Gastric Cancer - Metastatic to Liver. Chemo or Palliative?

MicheleF · New User Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

Two weeks ago, my father-in-law went to the hospital with flu symptoms, and was told he had stomach cancer that had metastasized to the liver. There is little to no healthy tissue left in the liver, and it is in all near lymph nodes.

He is in NO pain right now, just tired. He's 71, had by-pass 3 years ago, and has 48% heart muscle functionality.

Doctor says that giving chemo now should help prolong life - AND provide a better quality of life.

Family can't get a straight answer from the Doctor as to whether or not prolonging life by 3 months or so would be worth the agony of chemo for two of every 4 weeks during that time span. "Patient's decision". Which is true, but without all the facts, how to make a decision?

If anyone out there has a similar situation, can you please let me know, (realizing that all patients are different) some idea as to the level of pain that gastric or liver patients might endure towards the end?

Thanks very much.

MPapailiou

Hi Michele,

As you said yourself, every patient and situation is different, so noone can really tell what the facts are, because noone knows, not even the doctors.

I will share with you my mom's story. My mom was diagnosed 8 months ago with lung cancer - with liver metastasis. We knew then already, that the end will come from the liver and not the lungs.

Doctors gave us an 8-12 months prognosis of life for her situation. They told us that chemo would help her prolong the 8 months to 12 months. We have decided to go on chemo - you never know how much time you really have and in the meantime, a new drug might come along.

At first, chemo helped mom a bit. But then the side effects were bad and she was hospitalized because of them over and over again. There is no way for us to know if she would be hospitalized anyway, even without the chemo.

Eight months after diagnosis, the liver situation has worsened, we have stopped chemo, she has extreme pain (they suspect pancreas and lymph nodes metastasis) and she is constantly under morphine. So chemo, or not, at the very end stages my mom needs palliative care that has to do more with handling the pain.

I don't know if she would have been better without the chemo. Maybe she would have to face everything that she faces right now, just earlier. The side effects were bad, but I think she liked being around these 8 months.

If I ever got sick myself in a way that it is absolutely certain that I can not be cured and I only have a few months to live, I would not receive chemo, even if this would mean less life.

But that, is a decision that every patinet has to take for him/hershelf.

MicheleF · New User Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 4

This was a very helpful reply. Thank You. We are meeting with the oncologist today, and to be able to share this reply with the family ahead of time will be very helpful. Thanks again.

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