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About Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D.
Expertise
I`m a doctor of medicine and a specialist in radiation therapy and medical oncology. I have long experience in diagnostics and treatment of breast tumours.

Experience
I'm a Doctor of Medicine. Licensed/certified physician and surgeon and specialist in Medical Oncology and Radiation therapy in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and the European Union. Background in Radiation Therapy, Medical Oncology, Radiation Protection, Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic Radiology, Gynecological Oncology, Clinical Pathology, Clinical Cytology,Hematology and Internal Medicine. M.D. from the faculty of medicine, Royal Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Have also been an exchange student at the Hebrew University, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem Israel. Former medical consultant, Swedish National Board of Radiation Protection. Former Police Surgeon and Medical Examiner, Stockholm Police Department. Former Chief Medical Officer, The Royal Guards, The Royal Horse Guards and the Royal Household Brigade, Royal Swedish Army Medical Corps. Now in private practice in Stockholm, Sweden.

I also answer questions about Oncology (General Cancer), General History, Military History, Brain Tumors, Colon Cancer

You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Women's Health > Breast Cancer > Dying of liver failure - mets from breast cancer

Breast Cancer - Dying of liver failure - mets from breast cancer

Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 11/5/2009

Question
Please help me understand the dying process. My 35 year niece has stage iv breast cancer with mets to the lung, bones, brain and now liver. She has been told she has weeks because she is in complete liver failure. Liver was markedly failing but now was told, complete liver failure. I want to understand, what to expect as she is dying. The jaundice is already markedly present, she is getting more tire but she blames that one being busy. Her doc has said it will be painless, that she will just get more and more tired. PLEASE, PLEASE, help me understand what to expect. What happens after the jaundice? What are the signs that her body is shutting down? ANY info you can give me would be appreciated. I have been looking all over the web, trying to find in laymens terms, what the process will be. I know everyone is different, etc... but shed any light you can! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

Answer
If her liver fails she will become more and more jaundiced because her liver can no longer transport bilirubine (a break down product of the body's normal metabolism) from her blood to her bile ducts and gall bladder. So her bilirubine blood level will go up and that will make her more and more jaundiced. At the same time her liver will no longer be able to detoxify other toxic products from her metabolism too in her blood stream. This is due to that her breast cancer metastases are growing in her liver replacing liver tissues with cancer. In the end there will not be enough liver tissues left for proper function. So her own metabolism will poison her with these toxic products. She will become unconscious and fall into a coma ("liver coma") and then pass away. There will be no pain. I'm sorry I have nothing better to tell you!

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