 20 miles a week and in the gym once a week.
Best of luck with your treatment.

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Thank you, positive hearing of positive outcomes is very helpful

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Has anyone hear of ALPHA 1 FETOPROTEIN. Level at 70,296.0. This worries me and I have a surgeon acts like he had never seen it this high before. Anyone experienced very high ATP levels and only have liver tumors.

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@joemina

Has anyone hear of ALPHA 1 FETOPROTEIN. Level at 70,296.0. This worries me and I have a surgeon acts like he had never seen it this high before. Anyone experienced very high ATP levels and only have liver tumors.

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Mine was 24k before they removed my first large tumor. After it only got to 180 before it went back up. More tumors were found. Starting Y90 treatment on Thursday. But they can only do so much and more tumors have appeared in the last month.

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