brain mri

[Lauriesh]

I was diagnosed stage 4 about a month ago with mets to my liver. I had a brain mri and a pet scan that was clear, other than the liver. Yea!

Now, I am wondering, absent any symptoms, how often do stage 4 women have routine brain mris? Every 6 months, every year?

thanks,

Laurie

[Cannon]

Good question, Laurie, and you will get good advice here. I think def more often than 1x/yr, because I do that, and I was stage 3.

[Jackie07]

Laurie,

Look up 'Brain mets' and check on other members' signature. I think you can request for an MRI whenever you are experiencing symptoms such as headaches or dizziness.

Christine, the support group founder, was treated for brain mets during her cancer treatment. I have annual MRI because of Central Neurocytoma which was not related to the breast cancer.

[Joan M]

Laurie,

I think once a year would be good for a brain MRI.

After I advanced to stage 4 with a lung met, my onc agreed to a brain MRI, which turned out okay. We agreed to repeat it a year later.

I repeated the brain MRI 16 months later, and as it turned out it showed a 2.6 cm metastatic brain tumor. The neurosurgeon was joking with me saying that she heard I found my own brain tumor. That was because I had not yet developed any symptoms. After the surgery, I had stereotactic radiotherapy. This was in October 2008, and so far my brain has been good.

Sorry to hear your cancer advanced. Also, if you have only one or a small number of liver mets you might be able to use a local treatment like ablation to try to eradicate them (see the recent excellent posts by Rich and on cryoablation). Then you might be able to take only Herceptin. That's what I've been doing, and so far it seems to be working.

Joan

[SunDiego]

delete message

[Chelee]

Most onc's only want to do scans when there are symptoms. (I rather scan before any symptoms pop up.) I would like a brain MRI every six months if I had my way. Normally over the last five yrs I've been getting them any where from six to ten months apart. Since I was orignally dx stage III...and now stage IV...I just bring up having a headache and my onc will order one. I'm not sure of any standard protocol they go by for stage IV's? If there is one...someone jump in here.

Chelee

[Lauriesh]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I will have a brain mri every 6 -12 months. My onc is pretty good about letting me have scans when I ask, but I will also complain of headaches, if that what it takes.

Joan, I am very interested in the targeted therapies, but my liver tumor was 11 cm, so for now I am on Taxotere, with Herceptin. I will have another ct at the end of Sept, and if it has shrunk considerably, I will start looking at my options. It would be wonderful to be only on Herceptin. Do you take it weekly, or are you able to do it every three weeks?

Thanks again for everyone's help,

Laurie

[Lori R]

Laurie,
My onc is supportive of an annual MRI. I do try to balance my anxiety and constant desire for tests with the potential impacts of so many weird chemicals being injected into my body.

As Chelee indicated, some oncs aren't supportive and require us to speak of symptoms in order to receive the MRI. I am glad that I have not had to do that. But...I would recommend at least an annual MRI and encourage to "get dizzy" if you need to.

So sorry that you are dealing with a liver met...hopefully it will remain contained to the liver and with the right one/two punch you'll be able to knock it out of the ring.

My lengthy (sorry team...can't figure out how to get it to wrap horizontally) signature details my battle with a pesky met. I've been very active, leading a very full life while continuing to manage this problematic spot. So...all is not lost.

Keep the faith....Lori

[Joan M]

Lori,

I have a Herceptin infusion every three weeks.

If the tumor shrinks down to 3.5 cm or less, I believe you can look into these other options.

Joan