My Next Step
 

Finally an update about my next step. As suspected around Christmas from my rising CA15-3, and confirmed by CT and PET scans, I have progressed again. Thankfully, it's only my solitary liver tumour that has increased in size (about 70% since finishing chemo in June last year - now about 35mm), and nothing new, and lung met still stable and not active.

So next Monday I start the planning for SBRT (stereotactic radiation) to the liver met, with treatment beginning about March 20 at the hospital where I have all my treatment. To say I'm excited is an understatement and I'm very happy finally to be having an intervention. I wasn't a candidate for RFA as tumour is too close to bowel, but SBRT will be safer as they can 'slow' the treatment down when getting closer to bowel. The doctor says there is an 80% success rate (would be higher if tumour was smaller). And the other good news is that given the location of the tumour, and latest technology in equipment, I don't have to have the painful fiducial markers inserted into my liver! The doctor contemplated also doing the lung met, but seeing as it hasn't increased in size for a very long time and isn't active, decided against it. However, if it changes, he said come back and we'll fix that! All seems too good to be true. Of course, it's not a cure, but hopefully will slow things down, and gives me a bigger break from chemo. I'll still stay on Herceptin of course.

Any tips on this treatment gratefully received!

Cheers Marie

Re: My Next Step
 

Bunty,

I'm so glad you have a plan. I hope it goes very smoothly for you and puts you back on track to "cancer as a chronic illness."

Let us know how it goes.

Re: My Next Step
 

Sending good wishes the rads zap that met Bunty, good luck!

Re: My Next Step
 

Bunty,

I had the GKRS (a SR http://radonc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=61) 24 years ago to curb the growth of three residue tumors in the center of my brain. It had little side effect as the radiation is defused by the multiple entry points. (Yet at the focal point the combined amount of radiation will do the job to stop/kill the tumor cells)

Hope this will help get rid of the problems you've been having and prevent futuer ones. I'm sending you good vibes.

Re: My Next Step
 

Zap that bugger right outta there. I know you will do well especially with your get attitude and spirit. We are all here for you - your personal cheering section.

Re: My Next Step
 

Sounds like an excellent plan with lots of positives hope it goes smoothly for you
Jen

Re: My Next Step
 

Hi, Bunty,
I am so happy that you have a plan you are peaceful with. It makes all the difference. And it goes without saying I'm sorry you have progressed a bit, but not for long...
Warmly,
Karen

Re: My Next Step
 

Gods blessings to you Bunty your in my prayers

Re: My Next Step
 

Onward to the interventional radiologist! He sounds like a great guy to know. As always it would have been nice to have treatment when the tumor was smaller, but take it as it comes. Make sure you have some good music to put you in the right place in acceptance of the treatment.

We will all be sending good "catapult" wishes for that met to be gone to smithereens.

Re: My Next Step
 

Sounds like a great plan, Marie. Let us know how you go.
Best wishes.... Pam

Re: My Next Step
 

Yea Bunty! So glad you have a plan of action and I'm sure it feels good to be moving forward with your plan.

Best wishes,

Re: My Next Step
 

Out out damned spot!! You go girl! 80% success rate is a pretty good stat - Good luck Bunty!

all the best
caya

Re: My Next Step
 

Godspeed, Marie!

Re: My Next Step
 

Got get 'em! Prayers and cyber hugs heading to your side of the world. Please keep us posted...

Re: My Next Step
 

Thanks everyone for your wishes - it means a lot to me. I was going to post again once treatment started, but there's been a hurdle I have to get over first. I had all the planning done last Monday as scheduled, and after a shaky start in getting the breathing under control (through a diving snorkel like tube, and nose pinched for about 2 hours and no moving with hands over my head), we eventually got a rhythm going that they could do all the 4-D scanning.

Today the Radiation Onc called me to say there was a problem and that was my liver was moving too much. The tumour is too close to the bowel - that's why I couldn't have RFA. However, he has other options for consideration, and I have to go through all the planning again, but this time we are going to try abdominal pressure - either something like a medieval torture machine pushes a plate down on my abdomen, or I get cling wrapped very tightly - it will be very interesting. I have to really shallow breathe as well - more so than the last planning session. I'm determined to do what I have to, but I think I'm definitely going to start some anxiety meds as mentally I'm investing a great deal in this procedure working. I'm also going to do some serious training - I've already asked friends if they want to come and sit on my abdomen for 20 minutes at a time while I like on the floor perfectly still shallow breathing through my snorkel I use in the sea! The things we do eh? I'll keep you posted.

Cheers Marie

Re: My Next Step
 

Unbelievable! The pictures in my mind of what you must have gone through are hard to see. But, what a lady! These battles do deserve our very best and, girl, are you giving your upmost to defeat that tumor. I send lots of belief in victory and prayers for peace your way. Lots of love to you and wisdom to your doctors, ma

Re: My Next Step
 

So I think the title of this thread should now read "My Next Hurdle". So yesterday I went in again, this time for a trial planning session using the vacuum abdominal pressure bag to attempt to minimise movement of my liver. Now that was an interesting experience donning a plastic poncho which was then adhered to my special bean bag, and then inserting a vacuum hose to suck out all the air - they start slowly and get to 20% and see how you go, and it was whoa, and then I told them to keep going, and let me tell you at 100% you can hardly get a breath (it feels like that, but of course you can). So after two hours of this breathing through a snorkel with my nose clamped shut, it felt like I had been hit by a bus, but the bus was still on top of me! They also tried another technique as well with very long breath holds, which I could do. Anyway cutting a long story short, the radiation onc called me to say that the pressure technique didn't stop movement enough. He's off to a liver cancer meeting in Korea tomorrow, and then to a radiation oncology meeting in Europe, and is travelling with a colleague who is a specialist in removing liver tumours surgically. So he is going to talk to him on my behalf. However, I still may go down the track of having the fiducials inserted in the liver for the long breath hold technique, and doing all the planning, but there is no guarantee that it will work either. I think I'm leaning towards surgery at this point. Damn tumour too close to my bowel! I know a number of you have had resection so that gives me hope, but SBRT was going to be far less invasive. I'll keep you posted.
Cheers Marie

Re: My Next Step
 

What an ordeal! Sometimes I don't know whether to laugh or cry - guess we do a bit of both.
Hope you get some clarity soon about which way to go.
Best wishes.... Pam