Brain Met - Options

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Hi Guys,

 

This is my first post.  Last week my Girlfriend was diagnosed with a 4cm Brain Met at the back of the frontal lobe.  It seems to be near the Motor Cortex.  She is only 32 HER+ and E+.  This is the only Met, and the rest of the body is clear on a CT scan last week.  We are waiting to hear if Surgery or Radio Surgery is possible.  Has anyone else had an experience similar to this?  Also I was wondering if you can have WBRT to shrink the tumor and then either Surgery or RadioSurgery.

 

Thanks

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Hi

so sorry that you have to find yourself in this position having to ask questions about such a scary diagnosis for your girlfriend.

There are a couple of threads in the. Living with SBC section of this forum that I will ‘bump’ up so that you can see them more easily, it’s not the easiest of layouts so it won’t be obvious to you that others have asked similar questions before. Although I have SBC I don’t have brain mets to my knowledge so can’t add any experience but others have had treatment for brain mets. Just one question, is it definitely a brain met and not a primary brain tumour? I have not heard of SBC only showing up in the brain and no other organ or bones so I was just wondering how the diagnosis was made, sorry if I’m prying or not helping by asking this.

Nicky x

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Hi Freakzilla, I’m sorry you find yourself posting here. Like Nicky I also have secondaries, not as far as I know to the brain, but I have heard of others who have had secondaries to brain only and not elsewhere. You may want to look into cyber knife availability for your girlfriend as unlike whole brain radio it can be repeated. Single or very few mets are normally favoured for cyber knife but there’s also the actual position of the met to be taken into account. 

If you and your girlfriend feel the need for a second opinion and don’t already attend there you could get an urgent referral, via your current Onc or GP to either the Royal Marsden or Christies. Good luck and best wishes to you both. X

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Tumour was completely removed on Friday.  Girlfriend is home already and feels OK, just tired.

 

So Happy.

 

Meeting with the Onc in two weeks for next plan.  Hopefully a SRS boost and Herceptin for a while.

 

Thanks everyone.

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Great news.  So pleased it went well. x

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I came across a case where a lady had one brain met which was removed. She was treated with hormone therapy and has had no other mets some 18 years later. I read it online but can’t remember exact sight though I believe it was a medical site.

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Hi.  Sorry for late reply.  I had my tumour removed and then no other treatment apart from tamoxifen and epilim.  I had MRI every three months and they took a watch and wait attitude rather than go down radiotherapy route.  I would advise you to check out what is right for you.  X

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Hi, I’ve recently had a craniotomy to remove a 2.5cm tumor at the tea of brain, right between the two halves of brain. Small nodule left so told radiotherapy. See onc in 2 wks to discuss treatment plan. Brain specialist nurse said there are a couple of chemos that can get through bloid/brain barrier with secondaries in brain, has anyone been down that path? She also mentioned some unpleasant side effects from radiotherapy, has anyone been down that route?

Xxx