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liver biopsy possible cancer spread?

11 years ago

Anyone ever had a liver biopsy for possible spread of colon cancer? Docs see two small spots on husband's liver and he is very afraid of a biopsy next week. Is there pain associated with it? Can you be sedated? I do not know quite how to support or help his real fear.

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Comments (10)

jomuir
10 years ago
I hope your husband can not worry too much before his biopsy. From the article I've linked to, it appears he may be awake, or lightly sedated. you can best support him by respecting his fears, it's awful waiting to know test results. Best luck to both of you, and I hope his biopsy comes out clean-no cancer.

Here is a link that might be useful: nat'l inst of health article
sameboat
10 years ago
I can't imagine they wouldn't sedate him and give him something to relax. Perhaps they can give him something now to help him relax for the upcoming appointment? What about counseling to help him cope with the uncertainty? For you as well...
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I also somehow missed that she was sent home on painkillers. While I agree that pain control is most likely needed, keep in mind that some pain medications depend on the liver to be metabolized, and when an animal has significant liver disease the drugs are not properly excreted. This can lead to a dangerous accumulation of the drug in the bloodstream. What medication was your dog put on for pain? There are options that do not require the liver and they work just as well for pain control. I attached an article that explains some of the laboratory workup for liver disease. Right now, because your dog is jaundiced, the bile acids test results are not accurate- we know her serum bile acids are elevated because she is yellow (assuming she isn't suffering from a hemolyzing anemia). I also somehow forgot that Dobies are a breed that commonly get copper storage disease. A liver biopsy is the only way to confirm that, but it is also a good way to confirm other diseases (idiopathic hepatitis, neoplasia, cirrhosis, etc). Ultrasound can also be useful to see if the structure of the liver is normal and to evaluate the gall bladder and bile ducts. It can also show abnormal nodules and help direct aspirates to get a better sample. Ultrasound would also help evaluate the rest of the abdomen, in case there is a mass elsewhere as well as in the liver, and can be done with little risk to the patient compared to exploratory surgery. I would strongly suggest at least ultrasound and guided aspirates if indicated to diagnose her specific disease. "Old age or cancer" is not a diagnosis- it's a wild guess and may be completely off-base, but there is no way to know unless further diagnostics are done. Unless your dog's labwork showed certain indicators of liver failure such as low albumin, low glucose, low BUN, low cholesterol, or decreased clotting function, then liver function was not truly evaluated. These findings suggest 80% or greater loss of liver function and can be described as hepatic failure or end-stage liver. But I've seen dogs do fairly well for at least several months with proper management even when they are at this stage. I've seen others not do so well. It depends on the underlying disease and what, if anything, can be done about it. True end-stage liver disease with significant cirrhosis is irreversible, but other diseases are manageable or even curable if treated properly before significant damage is done. Also the liver is a wonderfully regenerative organ, so acute damage that is stopped quickly allows the liver to heal itself to a point. I hope this article helps explain some of the common tests we use for liver disease, and also shows the need for more information. Good luck. Here is a link that might be useful: article on liver chemistry panel changes, bile acids
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haffie
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks so much jomuir and same boat. This was the best info on the website and just what I needed. Although he is the type that does not want to know anything about the inside of himself I do and thanks to both of your posts he is much more 'relaxed' about learning he is not going under again in surgery and he will have something to relax him and he will not remember
Thank you again . I know the journey begins now.ssmeboat I plan to take advantage of any counseling that is offered!
d0ug
10 years ago
If you are worried about cancer spreading or just for a cure check out Dr. Bob Beck on youtube or a search. I know people who have used his protocol and became cancer free
jomuir
10 years ago
haffie, please take quack cancer cures with a BIG grain of salt, if the worst happens & your DH is diagnosed with cancer. I hope he gets a positive report form his biopsy.

Doug, after a look around his website, this 'doctor' smells a lot like a major quack. Too many unverified treatments, and way too many cures are in "quotes." Also the fact that he's selling unproven products to desperate people. I believe in alternative therapies, but as an addition to scientifically proven treatments. Is he pushing colloidal silver??? Ugh, quack alert.
I've attached some interesting reading about this man who was NOT a doctor nor scientist.

Here is a link that might be useful: if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck....
emma
10 years ago
Doug, you think people believe to much in doctors and I think you believe to much in alternate treatments. While you are trying natural remedies you would be wasting valuable time and would probably die of whatever it is you have.
d0ug
10 years ago
There has been many cures for cancer and some have been demonstrated to the medical system. After proving they work the medical system denied the truth.There is too much money in the treatment of cancer by the drug companies to let anyone know the truth. There was a Dr Warberg who got a Nobel prize 1931 proving the cause and possible cure for cancer and Doctors in cancer clinics probably don't know his name. If there where quacks it might not be who you think they are
emma
10 years ago
We are all entitled to our opinions, but I do not believe for one minute that the medical system knows how to cure cancer. Someone in that system would tell the world, especially if they had a loved one dying of cancer. No one can keep a secret like that. I would tell no matter how much they offered me to keep it a secret wouldn't you.
d0ug
10 years ago
There is people speaking out but the multi billion dollar business can prevent you from hearing about it.
I read the web site that you put in and the person who said he was not a doctor was completely wrong he was not a medical doctor but a doctor of science.
by the freedom of information act sent to the FDA stated that no one has died of colloidal silver.
There has been 500 people in recorded history that have turned blue out of the billions of people who have used it.
Vioxx has killed 60,000 people and was FDA approved and not one person went to jail.
The medical cartel: too big to fail, too evil to expose
jomuir
10 years ago
haffie, any updates on your dh?

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