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In May, 2004 I had one brain met to the prefrontal cortex that was 3cm. I had surgery follwed by sterotactic radiation. I refused whole brain radiation. I had surgery last November for what they thought was a recurrance to the same site. It turned out to be radiation necrosis. So far I have had not had a recurrance, but I know by now that I would be (over two years later) having late radiation effect if I had had WBR. At the time, it was customary to offer WBR because it was felt that long term survival with metastatic breast cancer with brain mets was poor. I had mets everywhere (lungs, liver, nodes, skin) in 2004 except in the bones. Now I have 3 small bone mets that are responding to Navelbine and am NED everywhere else. I also teach third grade full time and take graduate courses. I could not have continued this type of life if I had opted for WBR at the time. I may need it down the road, but with only one lesion I would opt out of WBR and receive frequent scans.
Good luck with your decision.
Barbara H.
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