mets to brain

[kay b]

After reading some of the posts, I am now worried about brain tumors. I have breast cancer that has spread to lungs and liver. Does anyone know what percentage spreads to the brain? My doctor never ordered a brain MRI. Do I need to have this done?

[Jade]

I am Stage I, 17 months out from dx, 4 rounds of EC followed by 1 yr Herceptin. So far so good. When I asked my onc what's next he said that at the end of Herceptin (July 06) I would have the appropriate scans to ensure everything is ok, however, he's ordering a brain scan right now (not waiting 4 mos.), even though I have no symptoms. I'm fortunate to have a doctor who is considered to be at the top of his game. I'm no expert but I recall reading that HER2 girls are estimated to have a 10% higher risk of mets to the brain, as Herceptin works so well for the body but unfortunately like many or most chemos, doesn't cross the blood brain barrier. So I would say, get the brain scan now.

My heart goes out to you. I will follow your posts. Best of luck,

Jade

[Lisa]

Kay,

With more and more of us living longer, brain mets are now not uncommon. Many of us here have requested brain MRIs without symptoms because we lost a dear member whose doc waited too long to do an MRI. And several of us have discovered brain lesions which were totally unexpected. Me included.

If you have mets to other areas, request--no demand--a brain MRI immediately. You can only treat possible lesions if you know they exist.

Love and light,

Lisa

[Cathya]

What is the difference between a brain CT and a brain MRI. I understand the CT is less expensive and quicker to do but does it show up tumors as well as an MRI?

Thanks,

Cathya

[pattyz]

Cathya,
MRi with contrast is THE standard for dx'ing brain mets. I've had 17 thus far, so have a bit of experience with them...

Ct scan can show larger lesions but is not what you want when dealing with possible brain mets.

pattyz

[Esther]

From what I understood, the material the CT uses to light up areas is a substance that is naturally attracted to the brain area, therefore you might get false positives.

The MRI is the best way to get a true picture of the brain.