Doxil for Liver Mets

[Cindy809]

Hello everyone!  Has anyone ever had sucess with Doxil and have a liver mets?  I have 30 small spots and 3 larger tumors 2cm & 3 cm IN my liver after almost completing cisplatin/taxol (hell).  I've been all over the internet and asked my doctor.  He seems to think this is the best treatment for me now.  I also have a small spot in my pelvis and t9spine spot on my bone.  I'm in pain this time.  Doxil side effects do not cause pain.  I've had carbo/taxol, gemzar/carbo, cisplatin/taxol and now doxil.  I had my first treatment last week.  Please let me know either way.  I've had progression of my disease with my last two treatments.  Any information would be appreciated... Thank you, Cindy

[Cindy809]

Thank you for your response.  It gives me hope down the line for RFA.  Like you I've had it done once before.  My tumors are too big and too many at this time.  Let's hope the doxil will shrink things and keep them stable.  How are you feeling on the oral etoposide?  I've heard it works well and is easy to tolerate.  Bev swears by it and Judy has been on it for months.  This doxil is causing so many problems and not the listed ones.  I called the company.  Ortho Biotech (Johnson&Johnson) and spoke with a nurse and she's going to bring my case to the doctors and I should hear back from them within a few weeks.  I hope before my next treatment.  I know some side effects are rare but I want to know about them.  I ordered a liver blood test yesterday thru my doctor's office to check my liver enzymes(sp?).  If this isn't the drug for me I want to know early.  Not when my disease has advanced the way it has this last time.  (((((HUGS)))) ... Cindy

[crecco]

  Cindy,
   I wanted to answer this earlier but had some errands to run. Now I am glad I waited. The reason that you are not a candidate for RFA at this time is due to the number and the size of the tumors in your liver.
  When I was dx, my liver was the biggest concern as it was full of cancer, all inside. The initial chemo did wonders for me. 6 weeks after my debulking surgery, I went in for my first RFA. I did not see a liver specialist, but an interventional radiologist. He explained to me that to do an RFA, they want the tumors shrunk as small as possible (like not much bigger than 1cm) and they would not be able to do more than 2 or 3, depending on how close together they were. I got lucky. I had 3, all were 1cm and less, and they were all close enough together that he was able to get them all.
That was great, but my liver is going to be my biggest problem with this disease for awhile. It did not take long (from July to Dec) before there were tumors in my liver once again. So in Dec I was started on Doxil which got me through until May, when I started to develope hand-foot syndrome. So in May I had another RFA done. Another success, just not for long. That is where my cancer seems to want to continue to come back, and yes, it is in different places than the ones they burned out. So basically, all of the chemos I have been on is to pretty much keep the cancer in my liver from turning "spectacular" again. (I have been on carbo/taxol, doxil, gemzar, topotecan, avastin/abraxane, and now oral etoposide)
  I don't know if i answered your question or not, but maybe it will help some.
      Chris

[Cindy809]

Thank you for your suggestion.  I've consulted a liver specialist thru my gyn onclogist.  He reviewed my Petct and I am not a candidate for RFA at this time. I really wanted that treatment.  I had it done during my second surgery along with a resection.  No more surgeries so I thought RFA would be perfect.  Down the line, maybe.  I'm looking into other treatment options at this moment.  Hitting a dead end each time.  SIRT, Cyberknife and chemoembolization. The cyberknife is not covered by my insurance unless I do conventional radiation first.  I wanted to to that on my spine and pelvis.  Not going to take a chance with any radiation except targeted. SIRT is targeted for the liver. FDA approved for colorectal liver mets.  I'm going to appeal.  I want that procedure.  Those are the future procedures I would like to try.  I qualify for SIRT but it costs $140,000.00.  Anthem is a bear and I needed to be on chemo during the appeals.  This Doxil is giving me trouble with pain and I'd like to know if if works on liver mets.  I know everyone is different with this disease but I'd sure like to hear about some success stories about the drug.  I know of women that achieved long remisions. Nothing was said about liver mets.  I have so many spots that the RFA would damage the liver at this time.  Thank you again....((((HUGS))))) ..... Cindy6

[vegas2cr]

For your liver ask if you can have radio frequency ablation.. It was what I had for liver mets... good luck