 |
08-26-2007, 12:32 AM
|
#1
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: melbourne, australia
Posts: 267
|
When to start brian MRI
Hi ladies
I am wondering when i should start pushing for MRIs of the brain? I am EBC, diagnosed Sept 2003. I got Herceptin late on HERA trial for 2 years and I have 3 more doses left. I know once you have mets it is a given but for me i am wondering.
Appreciate any imput.
Thanks
Christine
__________________
Christine
DX Sept 03 age 40 Stage 2B Grade 3 mastectomy (after 2 prior breast conserving surgeries)
"at least" 2.3 cm 3/12 nodes ER+/PR+ Her2+++
8 FEC. Tamoxifen then Arimidex. Ovaries out.
"late" Herceptin for 2 years (18months after chemo) on HERA trial. finished Herceptin Nov 2007.
Multiple bone mets May 2012 and now liver August 2012.
Abraxne, Herceptin and Zometa.
June 2013 Tykerb, Xeloda and Xgeva
|
|
|
|
08-26-2007, 02:18 PM
|
#2
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Southern, CA
Posts: 2,511
|
I know I get a brain MRI every six months. Some times women are told to wait till there are symptoms but many times there are no symptoms...so I personally rather not take a chance.
Chelee
__________________
DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes.
Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs.
Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06
Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07
3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07
9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV.
9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa
9-29-09 Power Port Placement
10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head.
11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed
12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa.
3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed.
4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone.
5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy.
Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time.
7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.
|
|
|
|
|
08-26-2007, 02:52 PM
|
#3
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,210
|
I don't understand. What makes one a candidate for routine brain scans???
__________________
Bonnie
Post menopause
May 2007 Core biopsy, Rt breast
ER+, Pr-, HER2 +++, Grade 3
Ki-67: 90%
"suspicious area" left breast
Bilateral mastectomy, (NED on left) May 2007
Sentinel Node Neg
Stage 1, DCIS with microinvasion, 3 mm, mostly removed during the biopsy....
Femara (discontinued 7/07) Resumed 10/07
OncoType score 36 (July 07)
Began THC 7/26/07 (d/c taxol and carboplatin 10/07)
Began Herceptin alone 10/07
Finished Herceptin July /08
D/C Femara 4/10 (joint pain/trigger thumb!)
5/10 mistakenly dx with lung cancer. Middle rt lobe removed!
Aromasin started 5/10
|
|
|
|
|
08-26-2007, 03:15 PM
|
#4
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Southern, CA
Posts: 2,511
|
Bonnie, Since I'm Her2/neu, 3+++, & a stage III'er with 5 positive nodes that makes me high risk for mets to brain. All of us Her2 gals are at higher risk for mets...& most insurance companies will cover routine MRI's if you *push* for them. So I get them every six months. Hope that helps.
Chelee
__________________
DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes.
Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs.
Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06
Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07
3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07
9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV.
9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa
9-29-09 Power Port Placement
10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head.
11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed
12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa.
3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed.
4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone.
5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy.
Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time.
7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.
|
|
|
|
|
08-26-2007, 04:06 PM
|
#5
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,210
|
Oh, gosh, something new to worry about.....
__________________
Bonnie
Post menopause
May 2007 Core biopsy, Rt breast
ER+, Pr-, HER2 +++, Grade 3
Ki-67: 90%
"suspicious area" left breast
Bilateral mastectomy, (NED on left) May 2007
Sentinel Node Neg
Stage 1, DCIS with microinvasion, 3 mm, mostly removed during the biopsy....
Femara (discontinued 7/07) Resumed 10/07
OncoType score 36 (July 07)
Began THC 7/26/07 (d/c taxol and carboplatin 10/07)
Began Herceptin alone 10/07
Finished Herceptin July /08
D/C Femara 4/10 (joint pain/trigger thumb!)
5/10 mistakenly dx with lung cancer. Middle rt lobe removed!
Aromasin started 5/10
|
|
|
|
|
08-26-2007, 07:25 PM
|
#6
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bedford, Virginia
Posts: 134
|
Okay, I too, like Bonnie, am a little confused. I recently had a MRI, but that was of the breasts. If there is no sign of mets (and in my case, no nodes), should us gals who are Stage II (and less) push for annual MRI's of the brain? Do they do the breast and the brain at the same appointment? I thought I was being diligent by pushing for a MRI of the breast area. I still have a lot to learn. My Onc keeps telling me he "went for the cure" with me, but I am learning that I have to be my own advocate.
Louise
__________________
- Diagnosis 06/06 - Stage II-A BC; BC was 2.5 cm, grade 2; ER/PR negative & HER-2/neu positive;
- Mastectomy w/ reconstruction (implant) in 09/06;lymph nodes - negative;
- AC/Cytoxin combo - 4 treatments (dose dense);
- Taxol/Herceptin combo- 12 weekly treatments;
- Completed chemo - 2/07; completed restruction 02/07; reduction of left breast.
- BRCA 1 and 2 negative - 6/15/07;DX high risk for distant recurrence
- MRI, 08/02/07 - NED
- 1 year Anniversary - 09/07; completed Herceptin 11/07.
- Mammo 02/14/08 - NED; MRI - 08/2008 - NED
- 2 year Anniversary - 09/08
- Mammo 02/09 - NED; MRI - 08/09 - NED
- 3rd year Anniversary - 09/09
- 5th Annivery - 09/2011 - NED
|
|
|
|
|
08-27-2007, 03:56 PM
|
#7
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,014
|
The problem with most chemos is that they don't cross the brain barrier. Herceptin, Taxols, AC/Cytoxin don't. So when you are treated for your primary, nothing is going into the brain treating it. The incidence of brain mets are higher with HER2+ cancer. If I was early stage..I or II..I don't think I would worry about it too much but would still probably get an MRI done every year. Doesn't hurt and will definatly put your mind at ease. With me being stage IV, I have brain MRI's done every 6 months. Just had one done and it's clean...yea!!! My scan did show very high intelligence though...haha... (stole that one from my brother)...sherryg
__________________
Sherry
Diagnosed: December , 2005 at age 44
13+ positive lymph nodes
Stage IV , Her2+, 2 small mets to lungsChemo Started: Jan, 2006
4 months Taxotere, Xeloda, Hercepin
NED since April 2006!!
36 Rads to follow with weekly Herceptin indefinately
8 years NED now
Scans every year
Life is not about avoiding the thunderstorms, it's about learning to dance in the rain!
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:27 AM.
|
Linear Mode
