Liver Embolization - PES

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JAZZToo
Posts: 509
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 10:46 am
Location: New York City

Liver Embolization - PES

Postby JAZZToo » Wed Nov 18, 2015 7:37 pm

I will be having a liver embolization next week to shrink or eliminate the blood supply to a liver met that has stopped responding to chemo and continues to grow. It is the only met that I have (that is detectable on a CAT scan). I know some of you have had chemoembolizations and would like to hear your experiences with Post Embolization Syndrome. How painful is it? How long does it last? How many days/weeks does it take to feel more or less normal again? Were there any complications? I will be having it done at MSKCC and told to expect a 2 day stay.

Leslie
June 2014 Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer
June 2003 Stage III Colon Cancer
Sept. 1995 Stage I Endometrial Cancer
Lynch Syndrome PMS2

plastikos
Posts: 351
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 6:09 am

Re: Liver Embolization - PES

Postby plastikos » Wed Nov 18, 2015 9:16 pm

Just a question: the lesion in the liver is unresectable?
St. IV Colon CA @ 37, male, Kras wild, MSI-high (2014)
11/2014 Right Hemicolectomy + Liver Resection
12/2014 - 6/2015 FOLFOX + Cetuximab
10/2015 - Recurrence liver
Liver resection 10/2015
FOLFIRI 11/2015 - 5/2016
Recurrence liver, nodes 11/2016
Pembrolizumab started 12/2016 -> pseudoprogression(?) -> biliary obstruction -> biliary stenting
Chemo 4x: most mets inactive and smaller on PET-CT
March 2017 - Back on Pembrolizumab again
Sept 2017 - SIRT - > NED
2019 NED

JAZZToo
Posts: 509
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 10:46 am
Location: New York City

Re: Liver Embolization - PES

Postby JAZZToo » Wed Nov 18, 2015 9:55 pm

With pancreatic cancer, they don't do resections if it's Stage IV since it's then considered a systemic disease and not curable. My met is in an area where if I had colon cancer it would be considered removable. There are no statistics that embolization of a liver met will prolong life, but since I have been through FOLFIRINOX and Gemzar/Abraxane and have had no additional mets except for the one I had at diagnosis 18 months ago, I feel it's worth a shot and might destroy or slow down the growth of this solitary met until some new treatment becomes available.
Leslie

plastikos
Posts: 351
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 6:09 am

Re: Liver Embolization - PES

Postby plastikos » Thu Nov 19, 2015 3:09 am

JAZZToo wrote:With pancreatic cancer, they don't do resections if it's Stage IV since it's then considered a systemic disease and not curable. My met is in an area where if I had colon cancer it would be considered removable. There are no statistics that embolization of a liver met will prolong life, but since I have been through FOLFIRINOX and Gemzar/Abraxane and have had no additional mets except for the one I had at diagnosis 18 months ago, I feel it's worth a shot and might destroy or slow down the growth of this solitary met until some new treatment becomes available.
Leslie


Sorry I am not that well versed in pancreatic ca protocols. But I will say that anything is worth a shot as long as you can tolerate the side effects. Best of luck Leslie.
St. IV Colon CA @ 37, male, Kras wild, MSI-high (2014)
11/2014 Right Hemicolectomy + Liver Resection
12/2014 - 6/2015 FOLFOX + Cetuximab
10/2015 - Recurrence liver
Liver resection 10/2015
FOLFIRI 11/2015 - 5/2016
Recurrence liver, nodes 11/2016
Pembrolizumab started 12/2016 -> pseudoprogression(?) -> biliary obstruction -> biliary stenting
Chemo 4x: most mets inactive and smaller on PET-CT
March 2017 - Back on Pembrolizumab again
Sept 2017 - SIRT - > NED
2019 NED

User avatar
LeonW
Posts: 358
Joined: Sun May 03, 2015 4:59 pm
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Re: Liver Embolization - PES

Postby LeonW » Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:24 am

Hi Leslie,

I've been thru embolization twice, but both attempts failed (doctors fault first time; I personally messed up the second one). Therefore I can't add much, leave alone that I've had any post effects. I found the procedures themselves easy, bit boring because they lasted quite a while. Not painful at all, only the moment liver was punctured was a bit uncomfortable. I found following it all all on the monitors quite interesting. Mine was w/o chemo, just blocking blood supply. I assume yours too?

Sorry I can only add this little. Just wanted to chime in, as few here seem to have experienced emb.
I just hope yours goes better than mine & best wishes for treatment
If any questions, just fire.

Leon
Dec 2012 - CC 2 unresect liver mets, CEA 41.8 (MM 65yrs)
Jan 2013 - colectomy @ spleen 2/26 nodes IVa T3N1bM1a
Feb-Jul - 1x Xelox-7x Xelox/Avastin, shrinkage from #3
Aug - 2x PV embolization (both failed)
Sep 2013 - R liver resect, 25d hosp (liver failure/delirium, lung emboli, encephalopathy), no living cancer (pCR)
2014/15 - recovery, scopy: 2 polyps
2016 - new town/life
2018, scopy: 2 polyps
2018/20 low (1.0-1.4) CEAs/clean CTs: 4x2014, 6x2015-17, 3x2018-20
next June 2021!


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