Dad's Liver Cancer and lack of action

[TwinkleSparkleBling]

My Dad was diagnosed with liver cancer, caused by another illness, at the start of January. It was a shock but he was told it had been found early and was treatable.

He was referred to a different hospital and agreed treatment (removal of the tumours). Two weeks later he saw a consultant when a different treatment was agreed (removal of the tumours and a liver transplant). He was told the removal would be within 2 weeks at that hospital.

Another 3 weeks passed with no contact, despite him calling and leaving messages for his co coordinator. In desperation my Mum made contact with the hospital yesterday. The consultant called him back today and it seems that yet again there has been a change of plan. They are now waiting on another hospital to come back to them and have further assessments.

Nothing actually seems to be being done, he was told that he would have the tumours removed within 2 weeks to prevent the cancer spreading and then await a liver transplant.

We are terrified that this lack of action will mean that the cancer will spread. No one is communicating with him and the goal posts keep changing.

What should we be doing?

I don't have experience, but in your shoes I would pester the hospital on a regular basis tbh.

That said, your Mum's call may have put wheels in motion, which is good. But I think I would be on the phone to them (it should probably be your mum though, or your dad if he's well enough to call them) saying the not knowing and waiting without information is causing great distress, and that better communication is needed.

Maybe not relevent at all, but fwiw I know several people who had liver cancer as a result of another illness (hep c) and have had transplants with great success. Hang in there x

just wanted to say your not alone, my dp has been getting messed about by hospitals since last September, he had leg cancer last year and they removed it and he had radio therapy, on his last session he had a chest x-ray, they found the cancer had gone to his lung, they did a scan and refered him to another consultant, by the time they had done this it was November, told they would repeat scan 1st week in January and operate 2nd week in January, went for scan but didn't get a date for operaton I kept phoning then they gave him another out patient appointment, say it's spread to other lung and other lung cancer is bigger than 1st, still going to operate mid of feb, we are still waiting. I keep phoning but get nowhere.
all we can do is stay strong and support him

Is his GP proactive? You could contact your dads GP and demand that something is done ASAP. The GP can then contact the hospital and ruffle a few feathers.

Also contact PALs and complain about lack of communication.

Hey. My mum had cancer on her liver twice. It started off as bowel cancer, and then it ended up spreading to her liver.

The first time, they took half of her liver away, and no chemo. All was good, the liver regrew, but then there was spotting of cancer on her liver, and they burnt that out, but gave my mum chemo first iirc. The liver regenerates itself.

Please do now contact the hospital and get on their case ASAP. Once you have got onto them, and hot on their heels, you will get dealt with sharpish.