cancer.

[misombra]

so my friend/ex-coworker has liver cancer. so i hoped and prayed that one day he would be okay, but then i looked at this article... [url]http://www.lifesteps.com/gm/Atoz/ency/liver_cancer.jsp[/url] and it said that chemo only prolonges ones life but doesn't cure it.

he has the metastatic one.

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 chemotherapy carried 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.

is this still true? vashhhhhhh?

[boobaa]

Don't know nothing about this or much about cancer in general, but if i were in similar situation, I would go without chemotherapy if this was true. Chemotherapy just makes the things worse in my opinion, I may live few months less, but at least I get to enjoy my end year a bit better. Besides, we all go one day, be prepared.

[Kiechi]

^ That's what we have weed for, son.

[tooxshort]

Cancer runs in my family as well as diabetes and heart problems ...

And yet, I still get caught up in stupid bad habits ... living my life day to day is something I need to shake ...

I have a feeling that there's some kind of cure for cancer, but no one wants to release it because all of the money involved ... Am I just a conspiracy theorist?

[shh!]

I don't believe in medical conspiracy theories.

Misombra, every case is different. I am not an oncology nurse, so my knowledge base is limited, but I can tell you this: liver cancer patients don't usually respond well to radiation because the liver cannot tolerate it well, but yes, chemotherapy is often given by a surgically implanted infusion pump or something else that infuses the medication directly to the tumor. I don't know whether or not this cures (rather than prolongs life) or if this simply slows the growth of the cancer; my books don't say. Sometimes they can remove a portion of the liver (if it is contained to a single lobe). Liver transplants are also done when available. Metastasis means the cancer has spread outside the liver, and cancer of a vital organ is never a good thing, especially if it has metastasized. I hope your friend has a good oncologist.

I'm sorry, hun. I wish I could help you more.

[misombra]

oh man. this is such bad news! geez.

i guess i should spend more time with him.

life is just too short.

he had cancer in his intestines and it spread to his liver.

[starbuck]

How horrible I hope your friend pulls through ok.