Hector - " No sign of tumor can be found."

[HectorSF]

On June 27th I underwent a Percutaneous Ethanol Injection (PEI) treatment (pure alcohol is injected into liver cancers to kill the cancer cells. The alcohol is injected through the skin (percutaneously) into the tumor using a very thin needle with the help of ultrasound or CT visual guidance. Alcohol induces tumor destruction by drawing water out of tumor cells (dehydrating them) and thereby altering (denaturing) the structure of cellular proteins.) was perform on my liver after two chemoembolizations treatments failure and AFP tumor marker continued to rise. Last AFP before treatment was 1,892 ug/L. Any AFP over 1,000 ug/L is predictive of cancer recurrence post transplant and death, so patients are not given transplants as are they are likely to die soon after transplant. And there is no treatment possible.

After checkup MRI on Wednesday" No sign of tumor can be found." (!!!)

I received a surprise phone call Thursday after two days of follow up testing to learn if my most recent cancer treatment had any affect on my tumor which has been preventing me from being eligible for a desperately needed liver transplant.

The MRI scan results that I had done on Wednesday and the blood tests of my tumor marker done on Tuesday had come back to my doctor's office.

While my UCSF doctor was in Brazil the emails quickly quickly spread the word between my doctor, my Nurse Practitioners, my clinical trial team, and my transplant coordinator that the tumor had been completely obliterated and there is no sign of any tumors in my liver! Needless to say I feel as though a thousand lbs of weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I am extremely happy and dazed by this unbelievable turn of events. It appears to be everything I have been hoping for this year has actually happened despite the odds.

My tumor marker blood level dropped 1,300 ug/L points so far and next week, if everything continues in the same direction, I should be back on the liver transplant wait list. The tumor marker was 560 ug/L as of Tuesday at 1:30. I just need to be below 500 ug/L to be eligible for a transplant. I may already be there now. It typically takes 30 days for it to fall to its lowest value after a procedure. It has only been 18 days so far.

My goal now is to get a transplant ASAP before anything else happens. I may go to Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut if I can get a liver there sooner than at UCSF. Whatever it takes I will do to speed along the process. Knowing that the odds were great that it was a matter of how I was going to die not if, and preparing for death has been the toughest challenge ever in my life. But I am ready, willing and able to through a transplant anytime because I still have enough will power to fight to live no matter what it takes.

This still seem like a dream and I hope I don't wake up to find it all is only that, but I wanted to share the good news after so many disappointments and setbacks due to my cancer making me ineligible for a life-saving transplant. Thankfully my great teams of doctors kept trying despite the small odds of success.

Onward to a liver transplant and a life beyond disability...  :-))
Howie

[HectorSF]

I am waiting to talk to my hepatologist about my best option for transplant between UCSF and Yale-New Haven. Only she can find out and compare the two in terms of wait time. UCSF has the longest wait list for liver transplants in the country (over 700 people waiting for a transplant).

I will know the answer at the latest by next Monday.

Ciao
H

[FlGuy]

Great news, Hector. I come here mostly for your news these days and I've been anxious and curious about the drunken tumor process you went through.  Now that it's paid off I'm wondering about the availability of a liver at Yale vs. UCSF.  Is it that liver supply is regional?  I know you love your team there but does it mean that you go to the likely supply of liver?  How does that work?

p.s. Watch out if you get to Yale you'll be dangerously close to Can Do Man and NYGirl.

[sph0611]

:)

[HectorSF]

Thank you each and every one of one. Having your support through this process has helped me to remain hopeful despite the odds against me. I am truly grateful and humbled by the surprise turn of events that even my doctors find unbelievable. Of course I must thank them for not giving up on me and developing options for me to try before I had no options left. I feel like the luckiest man on the face of the earth since hearing the news. I hope I will be worthy of my good fortune and hope to help other patients in the transplant community when I can again return to working. I have been given the most precious gift. Life. May I never forget the hell I have been through and all the love and support from so many who helped me find my way to a better place.

"In the midst of winter, I found there was within me an invincible summer."
- Albert Careb

Howie

[lapis]

YAY!!!!  Hooray!!!  Yipppeeeee!!!  Yahooo!!!  So excited!!!  I'm so glad for your fabulous news, it is the answer to all our prayers!  Yes, now to make that transplant happen, so glad I stopped in today to hear about this.  Go Howie!!!

[gerard11]

Howie, by far the very best news I have seen on this forumn!!!!!!!
You have devoted so much of your self to help others ( including me ) that I am absolutely ecstatic to read this wonderful news!
If karma has anything to do with things ( and I believe it does) then your karma house is order!!!! I could go on and on, but I have a pretty good idea of what you have been going thru physically and  mentally. Howie, I must say you my friend, are going to get this transplant and get back to living and enjoying all life has to offer!
Peace
Jerry