Secondary liver cancer would mean it's terminal. Stage 4. Secondary means it has spread outside of the local area.

This doesn't hold true for all types of cancer, so it's not a definitive answer. My wife has breast cancer and I'll tell you what i have learned. Some chemo can be taken at home. It comes in pill form. IV gets given in a hospital setting. But i know with breast cancer, there are some "take at home" types. As for the injections, again, some things are injected. For example, my wife's cancer is HER2+, and she has to get 12 injections (usually along with her chemo, during the IV stage), then when her chemo ends, has 7 more injections she has to be given at hospital, with 3 weeks in between each one.

My wife has no liver involvement, so the liver isn't compromised. She was told she could have the occasional drink. And she'll maybe have a cider every 2 or 3 weeks. No idea if she could take more, but that's what she sticks too.

You'll know one way or the other if she's being truthful eventually. Probably not helpful, but I'm no cancer specialist. Just telling you what i have picked up here and there since my wife was diagnosed. Unfortunately, you get people that do do this. If she proclaims she's cured in no time at all, I'd take that as a huge red flag. Solid cancers (non blood cancers) require an op of some kind. Chemo, radiotherapy etc are just a means to kill/shrink the cancer. But the tissue still needs to be removed with margins before treatment ends if it's not terminal.

If she ever does claim to be cured within the next few months, you'll also know it's a lie. No doctor worth their salt proclaims anyone with the cancer involvement your sister claims to have is "cured". They use "no evidence of disease". If people with lesser involvement don't get told they're "cured", your sister won't. That takes years of no reoccurrence. Even then, they still don't use the word "cured"

Also, ask if you can go to her next hospital appointment. Even if it's just to wait outside for her.  People that are lying will come up with excuses why you can't.

Hello Mary98,

                      do you have any choice other than to accept this at face value?, by this l mean how would you cope in the future if you doubted and distanced yourself from your sister and the worst came to pass.If it subsequently proved to be a sham,then you could not reproach yourself for doing the right thing.

l had secondary liver cancer and was fortunate enough for it to be in a position on the liver to make surgery possible,60% removed but told another two weeks and the spread would have ruled that out. At no time did l feel ill with this,that all came later with the subsequent chemo. When you commence chemo you are closely monitored to see if it is having an impact, and it can be seen as negative within a few months,some types of cancers do not respond to treatment. So if surgery is not possible,chemo has no effect,all that is left is is to try to slow the growth and give space and time for the patient to reach acceptance.This is where your sister could be at, with no need to attend hospital to get any limited treatment left available,and no need to forgo any limited pleasures left available to her whilst her health still allows it.Speed of the spread can vary depending upon cancer type and its aggressiveness,but its forward march will be relentless.In answer to your question ,the scenario you described is very much possible.

In all events l am glad to read that you are reconciled with your sister,and if dying her hair brings some happiness into her life and makes her feel better,then rejoice ifor her in the benefits that delivers,and enjoy your time you have together,secure in the knowledge that your actions are all positive,

                                                                         david

Hello there

I am sorry to hear about the situation you find yourself and I can see it must be difficult to know what to believe at the moment.

Unfortunately no one here will be able to say if your sister is lying I'm afraid and it is important to try and sit down and ask her some more specific information about her cancer ( stage) and treatment names, if you can.

Some patients do receive chemotherapy and other cancer treatments at home, either taken in tablet form or through a drip. When treatment is no longer working often there are alternatives that are tried to treat the cancer instead, this may also come in several forms being tablets, Intravenous or as an injection with different timings and frequencies depending on the drug.

Whilst patients are usually discouraged from drinking alcohol during treatment the odd one on special occasions can be okay to have.

Not all cancer treatments and chemotherapy will cause hair loss and as long as there are no scalp or skin issues some people will continue to colour their hair throughout treatment with guidance from the medical team involved.

We have information on liver cancer and it's treatments here. Interestingly you can read that usually if chemotherapy is given it is directly instead into the liver itself called trans arterial chemo embolisation (tace) that takes place in a xray radiology unit.

Targeted cancer or immunotherapy drugs are however also used for liver cancer here and these can be given as tablets or through a drip. Some patients may also refer to these as chemo so it is best not to jump too quickly to any conclusions until you know more.

I'm afraid only time and more information from your sister is going to give you the answers you are looking for. As others have said on here offer to attend an appointment with her to support her and see what she has to say.

Take care

Naomi

Hi, thank you for the reply. 
 

I spoken to her yesterday as that's when she started her injections. She said they are called Bevacizumab injections? Does that correspond to what she is telling me? When I asked what they were called I was expecting her to give an excuse saying she forgot or didn't know how to spell it etc 

Hello,

As my colleague says,  it is difficult for us to know if your sister has cancer or not.

But what I can say, is that Bevacizumab is a drug that is used to treat many different types of cancer. I have placed a link to it here. 

Take care,

Sarah.