Lesions on Liver

[Cat_D]

My husband has hep c and the VA won't treat because he has bad lungs and the only treatment they do will kill someone with bad lungs. They told him to live clean of alcohol and quit smoking and that will extend his life expectancy. They check yearly with a sonogram he now has lesions on his liver. What does that mean. Does he have cancer, what should he do? Should he be seeking help outside of the VA?

[HectorSF]

If you can answer pooh questions then we will be better able to help your husband.

I have liver cancer and I am very familiar with its diagnosis and treatment.

"They check yearly with a sonogram he now has lesions on his liver. What does that mean."

Does your husband have cirrhosis of the liver?

The term "lesion" is any abnormal structure of the liver. It is a general term. Most lesions are non-cancerous (benign). hemangiomas, cysts, focal nodular hypoplasia, fatty change cysts and bile duct cysts.

Primary liver cancer is called HCC (Hepatocellular carcinoma). It normally only occurs in patients with hepatitis C only when they have stage 4 liver disease (cirrhosis).

"Does he have cancer, what should he do?"
An ultrasound can not tell the difference between a cancerous or a non-cancerous growth. Your husbands doctor will need to order a CT scan with contrast or an MRI with contrast to diagnose liver cancer. If his doctor who should be a gastroenterologist or a hepatologist, thinks it could be cancer then he should order the order types of imaging tests.

"Should he be seeking help outside of the VA?"
The VA should be able to handle this if he is seeing a specialist in liver disease. Either a gastroenterologist or a hepatologist.

As his doctor said NO alcohol at all. Alcohol will damage his liver further and speed up his illness. If he can't get a liver transplant due to pulmonary issues, this is the last thing he should want to do.

Looking forward to more info so we can help you and your husband further.

Cheers!
Hector

[pooh55811]

Welcome to the forum. I am very sorry to hear that your husband is ill.

It may help if you can give us more information about your husband so we can better answer your questions.

*What Genotype does he have?
*What is his liver fibrosis stage (by biopsy)?
*Has he ever treated in the past (for Hep C)?
*Does he have any complications from his Hep C (such as fluid in the abdomen)?
*What are his lab results (Blood Count, Metabolic Panel, Liver Panel, Clotting tests, and any others he has had)?
*What type of lung problem does he have and what type of treatment/medications is he on for his lungs problems.

Also, if you can type in the results of the ultrasound and post them it may help someone to better answer your questions. "Lesions" can mean different things. The exact wording of the test result will be helpful.

I am not an expert on liver lesions,  so I really cannot comment on them other than to say that I would want to know exactly what they are.

If it was me, I would seek care outside of the VA system and I would definitely make an appointment (soon) with a Hepatologist (liver specialist) who is affiliated with a large medical facility/liver transplant center.

If you tell us which state you live in and which large cities are near you, someone may be able to refer you to an experienced and knowledgeable Hepatologist in your area.

Hopefully others who know more than I do will respond soon.