How to watch for brain mets?

jsattaw · 03-11-2006, 07:36 PM

I just asked my oncologist about a baseline brain MRI and he agreed to do some reading but didn't think it was warranted at this time in my case. I am considered Stage II due to a recurrence but am still node negative with no mets. I didn't push him now -- but would welcome others' thoughts on this subject too.

Thanks.

Jill

madubois63 · 03-11-2006, 07:57 PM

I have been getting a brain MRI every six months since my relapse - AT MY REQUEST. My family knows to watch me for slurring of the words and shuffling of my feet. Besides headaches, watch for eye problems (floaters, flashes).

Jill - If it makes you feel better, than get the MRI. You are the boss and you get the final say!! I have said it many times before, and I will say it again - YOU are paying your doctor. YOU have hired them. YOU are the boss. Maryann & Kenny (Mkkrny) wish that she was getting the MRI's. Hindsight...

saleboat · 03-11-2006, 08:43 PM

Val--

I recently brought this up with my Onc as well. She said that it had recently been the topic of hot conversation at their weekly conference, but for now, it is not protocol for early-stage Her2+ patients at my treatment center. However, I had the sense that if I pushed, my Onc would have sent me for one. (I was staged at IIIC). For now, while I'm finishing my year of Herceptin, I'm not pushing for it (I know this doesn't make a lot of sense, given that Herceptin does not cross the bb) but I'm in the mode of not borrowing trouble. I don't have any symptoms, and in genral, feel as though my care providers are extremely thoughtful and rigorous in their decision making (I'm treated at Sloan-Kettering).

BUT, if it is going to set your mind at ease, I hope you can get one.

Good luck,
Jen

kristen · 03-12-2006, 02:49 AM

Val,

This is my 2 cents.... My question was has anyone since the start of the study gotten brain mets that by passed the body and went straight to the brain? The gal I asked knew of one person. It was 2 years out of dx. with no symptoms. (if I remember riight) I have been fortunate to have been under the care of a nuerologist for headaches and restless leg for 8 years so when this popped up it was her idea to do MRI's every 6 months. On St. Paddy's day it will be my last 6 month check up and we will go to once a year. (NED 2.5 yrs) I feel with the studies that are coming out that I have a pretty good chance of this not coming back. But I will stay vigilant and I know my doc, will run the test if we think something is wrong. It has given me peace of mind. I also was a stage II (I think). Good Luck with your research and I plan on taking that study that was posted in to my neurologist that says how herceptin can keep it al bay longer....

tousled1 · 03-12-2006, 06:06 AM

I am stage III and have had what I will call 2 "episodes." My head starts to feel funny and then I seem to go into a "twilight zone." When it's over I feel fine. My oncologist has scheduled an appointment with a neurologist for Tuesday and has requested that I get an MRI. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything will be ok.

Val Pfeiffer · 03-12-2006, 07:20 AM

hey everyone--
I understand Kristen's point...that if there are no mets in other places that it's not likely that they have traveled to the brain.

But consider this...if a patient has stage III BC with strong node involvement, that makes it likely that there were cells that traveled elsewhere in the body. In my case, I had 3 months of neo-adjuveant Herceptin/Taxol/Carboplatin, and after surgery three more months of the same. After radiation I started on Herceptin by itself and will continue for one year. So I feel confident that my course of treatment will have taken care of any rogue cells floating around trying to cause trouble in my body

But...if there were cells that got past the nodes and were traveling around my body, it's very possible that they also traveled to my brain. And all this great treatment I have received won't have addressed those cells, which could be having a field day up there in my brain. It seems silly to wait until symptoms crop up to know if the cancer has spread to the brain.

I agree that it's not likely that brain mets will crop up if there aren't any other mets found, but now that treatment has gotten so aggressive in cases like ours, the cells probably don't have a chance to metastisize elsewhere. I am certain that if I hadn't received aggressive treatment that I would be stage IV by now.

I am not trying to be paranoid, I just am thinking realistically, since I firmly believe that it's up to each of us to ask our own questions. It sounds like there are many oncologists who don't see the need for this, but given the argument I make above, how do you think they can disagree?

:-)
Val
http://journals.aol.com/valleygirlvn...CancerUpdates/

AlaskaAngel · 03-12-2006, 12:37 PM

I am Stage 1 (T1c), 55, and NED. Over a year after treatment I had a week of vertigo problems with spinning head and nausea. However, there was also a new sensation where whenever I bent over to try to reach over and clip back the salmonberry bushes it felt like my "gyroscope" completely failed and I could not tell up from down at all, so I was constantly falling all over the place in the garden and in the house no matter how hard I tried to right myself. My internist did all the in-office basic neurologic testing and maneuvers, and together we decided to just monitor it without any more sophisticated testing. He's very conscientious with me and it probably was a little hard for him not to just order an MRI. I don't really know what caused the problem.

In the last 2 weeks I've had a problem with balance, with the sense of continually ending up heading to the left when I'm trying to go straight ahead, so I have to aim to the right to get where I'm trying to go. I rarely get headaches but have had them this week continuously. My internist checked me out again and we talked about MRI, but I have put it off for now. The sense of loss of balance has cleared up and finally with an aspirin last night the headaches have too.

There is no easy way for us to tell whether to get the MRI or not. I'm not at all afraid of results, but I'm not convinced I really need one. I would like to see better information provided to us and our PCPs about this by oncologists.

AlaskaAngel

03-15-2006, 11:06 AM

If you have had node involvement you are correct that a stray bugger has been camped out up there because bc is systemic. I know from experience. Please have a brain scan. Anyone else who is dizzy, having eye problems, balance problems, being a klutz, headaches (and it can be only once) should not try and rationlize what it is. Denial won't help treat it but early detection will. Please get an MRI.