Anyone with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Liver Cancer) want to share?

Posted by tinasantos @tinasantos, May 28, 2018

Hi! My dad, who is 78, has already been treated for Hepatitis C (almost 20 years ago) and was diagnosed with this huge mass/tumor in Feb/18 after abdomen pain and loss of appetite. He was referred to a hepatologist who suggested the hepatectomy. The surgery was successful, on March,16th and the mass removed was around 13 pounds. At the end of the surgery, no cancerous cells were found at the biopsy. The doctor recommended another consultation after 3 months.

Before this, in the beginning of this month (about to complete 2 months os surgery) my dad made an appointment to an oncologist (just to check). He asked for some blood tests and triphasic MRI. In the next days my dad started feeling the symptons again (loss of appetite, weakness, fever, shivering, abdominal pains) and returned to the oncologist to show the results. The oncologist said the tumor had came back (multiple small nodules) and that he would not recommend another surgery (because tumor would come back again) and that he was not eligiible for transplant because of his age.

After all this, the oncologist recommended the treatment with Nexavar (Sorafenib) and my dad will start it this week.

I'd like to know how to get Mayo Clinic's doctors second opinion since we're in Brazil and there may be another approachs to this abroad.
Also, it would be great if someone in a similar situation could share info here. I`m really worried because my dad is 78, is weak and depressive because of this, and we don't know how aggressive and effective is Nexavar.

Thanks,
Tina

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Profile picture for Turkey, Volunteer Mentor @tomrennie

@tommyandsandy02 What pain medication is he taking?

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@tomrennie they put him on 5 mg oxycodone Immediate Release 3 ×'s a day. He was only taking them at night and occasionally bad mornings but today the pain is unrelenting. His oncologist just emailed me and told me I could add miralax and continue the lactulose as directed, bit also said if he gets worse we need to go to the hospital but the problem is that hospital messed a great deal of things up from beginning to discharge when they found the cancer in May. He is terrified of dying in that hospital

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Profile picture for tommyandsandy02 @tommyandsandy02

@tomrennie they put him on 5 mg oxycodone Immediate Release 3 ×'s a day. He was only taking them at night and occasionally bad mornings but today the pain is unrelenting. His oncologist just emailed me and told me I could add miralax and continue the lactulose as directed, bit also said if he gets worse we need to go to the hospital but the problem is that hospital messed a great deal of things up from beginning to discharge when they found the cancer in May. He is terrified of dying in that hospital

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@tommyandsandy02 Do you have an alternative hospital?

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No unfortunately the only oncologist is affiliated with this particular hospital so is our primary care.

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Profile picture for tommyandsandy02 @tommyandsandy02

No unfortunately the only oncologist is affiliated with this particular hospital so is our primary care.

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@tommyandsandy02 How are you folks doing today?

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Profile picture for Turkey, Volunteer Mentor @tomrennie

@tommyandsandy02 How are you folks doing today?

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@tomrennie no better, no worse. His doctor allowed me to add mira lax and up his dosage of lactulose again. Still in alot ofnpain, still won't eat barely drinks anything, and moans even in his sleep because of pain

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Profile picture for tommyandsandy02 @tommyandsandy02

@tomrennie no better, no worse. His doctor allowed me to add mira lax and up his dosage of lactulose again. Still in alot ofnpain, still won't eat barely drinks anything, and moans even in his sleep because of pain

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@tommyandsandy02 Then it is a good thing that you have an oncology appointment tomorrow. Are you folks ready for it?

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