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06-07-2007, 03:13 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Streetsboro, Ohio
Posts: 365
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Brain MRI for possible brain mets
I had an MRI of my cervical spine May 30th to find the origin of the numbness and tingling in my left hand. A 4mm spot was seen in my cerebellum. I had an MRI of my brain Tues., June 5th and will get the result Fri., morning from my rad. onc. My last brain MRI was last fall with negative results for brain mets.
I had an appt. Mon., June 4th with the surgeon who put the catheter in my left pleural area for home drainage. The ex-ray prior to the appt. showed more air in my lung, but I still have allot of fluid surrounding it. He upped the home procedure(husband does this for me) to 3x per week instead of 2x. His goal is to have room for the lung to re-inflate and lessen the area for fluid to build up.
My youngest daughter was admitted to the hospital yesterday with possible mononucleosis. The test came back negative along with several other tests. She also had an ultrasound of her splien, which is enlarged. I will find out more today.
It just goes to show things don't wait for us to be all better before they happen to the rest of the world.
Please pray for us.
Love and Blessings, Lu Ann
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06-07-2007, 03:59 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Posts: 2,582
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Sending love and prayers your way Luann.
Mary Jo
__________________
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++ RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node No Vasucular Invasion 4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin 1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks 28 rads prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06
17 Years NED
<>< Romans 8:28
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06-07-2007, 03:39 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: London, England
Posts: 96
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Lu Ann, this must be a tense time for you. The waiting is hard, and you have the added worry over your daughter too. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow morning, please let us know how things are when you are able.
Love
Caroline
__________________
Caroline
Diag. March 10th 2006, aged 46.
Invasive ductal carcinoma, 2cm + multifocal. Stage 2, Grade 3
HER2+++, ER+/PR+
Right mast. May 2006. 6 of 20 nodes positive
FEC x 4, taxotere x 4; port implanted after 6 cycles
Rads x 25
1 year of Herceptin ended Nov 07.
Arimidex 5 years
Considering reconstruction, maybe soon...
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06-07-2007, 04:52 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,756
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Lu Ann, I'll be thinking of you and your daughter and sending prayers your way.
<3 Lolly
__________________
Sept.'99 - Dx.Stage IIIB, IDC ER/PR-, HER2+++ by IHC, confirmed '04 by FISH. Left MRM, AC x's 4, Taxol x's 4, 33 Rads, finishing Tx May 2000. Jan.'01 - local/regional recurrence, Stage IV. Herceptin/Navelbine weekly till NED August 2001, then maintenance Herceptin. Right Mast. April 2002. Local/Regional recurrence April '04, Herceptin plus/minus chemo until May '07. Gemzar added from Feb.'07-April '07; Tykerb/Abraxane until August '07, back on Herceptin plus Taxotere and Xeloda Sept. '07. Stopped T/X Nov. '07, stopped Herceptin Dec. '07, started Avastin/Taxol/Carboplatin Dec. '07. Progression in chest skin, stopped TAC March '03, started radiation.
Herceptin has served as the "Backbone" of my treatment strategy for over 6 years, giving me great quality of life. In 2005, I was privileged to participate in the University of Washington/Seattle HER2 Vaccine Trial.
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06-07-2007, 05:12 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 3,207
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Well, LuAnn, yes I guess lifes little speed bumps wait for no man. Or is it no scan?
I haven't been following closely, but it sounds like although you are still working on it, that the situation with your lungs is improving? More air would seem to be a good thing to me!
The spot seen on your cerebellum should be quite treatable. I'll be praying with you that the brain MRI turns up nothing new.
Much love
chris
__________________
Chris in Scotts Valley
June 2002 extensive hi grade DCIS (pre-cancer-stage 0, clean sentinal node) Mastectomy/implant - no chemo, rads. "cured?"
9/2004 Diag: Stage IV extensive liver mets (!) ER/PR- Her2+++
10/04-3/05 Weekly Taxol/Carboplatin/Herceptin , complete response!
04/05 - 4/07 Herception every 3 wks, Continue NED
04/07 - recurrence to liver - 2 spots, starting tykerb/avastin trial
06/07 8/07 10/07 Scans show stable, continue on Tykerb/Avastin
01/08 Progression in liver
02/08 Begin (TDM1) trial
08/08 NED! It's Working! Continue on TDM1
02/09 Continue NED
02/10 Continue NED. 5/10 9/10 Scans NED 10/10 Scans NED
12/10 Scans not clear....4/11 Scans suggest progression 6/11 progression confirmed in liver
07/11 - 11/11 Herceptin/Xeloda -not working:(
12/11 Begin MM302 Phase I trial - bust:(
03/12 3rd times the charm? AKT trial
5/12 Scan shows reduction! 7/12 More reduction!!!!
8/12 Whoops...progression...trying for Perjeta/Herceptin (plus some more nasty chemo!)
9/12 Start Perjeta/Herceptin, chemo on hold due to infection/wound in leg, added on cycle 2 &3
11/12 Poops! progression in liver, Stop Perjeta/Taxo/Herc
11/12 Navelbine/Herce[ptin - try for a 3 cycles, no go.
2/13 Gemzar/Carbo/Herceptin - no go.
3/13 TACE procedure
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06-07-2007, 05:54 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
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I'll be thinking of you and your daughter. Best wishes for both of you.
__________________
Kind regards
Becky
Found lump via BSE
Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45
1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
2 micromets to sentinel node
Stage 2A
left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg
lumpectomies 9/7/04
4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol
Used Leukine instead of Neulasta
35 rads on right side only
4/05 started Tamoxifen
Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to
trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations
Oophorectomy 8/05
Started Arimidex 9/05
Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06
Arimidex Only
Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia
NED 18 years!
Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"
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06-07-2007, 06:00 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 1,516
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Lu Ann...
Done. Take care and God bless. BIG huggs.
Rhonda
__________________
Rhonda
Dx 2/1/05, Stage 1, 0 nodes, Grade 3, ER/PR-, HER2+ (3.16 Fish)
2/7/05, Partial Mastectomy
5/18/05 Finished 6 rounds of dose dense TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin and Cytoxan)
8/1/05 Finished 33 rads
8/18/05 Started Herceptin, every 3 weeks for a year (last one 8/10/06)
2/1/13...8 year Cancerversary and I am "perfect" (at least where cancer is concerned;)
" And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln
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06-07-2007, 06:34 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: northshore suburb of chicago
Posts: 1,093
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Sending lots of prayers your way for both you and your daughter.
__________________
~Rina~
Dx:3/06 had a lumpectomy April 19, 2006
Her2+ er/pr- Stage I Grade 3 tumor size 1.4 cm, node negative
AC 4 dense doses
34 radiation treatments including booster doses
receiving herceptin every 3 weeks since late August 2006 for 12 months
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06-07-2007, 06:37 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: indianapolis, indiana
Posts: 1,544
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How long has your daughter been sick? My son had mono last fall. First test was neg, but the second about 4 days later was pos. Hope that everything works out okay.
__________________
dxd 9-04, lumpectomy,
st 1, gr 3, er,pr-, her2 +,
2 tac,33 rads,6 cmf
1 yr herceptin,
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06-14-2007, 05:01 AM
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#10
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Webmaster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Home of the "Flying Tomato"
Carlsbad, CA
Posts: 2,036
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Luanne,
Feel free to call Christine anytime. I will email you our phone number. Here is a link to Gamma Knife "Centers of Excellence" in the midwest.:
http://www.irsa.org/midwst.html
You may also wish to get a second opinion from Dr. Keith Black's grou[ at the Maxine Durnitz Neroulogical Center in Los Angeles. De. Black is perhaps the nation's best neurosurgeons in the US.
Regards
Joe
__________________
A Proud webmaster to the internet's most informed, educated, COMPASSIONATE and caring group of breast cancer survivors.
Illegitimi non carborundum
My Album
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06-14-2007, 12:20 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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LuAnn - another perspective from someone with brain mets...
We found my brain mets in April on MRI. I have no symptoms at all from the mets. There were two that were 9mm (one in the rt celebellum area and one in the rt parietal area) and several punctates, which look like the period at the end of this sentence. At the time, my docs went back and forth and finally agreed that WBR would be the prudent way to go. We also knew that we were switching my drugs to Tykerb/Xeloda. I was not ready for WBR, didn't think that is what I wanted to do at that point. I was leaning towards the targeted 'whack-a-mole' method, wanting to save WBR for last resort down the road. So, I asked my onc and rads onc if they were comfortable with us doing 'watchful waiting' for a month or 6 weeks to see what the Tykerb/Xeloda might do. They agreed that it would be a reasonable way to approach it. So that's what we did. I had an MRI last week, and it showed that there was no growth at all of the brain spots. They had remained completely stable on the Tykerb/Xeloda, and that one of the 9mm spots was less enhanced, which the radiologist said was a positive thing. Along with that great MRI result, my tumor markers fell from 37.5 to 17.5. My onc and rads onc both agree that we can continue 'watchful waiting' for another 6-8 weeks and do another MRI before we make any other decisions....
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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06-23-2007, 08:32 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Eastern NC
Posts: 65
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Lu Ann,
Thinking through options and then waiting for the next decision can be agonizing. Just wanted you to know you're in my thoughts and prayers daily. Let us know how you're doing.
Warmest wishes,
Rentrac
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06-24-2007, 08:03 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Bradenton,FL
Posts: 977
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Dear LuAnn,
Just wanted to let you know that you'll be in my thoughts and prayers. Hoping that you are able to find the treatment that nails those mets!
Marcia
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06-24-2007, 09:25 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Riverside, CA
Posts: 484
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I second what Joe says about Dr. Keith Black. He was one of the neuro-surgeons I consulted when I was first panicked about my brain mets in my cerebellum in January 06. I chose to receive my brain mets care there.
He is brilliant! He thinks outside the box, and explains his opinion and just gives you his opinion straight out. He is also an incredibly talented surgeon.
My success in dealing with my brain mets, and as of last Wed being able to say I am NED from 3 lesions in my brain, is due in large part to Dr. Black's phenomenal team at Cedar-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute.
Also Dr. Black and his team are all active in their particular hobbies, Dr. Black skydives and mountain climbs, Dr. Yu skiis, etc. They understood my need for a high quality of life continuing the sports I love. Just weeks after surgery to remove a lesion in my cerebellum this March, Dr. Yu cleared me for spring snow skiing. Now that's an understanding surgeon!!!
Last edited by Esther; 06-24-2007 at 09:29 PM..
Reason: adding more information
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06-30-2007, 04:44 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Streetsboro, Ohio
Posts: 365
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I havn't been on board for the last 2 weeks. I was admitted to the hospital with double vision June 14 and I started WBR the following day. I have 5 more treatments. So far, so good. I know the fatigue will be coming, although I sleep all the time now. The double vision is just about gone. I don't know if it is the tx. or the decadron, but I'll take it. I fell last week from being dizzy and I don't want to do that again. My knees just buckled down underneath me. Thank you all for your cares and concerns. I will be in touch to let you know how things are going. Both my rad. and med. onc. say it's hard giving me a prognosis as my cancer is growing very slow. I guess that is a good way to think about it. Take care and God Bless You. Love, Lu Ann
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06-30-2007, 06:43 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: South Florida
Posts: 131
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Lu Ann
You are in my thoughts and Prayers. I hope you are feeling better soon. Hang in there, Hugs to you!
__________________
Lala
DX Fall05 Stage 4 er+ pr+ her2+ liver and bone mets
DX Fall06 Brain mets, Brain mets gone Spring 2007
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06-30-2007, 07:09 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 105
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Sometimes, when we are at our weakest, that's when our true strength emerges. I'm praying and pulling for you, too.
Steph C
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06-30-2007, 09:56 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Bradenton,FL
Posts: 977
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Lu Ann,
Sending you strength and love from Mississippi. Wish there was something more...
many warm hugs,marcia
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06-30-2007, 01:23 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Lumberton, Mississippi
Posts: 118
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Sending prayer and good thoughts to you also Lu An.
Take care of yourself and sleep as much as you want.
Hugs,
Linda
S. Mississippi
__________________
Diagnosed 12/23/04
Biopsy 12/28/04
Lumpectomy 1/04/05
IDC, ER-PR-, HER2Neu+++
7mm tumor, Stage 1, Grade 3
6 CAF's
38 Rads
Finished 10/05
"Worry looks around. Sorry looks back. Faith looks up."
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07-01-2007, 04:37 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Eastern NC
Posts: 65
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Dear LuAnn,
I've been worried about you! Sounds like the last couple of weeks have been too exciting. From your description, WBR sounds like it is a sanity and life saver treatment for you. Symptoms from brain mets are SCARY! Mine were just beginning, and even though I thought I was just getting extraordinarily klutzy (I had a cerebellar tumor), finding out the cause of the headaches, my museum quality bruises from running into things and my inability to pass all the neurological tests (like finger to nose with my eyes closed) took me days to get used to. Decadron is a mlixed blessing too- I felt GREAT at first: super clear thinking and my old energy as well! OF course, that soon changed and it took two tries to get titrated off the stuff. Three weeks later, I'm delighted to be losing the amazing "moon face", the Santa Belly, and the buffalo hump on my back are very slowly going down, and my skin doesn't feel like it's only one cell layer deep... I think it's up to 3 cells deep instead. But for all it's miserable side effects, Decadron sure made life more livable when I needed it. Hope it is doing the same for you.
Know that you and your family stay in my thoughts and prayers.
Warmest regards, Rentrac
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