michelemd
01-20-2005, 06:56 PM
Hello group!
After reading Maryann's whole story I have to say many of us a pretty lucky!! I am lucky that my crummy insurance covers all my chemo drugs, and that I have a supportive husband and church (Unitarian).
Just wanted to report that so far so good on brain met treatment with CyberKnife. I had it done at Sinai Baltimore; they went after 5 mets, and it took four hours of laying still. Yes the radiologist thought he found five MORE mets that week -- TINY dots, we are not sure are even cancer. (CyberKnife is NEW - only 5 places have it; uses a robot arm instead of clamping that big metal thing on you. More accurate, they say.)
I plan on continuing follow-up at Georgetown (logistcal and insurance reasons). I know Whole Brain radiation is standard of care, but we have found lots of studies suporting the targeted approach. They did test my spinal fluid, and so far its not in there.
I have no symptoms from the brain mets; still don't (symptoms are from tumor in lymph node base of skull). I am praying they got the one met that was in the brain stem.
So far so good.
NAVELBINE: so far, breasts not responding to Navelbine added to Herceptin treatment. I swear, they have mutated!!
Cheers! Michele in Maryland
After reading Maryann's whole story I have to say many of us a pretty lucky!! I am lucky that my crummy insurance covers all my chemo drugs, and that I have a supportive husband and church (Unitarian).
Just wanted to report that so far so good on brain met treatment with CyberKnife. I had it done at Sinai Baltimore; they went after 5 mets, and it took four hours of laying still. Yes the radiologist thought he found five MORE mets that week -- TINY dots, we are not sure are even cancer. (CyberKnife is NEW - only 5 places have it; uses a robot arm instead of clamping that big metal thing on you. More accurate, they say.)
I plan on continuing follow-up at Georgetown (logistcal and insurance reasons). I know Whole Brain radiation is standard of care, but we have found lots of studies suporting the targeted approach. They did test my spinal fluid, and so far its not in there.
I have no symptoms from the brain mets; still don't (symptoms are from tumor in lymph node base of skull). I am praying they got the one met that was in the brain stem.
So far so good.
NAVELBINE: so far, breasts not responding to Navelbine added to Herceptin treatment. I swear, they have mutated!!
Cheers! Michele in Maryland