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Old 07-25-2018, 06:50 PM   #1
KatherineM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 94
Seeking Whole Brain Radiation Info

Hey, all. As some of you know, I was diagnosed with about 16 small brain mets in February, and had cyberknife to the biggest one in March. My next scan showed reduction in all of them. (I'm also on Haloven and Tykerb for lung mets.) New brain MRI this week shows progression, and new lesion, so doc wants me to do whole brain radiation, starting Aug. 1. I am scared and wary of WBR, but don't really think there's much of an alternative. Wondering if any of you have had experience with WBR, and what you think I should do. I'm terrified of getting symptoms of the brain mets, but equally terrified of side effects of WBR. Everything I read on the internet seems to say don't do WBR. Any advice, wisdom, experience would be very welcome. Thank you, thank you!
__________________
_______________________
Diagnosed 3/26/14 BC Stage 3a ER neg PR neg HER-2+
5 cm tumor in left breast, needle node biopsy positive
Started TCHP 4/25/14 - 6 rounds
Oncologist can no longer feel tumor, after 4th round
Chemo shrunk tumor to less than a mm
Lumpectomy and axillary node dissection 9/3/14
Radiation for 5 weeks, with boost
Herceptin until 4/3/15
CT Scan on 4/27 shows lung mets (lots of little ones on both sides, largest 1.6 cm) STAGE IV
Lung biopsy shows still HER2+++/ER-/PR-
Taxol with Herceptin and Perjeta May, June, July 2015
Lung mets reduced by 50%
Just H&P through Fall 2015
11/15 Progression
Back on Taxol with H&P January 2016
THP no longer working March 2016
Start Kadcyla 3/16 After first treatment, experienced low platelets, tongue turned black, had to have transfusion. Dry cough and shortness of breath for first week, improves over second and third.
4/16 Platelet transfusion after second treatment, blood blisters in mouth. Allergic reaction to platelets.
6/16 Kadcyla not working. Progression to liver, though lung mets smaller.
7/16 Start Xeloda and Tykerb.
11/16 Port infected. Taken out. Have to go off chemo.
1/17 Back on Xeloda and Tykerb
5/17 Tykerb and Herceptin
11/17 Navelbine and Herceptin
12/17 Progression in lungs, liver reevaluated, no progression
1/18 Haloven and Herceptin
2/18 Sloan Kettering consultation
3/18 Brain mets, 16 lesions, largest 16mm
3/18 Cyberknife to 16mm lesion
3/18 Haloven and Tykerb added
4/18 Scan shows all lesions significantly smaller! Some almost gone. Radiation oncologist says she's never seen anything like it
7/18 Brain scan shows progression, w/ with one new lesion. Don't want to do WBR. Will try for tucatinib.
8.15.18 Start Keytruda
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Old 07-26-2018, 03:37 PM   #2
Freakzilla
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 55
Re: Seeking Whole Brain Radiation Info

SRS Cyberknife and Gamma Knife can be used to treat multiple brain mets. My wife had 11 treated in one sitting and they have all gone now. She has had 20 treated over the back 30 months and only one of them is still showing enhancement. As long as any one lesion is smaller then 3cm and the total tumour burden is less then 20cc it can be done. People are routinely having over 20 lesions treated in a single session now. I have read of 29 in a single session!

It can be repeated if new lesions pop up and the side effects are minimal. The worst part is the frame fitting for Gamma Knife.

I would seek a second opinion.

Hope this helps.
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Old 07-26-2018, 06:03 PM   #3
SoCalGal
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: LA LA Land
Posts: 1,607
Re: Seeking Whole Brain Radiation Info

Ugh so sorry to read this - anything brain is so terrifying. I would do a clinical trial for brain mets before I'd do WBR. That tykerb helped the mets at first is good. Also, what about intrathecal Herceptin? There is a HER2 facebook group and you could also post there for info.

I know that TUCATINIB crosses the BBB, it's the HER2CLIMB trial. Will post more as I find it...
Stay focused
__________________
1996 cancer WTF?! 1.3 cm lumpectomy Er/Pr neg. Her2+ (20nodes NEGATIVE) did CMF + rads. NED.
2002 recurrence. Bilateral mastectomy w/TFL autologous recon. Then ACx2. Skin lymphatic rash. Taxotere w/Herceptin x4. Herceptin/Xeloda. Finally stops spreading.
2003 - Back to surgery, remove skin mets, and will have surgery one week later when pathology can confirm margins.
‘03 latisimus dorsi flap to remove skin mets. CLEAN MARGINS. Continue single agent Herceptin thru 4/04. NED.
‘04 '05 & 06 tiny recurrences - scar line. surgery to cut out. NED each time.
1/2006 Rads again, to scar line. NED.

3/07 Heartbreaking news - mets! lungs.sternum. Try Tykerb/Xeloda. Tykerb/Carbo/Gemzar. Switch Oncs.
12/07 Herceptin.Tykerb. Markers go stable.
2/8/08 gamma knife 13mm stupid brain met.
3/08 Herceptin/tykerb/avastin/zometa.
3/09 brain NED. Lungs STABLE.
4/09 attack sternum (10 daysPHOTONS.5 days ELECTRONS)
9/09 MARKERS normal!
3/10 PET/CT=manubrium intensely metabolically active but stable. NEDhead.
Wash out 5/10 for tdm1 but 6/10 CT STABLE, PET improving. Markers normal. Brain NED. Resume just Herceptin plus ZOMETA
Dec 2010 Brain NED, lungs/sternum stable. markers normal.
MAR 2011 stop Herceptin/allergy! Go back on Tykerb and switch to Xgeva.
May-Aug 2011 Tykerb Herceptin Xgeva.
Sept 2011 Tykerb, Herceptin, Zometa, Avastin.
April 2012 sketchy drug trial in NYC. 6 weeks later I’m NED!
OCT 2012 PET/CT shows a bunch of freakin’ progression. Back to LA and Herceptin.avastin.zometa.
12/20/12 add in PERJETA!
March 2013 – 5 YEARS POST continue HAPZ
APRIL 2013 - 6 yrs stage 4. "FAILED" PETscan on 4/2/13
May 2013: rePetted - improvement in lungs, left adrenal stable, right 6th rib inactive, (must be PERJETA avastin) sternum and L1 fruckin'worsen. Drop zometa. ADD Xgeva. Doc says get rads consultant for L1 and possible biopsy of L1. I say, no thanks, doc. Lets see what xgeva brings to the table first. It's summer.
June-August 2013HAPX Herceptin Avastin Perjeta xgeva.
Sept - now - on chemo hold for calming tummy we hope. Markers stable for 2 months.
Nov 2013 - Herceptin-Perjeta-Avastin-Xgeva (collageneous colitis, which explains tummy probs, added Entocort)
December '13 BRAIN MRI ned in da head.
Jan 2014: CONTINUING on HAPX…
FEB 2014 PetCT clinical “impression”: 1. newbie nodule - SUV 1.5 right apical nodule, mildly hypermetabolic “suggestive” of worsening neoplastic lesion. 2. moderate worsening of the sternum – SUV 5.6 from 3.8
3. increasing sclerosis & decreasing activity of L1 met “suggests” mild healing. (SUV 9.4 v 12.1 in May ‘13)
4. scattered lung nodules, up to 5mm in size = stable, no increased activity
5. other small scattered sclerotic lesions, one in right iliac and one in thoracic vertebral body similar in appearance to L1 without PET activity and not clearly pathologic
APRIL 2014 - 6 YRS POST GAMMA ZAP, 7 YRS MBC & 18 YEARS FROM ORIGINAL DX!
October 2014: hold avastin, continue HPX
Feb 2015 Cancer you lost. NEDHEAD 7 years post gamma zap miracle, 8 years ST4, +19 yrs original diagnosis.
Continue HPX. Adding back Avastin
Nov 2015 pet/ct is mixed result. L1 SUV is worse. Continue Herceptin/avastin/xgeva. Might revisit Perjeta for L1. Meantime going for rads consult for L1
December 2015 - brain stable. Continue Herceptin, Perjeta, Avastin and xgeva.
Jan 2016: 5 days, 20 grays, Rads to L1 and continue on HAPX. I’m trying to "save" TDM1 for next line. Hope the rads work to quiet L1. Sciatic pain extraordinaire :((
Markers drop post rads.
2/24/16 HAP plus X - markers are down
SCIATIC PAIN DEAL BREAKER.
3/23/16 Laminectomy w/coflex implant L4/5. NO MORE SCIATIC PAIN!!! Healing.
APRIL 2016 - 9 YRS MBC
July 2016 - continue HAP plus Xgeva.
DEC 2016 - PETCT: mets to sternum, lungs, L1 still about the same in size and PET activity. Markers not bad. Not making changes if I don't need to. Herceptin/Perjeta/Avastin/Xgeva
APRIL 2017 10 YEARS MBC
December 2017 - Progression - gonna switch it up
FEB 2018 - Kadcyla 3 cycles ---->progression :(
MAY30th - bronchoscopy, w/foundation1 - her2 enriched
Aug 27, 2018 - start clinical trial ZW25
JAN 2019 - ZW25 seems to be keeping me stable
APRIL 2019 - ONE DOZEN YEARS LIVING METASTATIC
MAY 2019 - progression back on herceptin add xeloda
JUNE 2019 - "6 mos average survival" LMD & CNS new single brain met - one zap during 5 days true beam SBRT to cord met
10/30/19 - stable brain and cord. progression lungs and bones. washing out. applying for ds8201a w nivolumab. hope they take me.
12/27/19 - begin ds8401a w nivolumab. after 2nd cycle nodes melt away. after 3rd cycle chest scan shows Improvement, brain MRI shows improvement, resolved areas & nothing new. switch to plain ENHERTU. after 4th cycle, PETscan shows mostly resolved or improved results. Markers near normal. I'm stunned but grateful.
10/26/20 - June 2021 Tucatinib/xeloda/herceptin - stable ish.
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Old 07-28-2018, 06:48 AM   #4
KatherineM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 94
Re: Seeking Whole Brain Radiation Info

Thanks, all. I've decided to hold off on WBR for now. It just doesn't feel right for me, since I am currently asymptomatic. Looking into tucatinib for compassionate use. Lung scan on Monday, then talk with onc. If lungs are also progressing, which I suspect, as my cough is getting worse, then we have to start from scratch. Currently on Haloven and Tykerb, which worked for about 7 months.
My hospital will not cyberknife more than 2-3 lesions. Certainly not 16-18. So that's not an option. Though, if one gets big, they can go back and zap it.

Flori, how are you? I think about you a lot!
__________________
_______________________
Diagnosed 3/26/14 BC Stage 3a ER neg PR neg HER-2+
5 cm tumor in left breast, needle node biopsy positive
Started TCHP 4/25/14 - 6 rounds
Oncologist can no longer feel tumor, after 4th round
Chemo shrunk tumor to less than a mm
Lumpectomy and axillary node dissection 9/3/14
Radiation for 5 weeks, with boost
Herceptin until 4/3/15
CT Scan on 4/27 shows lung mets (lots of little ones on both sides, largest 1.6 cm) STAGE IV
Lung biopsy shows still HER2+++/ER-/PR-
Taxol with Herceptin and Perjeta May, June, July 2015
Lung mets reduced by 50%
Just H&P through Fall 2015
11/15 Progression
Back on Taxol with H&P January 2016
THP no longer working March 2016
Start Kadcyla 3/16 After first treatment, experienced low platelets, tongue turned black, had to have transfusion. Dry cough and shortness of breath for first week, improves over second and third.
4/16 Platelet transfusion after second treatment, blood blisters in mouth. Allergic reaction to platelets.
6/16 Kadcyla not working. Progression to liver, though lung mets smaller.
7/16 Start Xeloda and Tykerb.
11/16 Port infected. Taken out. Have to go off chemo.
1/17 Back on Xeloda and Tykerb
5/17 Tykerb and Herceptin
11/17 Navelbine and Herceptin
12/17 Progression in lungs, liver reevaluated, no progression
1/18 Haloven and Herceptin
2/18 Sloan Kettering consultation
3/18 Brain mets, 16 lesions, largest 16mm
3/18 Cyberknife to 16mm lesion
3/18 Haloven and Tykerb added
4/18 Scan shows all lesions significantly smaller! Some almost gone. Radiation oncologist says she's never seen anything like it
7/18 Brain scan shows progression, w/ with one new lesion. Don't want to do WBR. Will try for tucatinib.
8.15.18 Start Keytruda
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Old 07-28-2018, 12:24 PM   #5
Becky
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
Re: Seeking Whole Brain Radiation Info

The chemos Xeloda and Temodor also cross the bbb. Cisplatin and carboplatin MIGHT cross over too.
__________________
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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Old 07-28-2018, 05:57 PM   #6
Unclaimed
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Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Western Maryland
Posts: 36
Re: Seeking Whole Brain Radiation Info

Hi Katherine,
I don't know where you are so I don't know if this will be helpful, but Google Maryland Proton Treatment Center. They use a technique called Pencil Beam Therapy which is focused and not nearly as harmful to surrounding tissues. If you are too far from Baltimore for this to be an option, maybe they could assist you in finding the treatment closer to you.
Love, Ana
__________________
September 2017: woke up one morning and noticed my wrist was slightly swollen. A puffy wrist. That is how it all started
October 2017: went to orthopaedic surgeon to find out what kind of injury was causing my forearm to swell, orthopaedic surgeon recognizes lymphedema, and sent me to breast clinic
November 17, 2017: biopsy: 4.4x1.7x2.8 mass, IDC
December 2017: treatment by homeopathic physician
January 24 2018: lumps in neck (supraclavical nodes)
January 31, 2018: first appointment with Medical Oncologist
February 1, 2018: first scan, found Mets in bones, possibly liver but inconclusive since I refused dye injection
February 2, 2018: follow up with MO for scan results, he had samples of Capecitabine and advised to take 4 pills every 12 hours for 7 days. Ordered HER2 test which had not been completed on my sample at time of biopsy in November, convinced me to meet with Radiologist, tumor was very large and grown into skin, agreed to try radiation
February 8, 2018: first radiology appointment and first Xgeva
February 9, 2018: follow up with MO, results are back from pathology and my sample is HER2-positive, MO wants me to do this infusion "antibodies" thing...look, I just got my head around radiation, now you want IV stuff????
Febuary 15, 2018: first radiation treatment, cried like a baby
March 1, 2018: first Herceptin infusion, cried uncontrollably
March 2, 2018: radiation treatment halted due to extensive skin damage after just 12 treatments
March 21, 2018: applied to John Hopkins for lymphedema vein bypass surgery
March 22, 2018: second Herceptin infusion, social worker made referral to Physical Therapy for me for lymphedema treatment
March 26, 2018: had assessment for lymphedema and follow up with MO, physical therapist made MO sign waiver because of my active cancer status, MO wants me to add Perjeta to my next infusion...really, more stuff..
April 2, 2018: first lymph drainage massage treatment
April 5, 2018: follow up with Radiologist, skin healed well enough to wear a sports bra...woohoo...not resuming radiation
April 20, 2018: heavy bandages applied to left arm to reduce lymphedema swelling
May 3, 2018: first Perjeta infusion, now on H & P, and Capecitabine, and Xgeva every 3 months
May 30, 2018: first PET scan, came back NEAD
June 15, 2018 discontinue Capecitabine since NEAD
July 31, 2018 Johns Hopkins Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery for consult for Vein Bypass Surgery for lymphedema, surgeon determined I am good candidate and surgery scheduled for October 5th...
October 5, 2018: Lymphaticovenous Anastomosis at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Surgery was poorly done and failed miserably, the swelling is worst than before surgery.
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