looking for Gamma, Cyber or Proton propeller-heads
 

Which one is REALLY the best one for whack-a-mole of a couple of very small brain lesions (apx 5mm).

What are the differences in each type of ray?

Thanks!

A fast Google search turned up the following:

http://neurosurgery.mgh.harvard.edu/...am/GAMMA-K.HTM

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gam...urgery/HQ00736

Please email me..Chris and I are concerned.

Regards
Joe

the latests novalis ..compare with gamma knife ....


http://www.technologyofhope.com/doctors/Comparisons.htm

http://neurosurgery.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=408

http://radonc.urmc.rochester.edu/nov...vinCenter.html

http://www.novalis-surgery.com/scrip...ticleTypeID=77

additional
 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberknife
this link includes video of cyberknife: http://cancer.stanfordhospital.com/f...rknife/default
http://www.accuray.com/content.aspx?id=356

Hi all - I know this was a cryptic post, just doing my research in advance of an appt with my rads onc yesterday.

We saw some activity on my recent MRI, but it turns out that it is not new activity at all. Or at least not new spots. This is awesome news. We have seen a tiny bit of increased enhancement of my original brain spots, and one increase by 1mm, but then when he and I sat with the actual scans on the computer and went back through and compared 5 different MRIs over the year starting last April to last week, we noticed that they phase in and out of a little more enhanced, a little less enhanced, a touch more enhanced, a bit less enhanced, etc, etc... (like they wake up and go back to sleep a little every few months but remain stable) and armed with that comparison information, we are not at all worried like we were when we thought they might be new spots. It seems that the Tykerb/Xeloda is still doing it's job keeping them stable. Just to be prudent, though, we are going to do a CT of the torso and MRI of my rt illiac wing bone spot on Friday just to be sure that nothing new is showing up in the body, and we will MRI my melon every 6 weeks for a few cycles just to be sure that our theory holds true. If anything changes or increases at all, then we will do 5 fractions of SRT on each spot and zap them away...

Brenda,

GREAT NEWS ! ! .

regards
Joe and Christine

Thanks Joe. I was very relieved. The doc said he got goose-bumps after we compared all of the scans and determined that nothing we were seeing was new or really different at all. Kind of a false alarm. For now anyway.

Still a good news and please do celebrate!

My life-long Neurocytomas are inside of my lateral ventrical - kind of like an airbag inside of our brain to protect the organ. Because of the location, chemo has basically no effect. But it's been stable since the Gamma knife treatment. My understanding is that the radiation zapped the bloodvessel and the tumor quit growing. I actually believe the tumors are dead, but since mine has a tendancy to calcify, the nodules showing in the MRI are probably just dead stones.

Many of our 'board members' have had their brain mets well-controlled. I am sure even if there's anything there, your doctor will find a good way to either get rid of it or have it under good control.

Dear Sweet Brenda!
I have real tears of JOY!
Know that I love you and your news has made me so
happy.

I continue to keep you in my daily prayers.
But OMG - you are just "SOMETHING ELSE"

Love the new picture also.
Big Big Hugs coming your way!
Jean

Im sure everything would have been ok regardless but still...yippeee! Great news, enjoy. Eric

Thanks all. I am just so thankful that my docs are so thorough! They leave nothing to chance... and we monitor, monitor, monitor.

So good to hear that...
 

Oh Brenda, I am happy to to hear your good news! Great Docs you've got,

Big hugs,Marcia

Brenda, Been away for a month-glad all is well. Ceesun

Hi Brenda

I haven't been responding all that much due to family circumstances but - I don't think you have a melon up there but a very savvy brain my dear.

Much love and hugs to you

Brenda,

So glad all is well!

Doing the happy dance in Wisconsin.....

MJ

Hi Hitch, this is Mary Jeanne. When I had to make the decision in 2005, I decided on a craniotomy to see if it was a met or primary. That was a tumor in the rear of the frontal lobe.
At that time I interviewed the people at our U. of Fl. school of medicine here in Jacksonville, Fl. who has one of the only PROTON machines in the U.S. and they informed me that they do it primarily on primary tumors and felt that Gamma was the best for brain tumors. I talked to the Cyber Knife folks and they tell me that it depends on the location of the tumor. If it can't be reached by Gamma, then Cyber would be the choice.
I had Gamma in 2007 for 2 small tumors, one was found the day they did the double contrast for the work up for the procedrue, the second Gamma knife the same, went in for one tumor and they found another small one . That was just in July of 2008. I have done extremely well and the MRI this week was looking good with no increeased prgression and no new tumors and the 5 tumors (4 with Gamma) had all decreased in size. they were very pleased. Said not ot worry about the brain anymore but do something about the mets in the other organs. That is when I said I might try TYKERB. I asked if anyone had poor blood work with the RBCS and WBCS taking Tykerb but got no answer. How were your blood tests during it??
I believe finding the tumors in the very early stage with the very small size of them has been a blessing. I have never had any symptoms of brain tumors. Just fortumate that they ordered MRI's thinking there may be mets there.
I hope this helps with your decision. I am doing Immune Boosting hypnotherapy with a psychoneuroimmunologist from the U. of FL. every week to overcome the "confused cells" in the body. It is very positive and seems to be the new wave of a very old part of research that has been around a long time. People are just now believing what scientist and psychologist and biochemist have been saying for a long time "mind over matter".
I love it and it keeps me "cool, calm, collected, relaxed and easy going" and for this high energy mostly stressed all my life it is certainly a relief.
HOPe this helps . YOU are a wonderful HELP. Mary Jeanne

Hey MJP- I did answer that question for you on the Tykerb/Herceptin thread...

I have worked it all out with my Rads Onc... Thanks for your info. Mine little tumors have all been in areas that are not friendly to surgery, and luckily they are not in any areas that are threatening anything either. And, as of now, they are either necrotic or inactive, so we don't need to rush into any radiation treatments. Tykerb seems to still be doing it's job.

Good news Brenda. It sounds like you have great
Doctors to keep checking things out. Take care.
patb