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Mickey, I'm sorry to hear this... are your docs POSITIVE that there are new/active mets? Or COULD these be old lesions showing up as necrosis? That would be my first question.
And next: how many? How large? And do you have any symptoms? And location of these 'new' brain mets? And lastly, what is your current situation with any other mets?
Answers to these questions could determine more clearly what you might be able to pursue as treatment options. Personally, no, I would not be in favor of a second round of WBR. This is my history:
12-1999: Age 50, Dx'd Invasive Ductal & Inflammatory. Two tumors, upper and lower inside quadrants R/breast.
1-2000: Mast., 6/26 pos. nodes. ER+PR-, Heu2+++ StageIIIb - 4rnds A/C, no rads (my choice & no medical ins.)
7-2002: Dx'd mediastinal node/s mets, (surgical biopsy), 'spot' on lung and pelvis. Arimidex briefly.
9-2002: Dx'd brain mets. (mininally symptomatic) Two lesions, 1.5cm, 6mm. SRS focalized tx successful. Refused WBR.
11-2002: Navelbine/Herceptin 4rnds for systemic mets, scans show NED.
3-2003: Progression of brain mets. 14 new lesions visable. Asymptomatic. Continue to refuse WBR. "Watch and wait " approach. Treat in small batches with two more SRS, two CyberKnife procedures through 5-2004. NED in body.
3-2005: Progression brain mets - maybe 10 new lesions, asymptomatic. (otherwise NED) Again 'watch and wait' approach until...
8-2005: Dizzy 24/7 in the course of just one day. Begin Temodar/Xeloda.
9-28-2005: Following 2 rnds, MRi shows response of nearly 50% shrinkage in many brain mets, including brainstem/pons. Dizziness gone.
11-28-2005: MRi duplicate of previous films- after 4rnds T/X, mets remain responsive w/ more shrinkage nearing 50%. Continue Temodar/Xeloda.
12-19-2005: Onc confers w/rad onc re: past scans. Determine that some of the 'new' lesions are not new at all, but old treated spots just vaguely visable.
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