Hi everyone, I was initially diagnosed in dec 2018 with primary breast cancer, two months later I was told they had discovered one very large tumour and over twenty small ones in my liver. I started chemotherapy Fec-T, following my fourth cycle I started having stitch like pain in my liver area. This gradually got worse and I started taking morphine tablets 70mg twice a day and oramorph as top up.
Following my fifth cycle I was in hospital with an infection for a fortnight . The decision was taken to stop chemo and continue with targeted therapy every three weeks. I have trastruzumab and pertuzumab. My first scan results were amazing 16 small tumours had vanished and my 55mm tumour has shrunk to 22mm. The scan showed my liver was not enlarged.
Unfortunately the pain in my liver area continues, my oncologist doesn’t know why. Has anybody experienced anything like this, it’s a stitch like feeling, but worse.
i also seem to be having terrible side effects from my treatment, flu like symptoms and pain so bad in the sacrum area of my back I can’t bend.
Its been an overwhelming six months and any information on peoples experiences with liver mets would help x
I have no experience of this but am sorry you are in pain . I hope that you get to the bottom of it soon. I’m glad the new treatment is working. Best wishes Anne
Hi Rachel
What a tough time you are having. I do have liver mets but haven’t experienced the pain you are describing. I would say that you should get a scan done but this has been done and there doesn’t seem to be any reason for the pain. I can only hope for your sake that now that you are only on H and P, rather than the chemo element, that the pain gets less. I’m sorry I can’t suggest anything else but just wanted you to know you not alone.
Nicky x
Hi Rachel50,
I was sorry to hear that you are now on this journey and suffering with so much pain.
I too have liver mets, initially diagnosed with bc in 2016 and then with mets to liver in Aug 2018 and more recently mets to the bones.
I have to say that to date I have been fortunate and not experienced any pain.
It is not an easy journey, I tried a both letrozole and capecitabine which didn’t work for me but an now on weekly pacitaxol and having just had my 16th lot it is currently working and my tumour markers are going down.
I don’t know how long I will be able to stay on this for but am making the most of feeling well and enjoying life .
I wish you well and hope they manage to resolve the pain issue.
Hi Rachel
im so sorry that you’ve been struggling with your pain. A brief description of myself I have a liver met and before I was diagnosed yes I experienced exactly the same pain as you, onc3 diagnos3d and treatment started my tumour shrank from 56mm to 31 mm I’m on oral chemo Capecitabine, I now don’t have much pain at all but I have also been diagnosed with osteoporosis in my spine of which the pain is awful so I’m on Zomorph tablets, amitriptyline and top up of oramorph as and when needed and this seems to keep me pretty much ok throughout the day. Maybe a suggestion of the Zomorph may help as this is a slow release of morphine over 12 hours (I take 2 a day) and there are different strengths of this. I have been told by my SBC Nurse and oncologist is that there is no need to be in pain so keep telling your doctor and insist on trying other things until they find something that helps your pain. I hope you get this sorted quickly as I know how debilitating it is when you are in constant pain. ??