 |
01-05-2012, 10:37 AM
|
#1
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 93
|
brain mets symptoms and scan
For those of you who have brain mets, did you have any symptoms, if so what were they?
Also, my mom has only had MRI of back and several PET scans. Nothing on brain. She is stage IV mets to bones. Is it weird no brain scan? We are doctoring at Mayo Clinic.
Kim
|
|
|
|
01-05-2012, 02:10 PM
|
#2
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 562
|
Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
I am Stage IV and I've never had a brain scan. I don't think they scan unless there are symptoms.
I've never had symptoms. I hear that they can range from headaches to muscle weakness to your mind wanting to do something your body wont do, but again, I haven't paid that much attention.
Good luck to your mom.
__________________
 http://butdoctorihatepink.com
08/17/09 Dx'd.
Multifocal/multicentric IDC, largest 3.4 cm, associated ADH, LCIS, DCIS
HER2+ ER+/PR- Grade 3, Node Negative
10/20/2009: Right mastectomy, reconstruction with TE
12/02/2009: Six rounds TCH, switched to Taxol halfway through due to neuropathy
03/31/2010: Finished chemo
05/01/2010: Began tamoxifen, the worst drug ever
11/18/2010: Reconstruction completed
12/02/2010: Finished herceptin
05/21/2011: Liver Mets. Quit Tamoxifen
06/22/2011: Navelbine/Zometa/Herceptin
10/03/2011: Liver Resection, left lobe. Microwave ablation, right lobe - going for cure!
11/26/2011: C-Diff Superbug Infection, "worst case doctor had seen in 20 years"
03/28/2012: Progression in ablated section of the liver - no more cure. Started Abraxane, continue herceptin/zometa
10/10/2012: Progression continues, started Halaven, along with herceptin and zometa.
01/15/2013: Progression continues, started Gemzar and Perjeta, an unusual combo, continuing with herceptin and zometa
03/13/2013: Quit Gemzar, body just won't handle it. Staying on herceptin, zometa and perjeta.
04/03/2013: CT shows 50% regression in tumor, so am starting back on Gemzar with dose reduction, staying with perjeta/herceptin/zometa. Can't argue with success!
05/09/2013: Discussing SBRT with Radiology due to inability of bone marrow to recover from chemo.
06/07/2013: Fiducial placement for SBRT
07/03/2013: Chemo discontinued, on Perjeta, Herceptin and Zometa alone
07/25/2013: SBRT (gamma knife) begins
08/01/2013: SBRT completed
08/15/2013: STABLE! continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa
06/18/2014: ***** NED!!!!***** continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa
01/29/2014: Still NED. continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin. Zometa lowered to every 3 months instead of monthly.
11/08/2015: Progression throughout abdomen and lungs. Started TDM-1, aka Kadcyla. Other meds discontinued. Remission was nice while it lasted.
5/27/18: Stable. Kadcyla put me right back in the barn. I have two teeny spots on my lungs that are metabolically inactive, and liver is clean.
I’m beating this MFer. I was 51 when this started and had two kids, 22 and 12. Now I’m 60. My oldest got married and trying to start s family. My youngesg graduates from Caltech this June. My stepdaughter gave me grandkids. Life is fantastic.
|
|
|
|
|
01-05-2012, 03:21 PM
|
#3
|
|
Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Marlborough, MA
Posts: 24
|
Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
I got bad migraines - in Oct and Nov; I did not think anything about it - as I always got migraines at least once a month but the doctor requested that I get a MRI - the results was 4 mets (largest one is 3.7mill - very small. Request if your not comfortable not knowing...
|
|
|
|
|
01-05-2012, 04:13 PM
|
#4
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 510
|
Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
I had a brain MRI when diagnosed, on top of a bone scan, PET scan, and a CT pelvis/abdomen/lung. I wasn't symptomatic, but because of my large tumor, young age, high risk, and so on, my oncologist at Stanford felt it best to get the scans done - at least to serve as a baseline if ever needed (which hopefully won't be the case!)
Good luck!
__________________
ER+ (30%)/PR-/HER-2+, stage 3
Diagnosed on 02/18/09 at 38 with a huge 12x10 cm tumor, after a 6 month delay. Told I was too young and had no risk factors. Found swollen node during breastfeeding.
March-August 09: neo-adjuvant chemo, part of a trial at Stanford (4 DD A/C, 4 Taxotere with daily Tykerb), loading dose of Herceptin
08/12/09 - bye bye boobies (bilateral mastectomy)
08/24/09 - path report shows 100 % success in breast tissue (no cancer there, yay!), 98 % success in lymphatic invasion, and even though 11/13 nodes were still positive, > 95 % of the tumor in them was killed. Hoping for the best!
September-October 09: rads with daily Xeloda
02/25/10 - Cholecystectomy
05/27/10 - Bone scan clear
06/14/10 - CT scan clear, ovarian cyst found
07/27/10 - Done with Herceptin!
02/15/11 - MVA-BN HER-2 vaccine trial
03/15/11 - First CA 15-3: 12.7 and normal, yay!
10/01/11 - Bone scan and CT scan clear, fatty liver found
now on Tamoxifen and Aspirin
|
|
|
|
|
01-06-2012, 05:27 AM
|
#5
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Ireland
Posts: 271
|
Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
I had no symptons first time round, had ct brain scan 'just to be sure'. 2 small lesions found. Had WBR. Brain scan clean. Slight vision problem so had mri, one lesion. Had stereotactic radiation and will scan again in 2 months. I was told it depends where the lesion is in the brain, different locations cause different side effects.
__________________
Delaney, dx 2008 lumpectomy,mastectomy,a/c,paxitaxol, tyverb 1 yr.
dx 2010 mets lymph nodes, skin, lung. start taxotere/herceptin.
Stopped taxtere/herceptin, now on tyverb/xeloda.
Lung mets shrinking.
Back on Herceptin with T/X. Partial response.
Skin mets progressing. Radiation scheduled mid february 2011.
Spot found on hip - radiation to hip beginning mid February 2011.
Now trying Gemzar/Tyverb/Herceptin and Zometa.
CT scan Feb 2011 - lung clear!
Brain mets (specks) - radiation mid Feb.
Brain Scan June'11 - Clear
CT Scan June'11 - Good - skin met active - watch and wait.
Surgery to remove skin met. Surgery to back 2012, four titanium rods inserted. Skin mets reappear. On Navelbine, not working. 4 week washout, start Myocet for skin and lung mets August 2012. Brain scan clear despte intermittent blurry vision (something hiding? Am suspicious but hopeful. )On we go, glad to be here.
|
|
|
|
|
01-07-2012, 09:42 PM
|
#6
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
|
Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
I am stage IV for 6.5 years and have never had a brain met symptom. That said, I have had a total of 12 puntates (meaning pin prick size) and 6 brain spots (3-8mm) that were spread around in places that were not symptomatic. We were doing brain MRIs about once every 18 months until we saw nothing on CT/body scans but my tumor markers were going up. (I am one of those who is very sensitive to TMs, they have always told us where the new and small activity is).
So, with increasing TMs, we MRIed the brain, and found all these spots in 2007. It was 3 weeks after Tykerb had come on to the market. I eschewed WBR and tried Tykerb/Xeloda straight away with blessing of my Onc and Rads Onc, with the understanding that I would MRI again closely at one month intervals. After 3 months we could see that the Tykerb/Xeloda combination was working for me, so we let it do it's work. It made all the punctates go away and the 6 small tumors went to sleep entirely for 18 months. When the 6 small tumors woke up, we went straight away into high dose IMRT radiation "whack-a-mole" treatment which targeted each individual one (not WBR), and we have been able to remain clear since 2008. We monitor my brain right now with 3 month MRIs. (partially because outside of the brain (not a brain met) but in the boney skull, I have also had a spot show up behind my pituitary gland, and it has been IMRT high dose radiated also).
Had we waited until I was symptomatic, it would have been too late we are pretty sure.
So I am a proponent of regular MRI scanning... I cannot say how often for you, but in my case, my Onc was always very very mindful of the potential.
__________________
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."
Last edited by hutchibk; 01-07-2012 at 09:46 PM..
Reason: add
|
|
|
|
|
01-08-2012, 05:12 AM
|
#7
|
|
Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 17
|
Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
I was diagnosed with brain mets in April 2011..My symptom's were blurred vision, headaches, and sometime's my eyes would start seeing like flashing light's.. I get brain MRI'S about every 3 month's..I am scheduled for one on the 16 and get result's on the 18 and I just pray it come's back clean..Good Luck to your Mom, Jeana
|
|
|
|
|
01-08-2012, 08:15 PM
|
#8
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 93
|
Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
Thank you to everyone who replied with information.
Mom is going to have a brain MRI done this Thursday. I am praying for clear scan.
Kim G
|
|
|
|
|
03-08-2012, 04:29 PM
|
#9
|
|
Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Melbourne,
Australia.
Posts: 18
|
Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
I have been sufferring from neck, shoulder, dizziness and headaches thinking they had come from my rads but on informing my onc he is promptly sending me off for scans, hell is all I wanted was some physio and now am petrified as still have 8 Herceptin to go and hated TCH as it nearly killed me physically, hoping all goes well, grrrr.
|
|
|
|
|
03-08-2012, 05:11 PM
|
#10
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 432
|
Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
Sorry I am a bit late to this thread.Hema's Pet scan of June 30 th disclosed a brain lesion without FDG intake. The Onc felt that no MRI was necessary at that time.Hema's vision got hazy blurred and glary.The Onc ordered an MRI scan on Jan 30.It showed the growth in size of the lesion and dignosed ad met.She has just completed her 20 days of Rad.The vision is better.But the haziness is still there.We are seeing an optholmologist next week*2 weeks after radiation is over* Hoping for the best and our best wishes and prayers to your mother
__________________
PBK
huband of Hema
Metstatic Breast Cancer Stage 4
Left breast cauliflower 25x20cm
ossousmetstatis in vertbrae secondaries L4=L5secondary
nodules in both liver lobes secondary
Diagnosed 10th March 2010
ER/PR-ve
Her 2 neu +++
Taxotrne Zylotec started 16th March
Herceptin added 5th April.9th Herceptin over on 20th Sep '10.Started on Tykerb and Xeloda on 22nd Oct2010TYKERB 4 TAB A DAY XELODA 4 TAB A DAY ONE WEEK ON ONE WEEK OFFZoletrust infusion every 4 months.Lesion in Brain 3D CRT Radiation started on 1st Feb'12 for 20 days ,5 days a week for 4 weeks.Devloped a small lump in breast.Xeloda stopped from 11th April '12.On Taxol.After 3 cycles of Taxol Taxol stopped.Back to Xeloda regime from 3rd July
Herceptin started again on 27th Dec 2012.Xeloda stopped Navelbin added on 7th February 2013.Now on Tykerb Herceptin and Navelbin
|
|
|
|
|
03-09-2012, 07:07 AM
|
#11
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,486
|
Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
Hope Hema is feeling better.
Amelia
|
|
|
|
|
03-09-2012, 07:21 AM
|
#12
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 432
|
Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
she is feeling better but I feel the steroids has affected herwhich was adminitered during radiation
__________________
PBK
huband of Hema
Metstatic Breast Cancer Stage 4
Left breast cauliflower 25x20cm
ossousmetstatis in vertbrae secondaries L4=L5secondary
nodules in both liver lobes secondary
Diagnosed 10th March 2010
ER/PR-ve
Her 2 neu +++
Taxotrne Zylotec started 16th March
Herceptin added 5th April.9th Herceptin over on 20th Sep '10.Started on Tykerb and Xeloda on 22nd Oct2010TYKERB 4 TAB A DAY XELODA 4 TAB A DAY ONE WEEK ON ONE WEEK OFFZoletrust infusion every 4 months.Lesion in Brain 3D CRT Radiation started on 1st Feb'12 for 20 days ,5 days a week for 4 weeks.Devloped a small lump in breast.Xeloda stopped from 11th April '12.On Taxol.After 3 cycles of Taxol Taxol stopped.Back to Xeloda regime from 3rd July
Herceptin started again on 27th Dec 2012.Xeloda stopped Navelbin added on 7th February 2013.Now on Tykerb Herceptin and Navelbin
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:12 PM.
|
Linear Mode
