Anyone had or been offered surgery for liver mets?

Living with secondary breast cancer Treatments and medical issues
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Has anyone had or been offered surgery for liver mets?  I have one small isolated liver met that’s been stable for a year and currently no mets elsewhere, and I’ve now been offered a liver resection. I understand this is very rarely offered/suitable, so wondered if anyone else has had this surgery and how you got on with it?

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Hi Stelwah,
Like you I had an isolated liver met and was offered surgery. This was after finding out I couldn’t have radio frequency ablation due to the position of my met. The surgeon who performed the procedure said I was the first secondary BC lady he had operated on so I must be a “special case” My onc was confident the liver met was solitary and I’m fairly young and fit so that’s why I was put forward for surgery. The procedure itself was fine (I had mine done by keyhole) It seems pretty standard that you spend the first night in intensive care just so they can monitor you closely afterwards. I had the op on the Thursday and was discharged by the Sunday! I’d definitely recommend getting up and about as soon as you can afterwards. I feel like being mobile really enhanced my recovery. I was a bit uncomfortable for about a fortnight afterwards (sitting up from a lying down position is a killer!) but I was back at work 3 weeks after. Now I just have about 5 small scars dotted across my tummy. So glad I had it done. Good luck and keep us posted! Tomboy xxx

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Thanks Tomboy, your experience sounds positive. My situation sounds similar - my lesion is next to a vein so ruling out radio frequency ablation. My hospital does open surgery as standard, but have gone into a clinical trial so it’s 50/50 whether I’ll get open or keyhole surgery. Am booked to have it in December. How have you got on since - do you still have hormone treatment / scans? 

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Hi Stelwah. I wasn’t sure if I was having keyhole either! My surgeon said he wouldn’t know until I was on the operating table if he could do it or not. It was a pleasant suprise when I woke up! Absolutely no problems at all since- to be honest it’s like it never happened. One of my “holes” was a bit leaky and took longer to heal up than the others but that was about it! I’m still having monthly zoladex injections and taking anastrazole (I’m ER+) and as I have a couple of small bone mets I’m on denosumab and adcal supplements. Good luck with the op- you’ll be absolutely fine. Tomboy X

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Oh, and I still have six monthly scans too! All the best X

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Thanks for the reassurance Tomboy! I’m on Letrozole and have Zoladex injections every 3 months (stronger dose but can have it less often), so these would continue after the op. Planning to cram as many nice treats in as I can in the next few weeks before the surgery! x 

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Hi scousegirl. I also had my surgery done at the Royal Free. I was referred there from UCLH as it is a specialist liver hospital. I have 3 relatively small bone mets. Hope this helps! Tomboy x

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Thanks Jacksy and Tomboy. It seems the CT scan showed 1 lesion but the MRI picked up 5 and that’s why they won’t offer any treatment. I’m assuming the 4 are small and were previously undetected by the CT. I’ve been in touch with my oncologist’s secretary today and asked for my new chemo treatment to be brought forward to this week as I’m worried I’ve got no treatment right now. Hopefully if the new chemo does the trick I can try for liver treatment again soon? Thanks so much for replying! I read through all the posts on liver treatments and it seems the UCHL and the Royal Free are the most mentioned with treatments dating back to at least 2009 at the UCHL. This website is fantastic as I’ve learned more on here over the weekend than I have since I was diagnosed over 2 years ago! Thanks to all - I’ll let you know how I get on
Scousegirl xxx

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How are you doing Tomboy? Xxx

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Hi,
My liver mets were found on a CT but this scan that I have just had shows another suspicious area in the liver again which I am having a follow up MRI to investigate further. Fingers crossed it’s not more mets.

DebHummingbird - I saw your post to Tomboy, very sadly she passed away in July, just following her 35th birthday. Another lady taken too early from this horrible disease.

Helen x

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My liver met was picked up by a chance X-ray, then a biopsy to confirm it.

 

I had a liver resection in December at the QE in Birmingham - they only offered it as it was one met and it had been stable for over 12 months. Not the easiest op but back at work after 12 weeks, and my two subsequent MRI scans have been clear.  Still on Letrozole and zoladex, see my doc every 3 months at the mo.

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That is fabulous and very inspiring news and I’m over the moon for you.I have about 7 lesions in my liver xx

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Hi Didi so good to hear from you x I’m on number 6 chemo on Nov 3rd and a scan like you but on 14th.I never have my markers measured…not sure why though.How many tumours have you got? we are on the same journey and doing ok aren’t we ??xxx

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Didi how are you doing? Are you getting any pains or further symptoms? X

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Hi Didi how are you now??? Thinking of you and would love to catch up xx

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OMG Nicky we are identical !! Accept I had my Oncologist call yeasterday to say the rogue tumour that has been immune to chemo has grown more.They are sending me to a liver surgeon.Over the past two years the Onc said NO to ablation and resection!!! I’ve run out of chemo now and I’m just in hormone blocker.Nicky could you give me some details please? I see the liver surgeon in the morning xxxx how are you getting on ??