Brain MRI and liver CT so soon

[Montana]

I went for a 3 month visit with my onc yesterday. I've been having headaches and he wants to do an MRI on my brain. Also, liver panel #'s are up...ggt is 222 and ASP and AST are elevated so he wants a liver CT scan also. I had a lumpy with re-excision for clean margins. Small .7mm IDC with comedo necrosis DCIS and NO nodes. Am HER2 +++, er/pr+; Nottingham scale 7/9. Had 4 A/C and 33 rads and finished tx on June 1, 2005. Could this TINY thing have traveled to brain/liver so soon after slash/poison/burn ? (surgery/chemo/rads) Anyone else have this problem?

Thank you.

Sue

[karen w]

I think your doctor is just being careful. I have to have a bone scane tomorrow because of a backache I have had for a couple of weeks now. I am 8 weeks out of chemo and just completed, 27 of 33 rads. I, too, had a relatively small tumor, 1.3 cm and node negative as well.

I will keep you in my thoughts.

Karen

[imported_Joe]

Sue,

You should appreciate your oncologist's concers and thouroughness. Brain mets if caught early can be highly treatable.

Regards
Joe

[Laurie S]

Sue, I recently had a brain MRi done, whiile I was still in chemo, b/c I was having pain in my left temple. It turned out to be a sinus infection. I was glad I had it done. Good Luck!
Laurie

[karen w]

I just wanted to let all of you who responded to this post, know that you have really helped me. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have to have a bone scan tomorrow and try as I might, to keep a positive attitude, I must admit, I have been sort of depressed since making my appointment, yesterday. Seeing the replies here have really helped me to cope.

Thanks and hugs to all of you.

Karen

[StephN]

Hey girls -
The oncos are cautious because of people like me!
My 3 month check up (after rads) was fine, but the 6 month revealed raging liver mets and starting into my leg bones. AACK!

I was not node neg, had 8 of 18 positive. But the tumor was small only a little over 1cm. Small but lethal. Her2+++ and ER/PR-.

So, be glad they want to check you out carefully. I took my treatment for mets and have been off chemo for over 3.5 years. Kicked the tumors out.
There are lots of us like that who did not have Herceptin right away like so many are getting now. But, good old "vitamin H" keeps our clock ticking now.

[Montana]

Thank you all for your replies. I know I should be happy I'm getting these test for peace of mind...but my mind's not at peace !!! I will let you all know the results and thank you again.

Sue

[sassy]

Montana,

Did you have herceptin? Is it a possibility?

Sassy

[Gina]

Sue,

Yes, go ahead with the tests...better to know a dark and terrible truth than not to know it...yet, judging from the numbers you posted, especially the GGT (mine is elevated always as well), I would suspect it is not brain mets but liver mets...like StephN, I completed all the slash/burn blah blah and even though I was NED at the end of it all, 5 months later, I had mets to the liver, both lobes...lesions as large as 50 cent pieces, quarters, nickles and dimes and liver enzymes OFF THE CHART. I felt lousy...fortunately, only 5 doses of Herceptin WAY back then...1999, brought my tumor markers and liver enzymes back into control and my leisions regressed to practically nothing. Just take a deep breath and try not to worry. Also, just in case, have your blood checked for the ulcer causing H. pylori bacteria...it also tends to raise the GGT high like that and can be cured with antibiotics... What most people don't realize is that besides being an indication of cancer, the actual most common reason for liver enzyme elevation (provided you are not a drinker...as alcohol consumption causes the GGT to be out of whack also, that is why Insurance companies test your blood for it and if you say you drink no alcohol but the GGT is positive they will think you lied on the form...blah, blah) as I was trying to say, the actual most common reason for the liver enzymes to be elevated...esp. the ALT is INFECTION, usually low grade and HARD to detect..somewhere in the DIGESTIVE tract...something WE who are HER-2 positive SHOULD ALL KEEP in check.... Also, if your ALP elevates, but not the liver enzymes, that is usually indicative of bone mets...just so you know. If the ALP and the liver enzymes elevate BE VERY CAREFUL as in practice, this usually indicates pancreatic mets. This her-2 stuff is NOT for the faint of heart...smile. Sorry you have had to join us on this site, but glad you did. Take care, Gina

[Montana]

Thank you all for your support. Gina, thanks for the detailed descriptions! I have not had Herceptin as I was node negative.

The brain MRI turned out great...nothing showed up!! My liver and kidneys have cysts...???? The liver has 3 that seem to be very small -- 3mm or so. I didn't get the sizes or numbers of the ones on the kidneys as I was on a cell phone when the onc called me and was waiting in line at the Motor Vehicle Department. I will have to call them on Tuesday and get the full report faxed over. So...cysts don't look like liver mets, am I correct? He said they would do the CT again in a few months to make sure there are no changes. I'm assuming these are nothing as he didn't seem too concerned. It still doesn't explain the elevated LFT, tho....

Thanks all for this wonderful website!