Cancer Research UK main site

Best friend diagnosed with liver cancer last year. Struggling with the speed of his diagnosis and being so far away from him

Caro-1
Offline

Good morning :)

Maybe an unusual post but here goes!

My best friend and his wife live in Europe and he was diagnosed with liver cancer in November 23.

His tumour is currently inoperable as it is very large.

He’s just been through 4 cycles of immunotherapy to try and reduce its size , awaiting scan result in 3 weeks.

He’s lost a lot of weight, can only sleep for an hour at a time and of course, other symptoms.

He’s struggling to speak for any time in the phone as he becomes very breathless and tired.

He’s adamant that he doesn’t want people to visit him and I respect this, and the reasons why.

However, I’m struggling with his diagnosis and the sheer speed of its advance, he’s only 59.  
Its difficult being so far away, feel very disconnected atm.

Thanks for reading,

C x

  • Welcome to Cancer Chat, C.

    I'm sorry to hear about your friend's situation. It's incredibly tough to see a close friend facing such a challenging situation, especially when you're unable to be physically present with them. 

    While your friend may not want visitors, it's important to respect their wishes and find alternative ways to support them from a distance. Regular communication through phone calls, video chats, or even sending thoughtful messages and care packages can make a significant difference in letting your friend know that you're there for them.

    Hopefully, other forum members who have had similar experiences with their loved ones with cancer will come along shortly to offer words of advice and support soon.

    All the best,

    Renata, Cancer Chat Moderator

  • Offline

    hi hun so sorry to hear this, my mam is de same, just diagnosed with stage 3 liver cancer but in de portal vein and very aggressive within 6/8 months it shot from stage 1 to stage 3, she is startn immunoterapy on mon once every 28 days for 3 months, hopin to even shrink them or kewp it at bay, wat stage is ur friend at? did de immunoterapy help him or did he get bad side affects? so unsure about it here in ireland 

Speak to a nurse

Quick links

Follow us

Registered with Fundraising Regulator (logo)
Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ.