I'm sorry to hear about your father and I empathise deeply with what you and your family must have gone through.
Despite the solemn nature of your post, I feel the need to correct a few points: (I am a doctor - a radiologist)
- Palpating the abdomen is not a very reliable way of assessing an individual's liver. Most liver lesions are not palpable and are normally diagnosed (following blood tests) with ultrasound, CT or MRI scans.
- There are several types of what you refer to as "liver cancer". the most common, as in Oliver Sacks'case is metastatic liver disease (ie. the cancer starts somewhere else and spreads to the liver, rather than being from the liver itself - that is a true liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma).
- There are several treatments for both primary liver cancer (hepatocellualr carcinoma) and metastatic liver disease. Whether these treatments can result in a "cure" or a prolongation of the patients life, or mearly an improvement in their quality of life depends on the overall progression of the disease.
- Some possible therapies include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy(of various kinds), ablative therapies(cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation, focused ultrasound), embolisation(bland, chemo-embolisation etc.) as well as systemic treatments and pain therapies.
- I'm sorry that your dad went through what he did. He may not have gotten the best possible care (I can't say, I don't know the details).
- There are certainly problems with the healthcare system overall but its not accurate to say that pain relief isn't something physicians and caregivers don't think about or have potential options for.
This comment is an excellent example of how you can gently correct someone while still showing empathy. What a difference compared to most internet discussions! Thank you.
Despite the solemn nature of your post, I feel the need to correct a few points: (I am a doctor - a radiologist)
- Palpating the abdomen is not a very reliable way of assessing an individual's liver. Most liver lesions are not palpable and are normally diagnosed (following blood tests) with ultrasound, CT or MRI scans.
- There are several types of what you refer to as "liver cancer". the most common, as in Oliver Sacks'case is metastatic liver disease (ie. the cancer starts somewhere else and spreads to the liver, rather than being from the liver itself - that is a true liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma).
- There are several treatments for both primary liver cancer (hepatocellualr carcinoma) and metastatic liver disease. Whether these treatments can result in a "cure" or a prolongation of the patients life, or mearly an improvement in their quality of life depends on the overall progression of the disease.
- Some possible therapies include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy(of various kinds), ablative therapies(cryoablation, radiofrequency ablation, focused ultrasound), embolisation(bland, chemo-embolisation etc.) as well as systemic treatments and pain therapies.
- I'm sorry that your dad went through what he did. He may not have gotten the best possible care (I can't say, I don't know the details).
- There are certainly problems with the healthcare system overall but its not accurate to say that pain relief isn't something physicians and caregivers don't think about or have potential options for.