Hi Justice1

I also have an indeterminate liver lesion, mine was also picked up by an ultrasound following blood tests for another issue, all of my bloods were within range apart from my ALP liver reading.  I have had a ct scan and also an mri scan, but they are still not able to be sure whether it is benign or malignant.  Mine is very large (11cm x 6cm x 6cm) and close to the main blood supply into my liver, so after a mdt meeting they have decided to go straight to surgery to remove it and will then test it to hopefully confirm it is benign.

From what I can gather lesions are very common on the liver, usually a ct and mri can confirm if they are malignant or not. It is good that your partner is fit and well and good blood results.  From what I read on the subject it is quite unusual for primary liver cancer to occur unless the patient has had history of heavy alcohol use or has very advanced liver disease, which would normally cause their bloods to be alot higher.  That is what is keeping me sane at the moment, staying hopeful that it be ok!

The waiting for scans and results is tough, try to keep busy and not get too worried. 

All the best

Annie

Dear Annie,

Thank you so much for your kind response and I am really sorry to hear about your own struggles. I truly hope the further investigation will rule out the malignancy. I agree,the uncertainty makes it really hard to cope. I am an over thinker and my mind takes me to very dark places. Your message gave me some hope and I wish you all the best.Please keep me posted once you have some answers.

Hi Justice1

Hope that you are holding up ok, did your partner get any news from the consultation on the 24th?  I am hoping that it was good news and hopefully benign.

I had my pre-op on thursday and have been deemed fit for surgery, which should be in the next 2-3 weeks.

I'm keeping everything crossed for you!

Best wishes

Annie

Hi Annie,

Thank you so much for thinking of me.

Well,the appointment on 24th got cancelled. In the meantime they put an MRI with contrast forward and we are currently waiting for the results. Also yesterday we received a letter to make some blood tests,which will happen tomorrow. The waiting is just driving me insane. Over the last week I was relatively positive given the circumstances ,but today wasn’t a good day and I couldn’t stop crying. I keep everything crossed for you as well. Hopefully your surgery will go smoothly and I am wishing you a very quick recovery.

Oh I am sorry to here that the consultation got cancelled, however at least the mri scan has been done and they are doing more bloods.  Hopefully when you do get the consultation, they will hopefully have the full facts in front of them to tell you what is going on.

Sometimes we need to have a good cry and release the pressure before we can pick ourselves up and carry on.  I hope that your partner is coping with the waiting ok.  I sometimes think that it is harder for the loved ones, feeling helpless, I know that my husband is really struggling with the not knowing.  I am doing lots of walking at the moment to ensure my heart and lungs are ok for the op, I am dragging hubby out with me, I am finding that the exercise is really helping both of our moods.

I keep everything crossed for you that you get good news when you get the results.  Please let me know how it goes, its also good for anyone searching the forum at a later date for answers to have a conclusion to our stories.

Best wishes

Annie

Hi Annie,

We are also doing a lot of walking lately,it seems to be the only thing that helps us to lower slightly the tension. Waiting doesn’t help,especially given that I am an over thinker. My partner is also struggling but I guess I am more expressive in terms of showing how I feel. I will send an update once we have more knowledge, please also keep me posted. All the best! I will be thinking of you.

Justyna

Hi Justyna

How are things going with you and your partner, any news on mri results and a consultation?

I am now 11 days post-op and doing well, tumor and central wedge of liver removed,  in quite a bit of discomfort when moving around, but also getting lots of rest.

I wont get my results on whether the tumor was benign or cancerous for another 4 weeks, so I am just carrying on with belief that its benign, time will tell.

Really keeping fingers crossed that you are a bit further forward, with some anwers.

All the best

Annie

Dear Annie,

Apologies for the late response,we had to chase some of the results to get all the answers.Luckily it turned out to be a liver hemangioma, in fact there are several of them, but they are all benign and no further treatment is required. We are surprised as one of them is actually big (4cm), but I must admit it’s a huge relief. Also ALT level is not elevated anymore. I truly hope your tumour is also benign and fingers crossed for your smooth and speedy recovery. I know that the waiting is tough but hopefully you will get your answers soon. Please keep me posted and take care of yourself.

All the best!

Justyna

Oh that is fantastic news, I am so pleased for you both!

You can finally relax and both get on with living your lives again, without the worry hanging over you.

All the best

Annie

Hello Annie,

How are you? How is your recovery going?

I am thinking about you and truly hope you got your answers and it was also a positive outcome. 

All the best.

Justyna

Hi Justyna

I am plodding along thanks, still cannot believe how sore I am inside.  I am 4 weeks post-op today, hubby says that I have improved alot, I guess I am just impatient.  However, I dont think that anything is wrong, it just takes time to heal, I was told it could be 3 months before I recover fully.

Still no news whether it was malignant or benign, I am waiting for my follow up appointment (they did say between 4-6 weeks).  However, I am still fairly upbeat and quite confident it will be ok.  The main thing is that it has been removed, even if it turns out to be cancer, for a primary tumor that is the desired first treatment if possible.

Now, as happy as I am that you have checked in on me, you need to be enjoying your lives now that you dont have that worry hanging over you, not checking into a cancer forum!  :-)

Go and have some fun!

All the best

Annie

Hi Justyna

Just a quick update for you and anyone that may look at this thread in the future, looking for answers and hope regarding liver tumours / lesions. 

After a very long 8 weeks after surgery, I have just had my results that my tumour was also a benign one!

So I can also breathe again and move forward with my life too.

All the best for you and your partner.

Annie

Hi Justyna

Just a quick update for you and anyone that may look at this thread in the future, looking for answers and hope regarding liver tumours / lesions. 

After a very long 8 weeks after surgery, I have just had my results that my tumour was also a benign one!

So I can also breathe again and move forward with my life too.

All the best for you and your partner.

Annie

Dear Annie,

I am so happy to read your update, it’s been a long way! It must have been such a relief after so many months of waiting.

Now you can finally think of other things, I bet your husband is also extremely happy with the outcome.

Wishing you all the best and thank you so much for being a great support for me, your words of wisdom helped me a lot in my darkest days.

Justyna

Thx to both of you for your updates. It has given me reason to hope. I have just started a similar process here in Canada.  CT scan in late Feb implied simple cyst. Ultrasound this week in March declared it solid and lobed though, so I'm waiting in an MRI now to try and figure out what i have, as it doesn't fit neatly into any box.,  I will try the "assume its benign until told otherwise" and start walking more. Hoping for the best.

Hi lkegger

Sorry that you find yourself here with this worry.  Hold onto the fact that primary liver cancer is more unusual unless you already have liver disease.  The vast majority of times these lesions turn out to be benign.  Hopefully the MRI will clarify a bit more as to what it actually is.

I am not sure whether this is relevant (depending on your age and sex), but my adenoma was likely caused by long term use of the contraceptive pill. 

I hope that you get a date for your MRI scan soon and then get results quickly.

Try to stay positive!

Best wishes

Annie

Hi Annie,

Thanks for replying so quickly! I am 54.5yrs old and female. I was on the pill continuously for over 14 years to control my periods, however i stopped that about 6 years ago when i had a uterine polyp. I have been on other hormone therapies [estrogel and progesterone] since then though. Honestly if i hadn't had a clean US 11 months ago i probably wouldn't be so worried. 

One doc said if it was hormone driven there would likely have been something there then, even if it was smaller last year. Though they can fluctuate with hormone levels, and lord knows mine are still kicking off even though i should have gone through menopause by now!

The strange thing is the pain that they were investigating in 2024 - when i had clean scans- is the same as i have now. So may be completely unrelated to the lesion. 

My body is like a classic UK crime thriller with multiple red herrings! 

I have just heard i wont have a date for my MRI until mid next week while another radioologist reviews the US and CT reports. However it should only be 2-3 weeks until the scan as i am privately paying to expedite it. Otherwise i would be waiting 3-6 months. My brain couldn't cope with that! I'm not much good at compartmentalizing! ;) thanks for replying.. Adenoma or FNH seems the most likely, i will try and look for horses not zebras when i head hoof beats!

Well my consultant has told me that these things can just pop up for no apparent reason.  I had a follow up ultrasound in January and they have found another lesion on my liver.  I spoke to my consultant yesterday, she cannot say if it was showing on my MRI last June, no mention of it on the report, but that may have been because they were concentrating on the darn great thing hanging off my liver! My consultant wanted me to have another MRI scan, but it was turned down as not required.  They are confident that it is a benign one, so I guess that I also have to believe that there is nothing to worry about.....again! :-)  However, I have blood tests and ultrasounds every 6 months for the next 10 years, so I am reassuring myself that if it starts growing, they will see it!

Good luck with it, let me know how you get on.

Hello Ikegger,

I'm really sorry to hear that you're going through such a tough time. I can truly relate, as I was in a similar situation not long ago, and I know how crucial it is to focus on something positive while waiting for results and tests. I would absolutely encourage you to assume it's benign until you're told otherwise, as annie123 mentioned, the vast majority of these lesions are indeed benign. I was surprised to learn that something like this can happen and that it’s actually quite common. My partner also has multiple benign liver lesions, and thankfully, they’ve remained stable. The doctors aren't sure why he has them, but at least they are being monitored and aren’t growing.

I really hope the MRI gives you the clarity you need soon. Sending you positive thoughts and wishing you the best of luck with your upcoming tests. Please keep us updated!

Take care,
Justyna

Hi Annie,

I'm really sorry to hear that you have another lesion to be investigated. I know how unsettling that can be, but I would hold on to the fact that the doctors are confident this is benign. It's a good thing that you’re having regular checks, as it helps keep everything under control. Stay positive, and hopefully, the results bring some reassurance. 

Take care!

Justyna

Hi Justyna

Thanks, I am ok, it was just a bit of a blow to be in the uncertainty again.  But I trust the doctors that they know what the are looking at, also I know that I am very lucky in the fact that they are monitoring me so closely, for such a long time.

Just got to trust the process!

Hope that you and your partner are doing well.

Regards

Annie.

oh wow, also sorry you have a "new friend" oddly it does make me feel better that they can just "pop up" and be benign, as my concern was that mine wasnt there [apparently] 11 months ago and they supposedly grow very slowly! My Naturopath did also mention that some lesions are reactive to hormones, and that in late peri-menopause you can have "mega events" of hormone surges which might have literally added fuel to the fire, esp. as i am also taking low dose estrogen. So i am cutting back my estrogen dose just in case that is contributing. Thanks to both of you for replying. I have managed to go for a swim and get a hair cut today with my new chipper attitude!

So i had my private pay MRI last week. 

Results were sadly still inconclusive, though did suggest mostly like a "resolving hematoma" [even though i have had no recent blunt force trauma to my rib area!] with a differential diagnosis of possibly paracystic cyst [v unlikely] or "purely cystic mucinous at the carcinoma metastasis" , Also didn't look like typical benign cyst or HCC. Get an other scan in 3 months.

Of course i cant guarantee i can GET another scan in 3 months,, current wait lists in public sector are 3-6months. I could pay again myself i suppose, but really don't feel like dropping another $1300 CAD on it. Even if i did, i have no idea how i would then get it sent to a specialist to deal with whatever the heck it is!!

So there that. No real advise on who to do in the interim about pain management, or what will happen if it has changed. No specialist looking at it as far as i know.

good times.