My dad was diagnosed with liver cancer...need advice?

My dad was diagnosed with liver cancer. He already has diabetes and severe liver cirrhosis. He is 63 years old. We have seen a variety of cancer specialists. They all pretty much say the same thing, my dad is in a really tough position - where they can't help him. Anything they could do would kill him. Right now he is home on hospice and I stay there a lot to help take care of him. His energy levels are depleting quickly and I don't know what to do. He can barely get out of bed most the time, uses a wheel chair when he does, and gets tired just talking. What should I do? Is there anything I can do to help get him some energy back? Should I continue to pursue cancer research programs for him as a last resort? Can alternative medicine be taken seriously in his condition and how? Are these all signs he is going to die sooner than later? I am scared and I do not know if I should just except that he is dying or aggressively search for answers despite what the doctors are saying. Any advice?

My dad was diagnosed with liver cancer...need advice?
well, i certainly sympathize with you. i lost an aunt that was very close to me last december due to inoperable liver cancer, and i spent a lot of time taking care of her and being with her. you probably don't want to hear this, and it is very hard, but if the docs say there is not much they can do, and hospice (my wife has been a hospice nurse also) is coming in, then you should try and accept the inevitable, as hard as that will be. at this point, there really isn't any treatment that will make a lot of difference, and i would guess that you wouldn't want your father subjected to any more than he can endure at this point. i know, it is scary, and his energy levels are going to diminish as time goes by. talk with the hospice nurse, if you have a good one, they can be a big comfort, not only to your father, but to you and your family as well, that's what they are there for. make sure the nurse keeps you informed, so you know what to expect, and what you can do for him. if she, or you, feels he is in pain, have the doc prescribe something for him. be there for him, and let him know you love him, as i'm sure you do, no matter how hard it is on you. even though he is ill, cherish the moments you and him will have. i'm sorry that i can't offer more help than this, and will keep you in my prayers.
Reply:Hi there. I don't want to give you false hope or be a negative person here so I'll try to fall in between. It doesn't sound good but there are people who live with liver cancer just as you would with asthma. In your dads case though he's got other health issues with the diabetes and cirrhosis. What would be the options for a liver transplant? Has the doctor looked into that? I would look into clinical trials, as your doctor might be able to get him into one that might help him or give him more time, the more time you can have with him the better, time also opens the door for more treatments that come out too. I would have to say, when he's resting, look at the trials sites, and then spend as much time with him as you can, be hopeful, yet realistic. You need to find out what stage his cancer is, how many tumors, if it's spreading or contained. He's prob not eating right and not only is the cancer and cirrhosis draining him, the diabetes is too. 63 is not too old to have surgery, why do they think surgery would kill him? I would ask them, "You prescribed hospice, hospice is for the dying, so if there is a chance surgery or treatment would help why not try it?" When multiple illness is involved alot of doctors just turn away, they are afraid of lawsuits, they should be more interested in helping the patients. I hope things work out for you and your dad, that someone can help him. Good luck, God Bless, I'll say a prayer for both of you.
Reply:There is a product called ambrotose, now I'm not going to say it will cure him but it can give your dad a fighting chance. Ambrotose is a glyco nutrient a type of sugar our body needs to help strengthen cells and build the immune system. I know it works because I have lupus, and I was on the verge of death few years back. I took the ambrotose in large quantities and I'm here today. If you decide to try the ambrotose you can give him an entire jar in one day it won't hurt him. You can check it out at www.glycostory.com/teamval or for a more scientific review www.glycoscience.org and you can look up the disease specific review their. I hope you'll give it a try it can really help.
Reply:Liver cancer is often terminal, but keep up your hopes for a remission, listen to the doctors, I don't think alternative medicine is an option in such a serious disease
Reply:This is tough.





I've known a couple of people who had liver cancer.





Let's just say... searching for a cure will take up precious time you can otherwise spend at his side.





You have to be strong and start accepting the inevitable.








*******





When my dad nad leukemia at 67, one day we were looking into physical rehab places to send him to, to begin recovering from the toll the cancer and chemotherapy had on his body. It seemed like he was doing better at the time, that very evening he was gone.
Reply:I'm assuming this is primary liver cancer, rather than metastatic liver cancer (meaning it started somewhere else and went to the liver.) With his other health problems, that unfortunately limits some of the options. Radiofrequency ablation might be a treatment option.





Since he's in hospice care, the doctor who has been treating him has, frankly, given up. If you have a research center nearby, AND IF YOUR FATHER IS WILLING, you might go there for a second opinion.





Glyconutritionals, mentioned in a previous answer, may help, but at this stage in the game, they might not.
Reply:My mother-in-law died from pancreatic cancer.





With cancer, diabetes, and cirrhosis of the liver, he really is in a bad place. I know that it is scary. Try to learn more about liver cancer including progression of the disease from the hospice people, so you will understand more and know what to expect. It is only my opinion, but i think your time would be better spent in being with your father, and talking, and helping him to enjoy whatever he is still able to enjoy instead of spending time away from him looking for new drug trials.





You might ask one of the doctors if it is too late for THALIDOMIDE to help slow the progress of the cancer. yes, it is the same drug that caused all those terrible birth defects in the 50s - but it slows down and can kill fast growing cells - which cancer certainly is.





You know he is going to die sometime, because we all do. In one sense, all you are sure of right now is WHAT he will die of. Life is strange - you could be hit and killed by a bus long before he dies.





You said "I do not know if I should just accept that he is dying."





My best advice is to accept that he is alive RIGHT NOW. Focus on that. Don't think about what might happen tomorrow, but do make sure that there is a will. As much as possible, treat him like himself, not like he is a sick person. Ask the hospice people if there is someone you can talk to about your own feelings.





Right now, i wish had been less scared, and that i had talked to my mother-in-law more when she was dying. Silly stuff like getting her favorite cookie recipe.





Aside from getting him to eat, there really is not much you can do to help him get energy back. Cortisone could do that, but while it might give him more energy for a day, it will cause even more harm.





I am sure there are people out there who really believe that they could cure him, or make him better with herbs or something. I don't believe it.
Reply:nina plz read this completely so that u can help u r dad


Liver biopsy





Liver biopsy is considered to provide the definite diagnosis of liver cancer. A sample of the liver or tissue fluid is removed with a fine needle and is checked under a microscope for the presence of cancer cells. In about 70% of cases, the biopsy is positive for cancer. In most cases, there is little risk to the patient from the biopsy procedure. In about 0.4% of cases, however, the patient develops a fatal hemorrhage from the biopsy because some tumors are supplied with a large number of blood vessels and bleed very easily.





Laparoscopy





The doctor may also perform a laparoscopy to help in the diagnosis of liver cancer. First, the doctor makes a small cut in the patient's abdomen and inserts a small, lighted tube called a laparoscope to view the area. A small piece of liver tissue is removed and examined under a microscope for the presence of cancer cells.





Clinical staging





Currently, the pathogenesis of HCC is not well understood. It is not clear how the different risk factors for HCC affect each other. In addition, the environmental factors vary from region to region.





Treatment





Treatment of liver cancer is based on several factors, including the type of cancer (primary or metastatic); stage (early or advanced); the location of other primary cancers or metastases in the patient's body; the patient's age; and other coexisting diseases, including cirrhosis. For many patients, treatment of liver cancer is primarily intended to relieve the pain caused by the cancer but cannot cure it.





Surgery





Few liver cancers in adults can be cured by surgery because they are usually too advanced by the time they are discovered. If the cancer is contained within one lobe of the liver, and if the patient does not have either cirrhosis, jaundice, or ascites, surgery is the best treatment option. Patients who can have their entire tumor removed have the best chance for survival. Unfortunately, only about 5% of patients with metastatic cancer (from primary tumors in the colon or rectum) fall into this group. If the entire visible tumor can be removed, about 25% of patients will be cured. The operation that is performed is called a partial hepatectomy, or partial removal of the liver. The surgeon will remove either an entire lobe of the liver (a lobectomy) or cut out the area around the tumor (a wedge resection).





Chemotherapy





Some patients with metastatic cancer of the liver can have their lives prolonged for a few months by chemotherapy, although cure is not possible. If the tumor cannot be removed by surgery, a tube (catheter) can be placed in the main artery of the liver and an implantable infusion pump can be installed. The pump allows much higher concentrations of the cancer drug to be carried to the tumor than is possible with chemotherapycarried through the bloodstream. The drug that is used for infusion pump therapy is usually floxuridine (FUDR), given for 14-day periods alternating with 14-day rests. Systemic chemotherapy can also be used to treat liver cancer. The medications usually used are 5-fluorouracil (Adrucil, Efudex) or methotrexate (MTX, Mexate). Systemic chemotherapy does not, however, significantly lengthen the patient's survival time.





Radiation therapy





Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy rays or x rays to kill cancer cells or to shrink tumors. Its use inliver cancer, however, is only to give short-term relief from some of the symptoms. Liver cancers are not sensitive to radiation, and radiation therapy will not prolong the patient's life.





Liver transplantation





Removal of the entire liver (total hepatectomy) and liver transplantation can be used to treat liver cancer. However, there is a high risk of tumor recurrence and metastases after transplantation.





Other Therapies





Other therapeutic approaches include:





Hepatic artery embolization with chemotherapy (chemoembolization).


Alcohol ablation via ultrasound-guided percutaneous injection.


Ultrasound-guided cryoablation.


Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies tagged with cytotoxic agents.


Gene therapy with retroviral vectors containing genes expressing cytotoxic agents.


Prognosis





Liver cancer has a very poor prognosis because it is often not diagnosed until it has metastasized. Fewer than 10% of patients survive three years after the initial diagnosis; the overall five-year survival rate for patients with hepatomas is around 4%. Most patients with primary liver cancer die within several months of diagnosis. Patients with liver cancers that metastasized from cancers in the colon live slightly longer than those whose cancers spread from cancers in the stomach or pancreas.





Alternative and complementary therapies





Many patients find that alternative and complementary therapies help to reduce the stress associated with illness, improve immune function, and boost spirits. While there is no clinical evidence that these therapies specifically combat disease, activities such as biofeedback, relaxation, therapeutic touch, massage therapy and guided imagery have no side effects and have been reported to enhance well-being.





Several other healing therapies are sometimes used as supplemental or replacement cancer treatments, such as antineoplastons, cancell, cartilage (bovine and shark), laetrile, and mistletoe. Many of these therapies have not been the subject of safety and efficacy trials by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The NCI has conducted trials on cancell, laetrile, and some other alternative therapies and found no anticancer activity. These treatments have varying effectiveness and safety considerations. (Laetrile, for example, has caused deaths and is not available in the U.S.) Patients using any alternative remedy should first consult their doctor in order to prevent harmful side effects or interactions with traditional cancer treatment.





Coping with cancer treatment





Side effects of treatment, nutrition, emotional well-being, and other issues are all parts of coping with cancer. There are many possible side effects for a cancer treatment that include:





constipation


delirium


fatigue


fever, chills, sweats


nausea and vomiting


mouth sores, dry mouth, bleeding gums


pruritus (itching)


affected sexuality


sleep disorders


Anxiety, depression, feelings of loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, affected sexuality, and substance abuse are all possible emotional side-effects. Patients should seek out a support network to help them through treatment. Loss of appetite before, during, and after a treatment can also be of concern. Other complications of coping with cancer treatment include fever and pain.





Clinical trials





There are many clinical trials in place studying new types of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, new drugs and drug combinations, biological therapies, ways of combining various types of treatment for liver cancer, side effect reduction, and quality of life. Information on clinical trials can be acquired from the National Cancer Institute at http://www.nci.nih.gov or (800) 4-CANCER.





Prevention





There are no useful strategies at present for preventing metastatic cancers of the liver. Primary liver cancers, however, are 75% to 80% preventable. Current strategies focus on widespread vaccination for hepatitis B, early treatment of hereditary hemochromatosis (a metabolic disorder), and screening of high-risk patients with alpha-fetoprotein testing and ultrasound examinations.





Lifestyle factors that can be modified in order to prevent liver cancer include avoidance of exposure to toxic chemicals and foods harboring molds that produce aflatoxin. Most important, however, is avoidance of alcohol and drug abuse. Alcohol abuse is responsible for 60% to 75% of cases of cirrhosis, which is a major risk factor for eventual development of primary liver cancer. Hepatitis is a widespread disease among persons who abuse intravenous drugs.
Reply:You said your dad was diagnosed, so I assumed he already had the biopsy and firm diagnosis.


Not all liver cancer are the same, even though most have bad prognosis.


It sounds like you need a local support group or some sorts of support. This is always a difficult situation losing loved ones. I would stick with traditional medicine rather than alternative medicine, unless it is shown to provide comfort and good supportive supplement.
Reply:I do not know what you should do other then be very supportive. My mother passed away 13 years ago with pancreatic cancer. All we could do was be there for her and if you believe in it pray.