my sister has gall bladder cancer that has spread to the liver and now is experiencing fluid build up in the abdomen in which they have found cancer cells and which has to be drained every couple of days  She is very weak and in pain from the fluid buidl up.  She was diagnosed over a year ago and has had chemo since with bad reactions.  Can you please give me a very frank diagnosis of what to expect next and how long she has to live.  Chemo is supposed to begin again tommorrow but she may be too weak to handle it.
Hi, Thanks for writing in. Sorry to hear about your sister who is having gall bladder cancer with liver metastasis. Cancer is a challenging diagnosis, but we have to treat it till the end. It appears that she is having stage 4 cancer. Unfortunately in this situation it is tough for the patient to survive more than 2 years however with expected response to chemotherapy and good supportive care a patient can have a better quality of life. Since she is having fluid collection in the abdomen regularly, it appears that the cancer is going out of control and the fluid generation is taking place rapidly. She is weak for chemotherapy, but that is the only way to extend her life by months. With care, she might survive for 6 months. Hope she is not in too much of pain. Please do not worry.