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Joan M · 08-26-2011, 12:49 PM

D.W.,

It's probably better to keep zapping the mets as long as possible.

I had a brain met in Oct. 2008. A radiation oncologist and a neurosurgeon recommended surgery due to the size of the lesion (2.6 cm) and the fact that it was deep. They said I would get better control with surgery followed by radiation. The lesion was in the left frontal lobe.

The surgery went okay. The worst part was my head being wrapped very tightly with wide surgical gauze for the first 2 days in the hospital, which hurt somewhat. I was hospitalized for 4 days.

I took Decadron for a month, and because the drug is a steroid it started driving me nuts by making me hyper and also gaving me insomnia. Fortunately, I was not given the drug when I had the radiation. I returned to work in a month.

Six weeks after the surgery I had 5 dosages of targeted radiation (IMRT) over a week.

The side effects were minimal other than it seemed at first that my legs were weak (I would go out walking every day), and I had a sense of loosing my balance sometimes. For example, when in a drug store, I would hold on to the end of an aisle when I was going from aisle to aisle.

Joan

08-26-2011, 12:49 PM	#3
Joan M Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,851	Re: brain surgery and Gamma Knife D.W., It's probably better to keep zapping the mets as long as possible. I had a brain met in Oct. 2008. A radiation oncologist and a neurosurgeon recommended surgery due to the size of the lesion (2.6 cm) and the fact that it was deep. They said I would get better control with surgery followed by radiation. The lesion was in the left frontal lobe. The surgery went okay. The worst part was my head being wrapped very tightly with wide surgical gauze for the first 2 days in the hospital, which hurt somewhat. I was hospitalized for 4 days. I took Decadron for a month, and because the drug is a steroid it started driving me nuts by making me hyper and also gaving me insomnia. Fortunately, I was not given the drug when I had the radiation. I returned to work in a month. Six weeks after the surgery I had 5 dosages of targeted radiation (IMRT) over a week. The side effects were minimal other than it seemed at first that my legs were weak (I would go out walking every day), and I had a sense of loosing my balance sometimes. For example, when in a drug store, I would hold on to the end of an aisle when I was going from aisle to aisle. Joan __________________ Diagnosed stage 2b in July 2003 (2.3 cm, HER2+, ER-/PR-, 7+ nodes). Treated with mastectomy (with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction), AC + T/Herceptin (off label). Cancer advanced to lung in Jan. 2007 (1 cm nodule). Started Herceptin every 3 weeks. Lung wedge resection April 2007. Cancer recurred in lung April 2008. RFA of lung in August 2008. 2nd annual brain MRI in Oct. 2008 discovered 2.6 cm cystic tumor in left frontal lobe. Craniotomy Oct. 2008 (ER-/PR-/HER2-) followed by targeted radiation (IMRT). Coughing up blood Feb. 2009. Thoractomy July 2009 to cut out fungal ball of common soil fungus (aspergillus) that grew in the RFA cavity (most likely inhaled while gardening). No cancer, only fungus. Removal of tiny melanoma from upper left arm, plus sentinel lymph node biopsy in Feb. 2016. Guardant Health liquid biopsy in Feb. 2016 showed mutations in 4 subtypes of TP53. Repeat of Guardant Health biopsy in Jana. 2021 showed 3 TP53 mutations, BRCA1 mutation and CHEK2 mutation. Invitae genetic testing showed negative for all of these. Living with MBC since 2007. Stopped Herceptin Hylecta (injection) treatment in March 2020. Recent 2021 annual CT of chest, abdomen and pelvis and annual brain MRI showed NED. Praying for NED forever!!