brain mets symptoms and scan
 

For those of you who have brain mets, did you have any symptoms, if so what were they?

Also, my mom has only had MRI of back and several PET scans. Nothing on brain. She is stage IV mets to bones. Is it weird no brain scan? We are doctoring at Mayo Clinic.

Kim

Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
 

I am Stage IV and I've never had a brain scan. I don't think they scan unless there are symptoms.

I've never had symptoms. I hear that they can range from headaches to muscle weakness to your mind wanting to do something your body wont do, but again, I haven't paid that much attention.

Good luck to your mom.

Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
 

I got bad migraines - in Oct and Nov; I did not think anything about it - as I always got migraines at least once a month but the doctor requested that I get a MRI - the results was 4 mets (largest one is 3.7mill - very small. Request if your not comfortable not knowing...

Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
 

I had a brain MRI when diagnosed, on top of a bone scan, PET scan, and a CT pelvis/abdomen/lung. I wasn't symptomatic, but because of my large tumor, young age, high risk, and so on, my oncologist at Stanford felt it best to get the scans done - at least to serve as a baseline if ever needed (which hopefully won't be the case!)

Good luck!

Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
 

I had no symptons first time round, had ct brain scan 'just to be sure'. 2 small lesions found. Had WBR. Brain scan clean. Slight vision problem so had mri, one lesion. Had stereotactic radiation and will scan again in 2 months. I was told it depends where the lesion is in the brain, different locations cause different side effects.

Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
 

I am stage IV for 6.5 years and have never had a brain met symptom. That said, I have had a total of 12 puntates (meaning pin prick size) and 6 brain spots (3-8mm) that were spread around in places that were not symptomatic. We were doing brain MRIs about once every 18 months until we saw nothing on CT/body scans but my tumor markers were going up. (I am one of those who is very sensitive to TMs, they have always told us where the new and small activity is).

So, with increasing TMs, we MRIed the brain, and found all these spots in 2007. It was 3 weeks after Tykerb had come on to the market. I eschewed WBR and tried Tykerb/Xeloda straight away with blessing of my Onc and Rads Onc, with the understanding that I would MRI again closely at one month intervals. After 3 months we could see that the Tykerb/Xeloda combination was working for me, so we let it do it's work. It made all the punctates go away and the 6 small tumors went to sleep entirely for 18 months. When the 6 small tumors woke up, we went straight away into high dose IMRT radiation "whack-a-mole" treatment which targeted each individual one (not WBR), and we have been able to remain clear since 2008. We monitor my brain right now with 3 month MRIs. (partially because outside of the brain (not a brain met) but in the boney skull, I have also had a spot show up behind my pituitary gland, and it has been IMRT high dose radiated also).

Had we waited until I was symptomatic, it would have been too late we are pretty sure.

So I am a proponent of regular MRI scanning... I cannot say how often for you, but in my case, my Onc was always very very mindful of the potential.

Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
 

I was diagnosed with brain mets in April 2011..My symptom's were blurred vision, headaches, and sometime's my eyes would start seeing like flashing light's.. I get brain MRI'S about every 3 month's..I am scheduled for one on the 16 and get result's on the 18 and I just pray it come's back clean..Good Luck to your Mom, Jeana

Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
 

Thank you to everyone who replied with information.

Mom is going to have a brain MRI done this Thursday. I am praying for clear scan.

Kim G

Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
 

I have been sufferring from neck, shoulder, dizziness and headaches thinking they had come from my rads but on informing my onc he is promptly sending me off for scans, hell is all I wanted was some physio and now am petrified as still have 8 Herceptin to go and hated TCH as it nearly killed me physically, hoping all goes well, grrrr.

Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
 

Sorry I am a bit late to this thread.Hema's Pet scan of June 30 th disclosed a brain lesion without FDG intake. The Onc felt that no MRI was necessary at that time.Hema's vision got hazy blurred and glary.The Onc ordered an MRI scan on Jan 30.It showed the growth in size of the lesion and dignosed ad met.She has just completed her 20 days of Rad.The vision is better.But the haziness is still there.We are seeing an optholmologist next week*2 weeks after radiation is over* Hoping for the best and our best wishes and prayers to your mother

Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
 

Hope Hema is feeling better.

Amelia

Re: brain mets symptoms and scan
 

she is feeling better but I feel the steroids has affected herwhich was adminitered during radiation