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Suggest Chemotherapy For Bowel Cancer Spread To Liver

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Posted on Mon, 10 Nov 2014
Question: Which is the best chemo to use for bowel cancer spread to liver ( 1 met in the liver )?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shailja Puri (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Chemo decided by oncologist. Chemo & Sx needed

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query on HealthcareMagic.
The best chemotherapy will be decided by your oncologist.
However, for a single metastatic nodule in liver excision of the nodule will be effective.
Bowel cancer has fairly good prognosis even in the presence of liver metastasis provided the metastatic nodule is single.
Further prognosis is also decided by involvement of lymph nodes draining the bowel.

Thanks and take care
Dr Shailja P Wahal
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shailja Puri (2 hours later)
Thanks . Well there seems to be one 16 mm liver met at present following a recent pet scan and 1 aortocaval node.

My dad had surgery in march to remove the tumor in bowel and at that point there were no mets .

He was a dukes c1 and started on xeloda . However his cea started rising so xeloda was stopped at the 4th cycle for a pet scan to take place .

Does this mean xeloda did not work ?

There is also another lesion which is also 16 mm in liver but no fdg uptake . Can this have been a met that's killed?

The team have said only 1 met .

They propose to start chemo first but I'm wondering why these 2 things can't be removed etc then chemo starts?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shailja Puri (20 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Kindly, see the detailed answer below.

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome again,

Detecting a metastatic focus in liver after surgery does not mean that the chemotherapeutic agent did not work.
The pathogenesis of metastasis is such that clinically evident metastasis is detected long after primary tumor is removed. This is due to micro-metastasis or microscopic metastatic foci.
CEA is a sensitive marker to assess the recurrence and metastasis of primary tumor.
The focus which is not taking up FDG is not clinically active so it can be ignored.
The metastatic focus can be removed surgically.
A chemotherapeutic agent has to be given along with surgery because chemotherapy acts to kill the tumor cells which may be left behind after surgery.

Thanks and take care
Dr Shailja P Wahal



Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shailja Puri (9 minutes later)
But they said they will do chemo. They are not sure yet about surgery . They say chemo to try target the microscopic cells .

What about this 1 aortocaval node ? Is this serious ?

Also if xeloda worked , the liver met would have been killed right ?

doctor
Answered by Dr. Shailja Puri (10 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Chemo has definite role here

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome again,

The chemo has to be given.
Chemo has a role in reducing the size of metastatic focus, so surgery thereafter is easy.

There is also a possibility that the metastatic focus may completely disappear.

Response to chemotherapy has to be monitored.

Aortocaval lymph node cannot be surgically removed due to its strategic location.

However, chemo will be effective in treating it.

Theoretically, liver metastasis should have not occurred when chemo is given. However, pathogenesis of metastasis is complex.

Only a fraction of malignant cells are responsive to chemotherapy at one time.

This is the reason why chemotherapy is given in cycles at intervals.

Some of the cells called resting cells escape effect of chemo at one point of time.

Thanks and take care
Dr Shailja P Wahal
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shailja Puri (14 minutes later)
I see . But the liver met is only 16 mm so it's small right?

Do u think the node will disappear with chemo ?

Also when my dad was on xeloda , he took it late after surgery ( 11 weeks after ) as he did not want it n we persuaded him !

As it was tablets form there were odd ocassions where had missed to take them . Could this be y he didn't respond fully to them ?

The non fdg lesion in liver , could this be a killed met then by the xeloda poss ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shailja Puri (28 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Kindly, refer to detailed answer

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome again,

The response to chemotherapy cannot be predicted.

The chemotherapeutic agent (Xeloda) can be taken after surgery also. Patient complaince is very important in treatment of any malignancy.

However, colorectal cancers are known to metastze to liver. So, it cannot be said that the metastasis occured due to improper complaince.
The non FDG uptake is metabolically inactive so it does not show metastasis.
This is not due to chemotherapy.

Thanks and take care
Dr Shailja P Wahal
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shailja Puri (50 minutes later)
Can he have a good prognosis with 1 met and 1 node so far ?

U think chemo
Can work well here ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shailja Puri (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
it has to be assessed eventually

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome again,
Malignancy with distant metastasis has poor prognosis.
In colorectal cancer, distant metastaia to liver has fairly good prognosis if the nodule is single an is easily resectable.
Metastasis to abdominal carries is associated with bad prognosis.
The response to chemotherapy has to be assessed.

Thanks and take care
Dr Shailja P Wahal
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shailja Puri (5 hours later)
What u think with 1 liver met and 1 aortocaval node ?

U think chemo
Will
Kill the node. ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shailja Puri (30 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Yes chemo will be effective

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome again,

Yes, chemotherapy will be effective in shrinking and killing the malignnt cells in liver and lymph node.

Thanks and take care
Dr Shailja P Wahal
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shailja Puri (19 minutes later)
So this situation is not really widespread right ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shailja Puri (3 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
No not widespread

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome again,
No the disease is not wide spread.

Thanks
Dr Shailja P Wahal
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shailja Puri (3 minutes later)
Can this
Be cured at all ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shailja Puri (2 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Yes, it can be cured

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome again,

Yes, it can be cured.

Thanks
Dr Shailja P Wahal
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shailja Puri (2 hours later)
Can the chemo fail to work on the node ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shailja Puri (8 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Nothing can be predicted before hand

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome again,
It cannot be predicted about the response to chemotherapy before hand.
The response has to be monitored after giving chemotherapy.

Thanks and take care
Dr Shailja P Wahal
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Shailja Puri

Pathologist and Microbiologist

Practicing since :2006

Answered : 9705 Questions

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Suggest Chemotherapy For Bowel Cancer Spread To Liver

Brief Answer: Chemo decided by oncologist. Chemo & Sx needed Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for posting your query on HealthcareMagic. The best chemotherapy will be decided by your oncologist. However, for a single metastatic nodule in liver excision of the nodule will be effective. Bowel cancer has fairly good prognosis even in the presence of liver metastasis provided the metastatic nodule is single. Further prognosis is also decided by involvement of lymph nodes draining the bowel. Thanks and take care Dr Shailja P Wahal