lung cancer mestastisizing to the brain

michaelcie
michaelcie Member Posts: 133
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
Hi Everyone, I know I just told everyone that I am clean and in remission ,but I am still worried about the cancer moving to the brain. When I finished chemo and radiation , the rad doctor wanted to do prophylactic brain iradiation I didn't want it at the time, I asked my oncologist about it this last appointment and she wasn't for it because it is her opinion that the cancer comes back in two different places and it is not proven that this helps the prevention of spread to the brain. I am lost to what to do because my doctor comes with great credentials. The radiation doctor was on a push a year ago to get these treatments to the point I was concerned about their motives . Anyone with information about their treatments or procedures would be appreciated very much. It just seems that since I have been in remission that my doctor is a little off standish and cold. Mike

Comments

  • Donna
    Donna Member Posts: 23
    #2
    Mike,
    I don't really know much about it at all (wish I did so I could help). I did read msgs on the lungcancersurvivors.org website where someone was discussing her dad who has small cell and he was having the whole brain radiation to keep the cancer from spreading to his brain. Maybe you could find out more info on this site? Good luck to you. If nothing else, maybe having the radiation done would put you more at ease. I think it's great that you are trying to take steps now to prevent mets to the brain. It seems your doctor could be more supportive of your concerns. Take care.
    Donna
  • pony
    pony Member Posts: 1
    #3
    Mike...hello,
    First of all I would like to say WTG for being a survivor. I like yourself am a survivor of lung cancer. I just finished my chemo and radiation this last November and am also in complete remission. My Doctor also pushed for PBI but I put it off till I could find out more about it. The Central Nervous System is a frequent site of relapse. There are high incidences of brain metastases in patients whose small-cell-lung cancer has gone into remission. The brains blood vessels contain special cells that create a blood-brain barrier. This barrier prevents chemotherapy from entering the brain as efficiently as it does elsewhere in the body. It is true that it can return in more than one place but the chances of it coming back in the brain with this treatment are about 20% to 30% less than without it. I myself have started these treatments, I hope I have helped you in some way with what you are looking for. If you have any questions I will try my best to answer them for you as I go through this.
    Take care and God Bless
    My prayers are with you
    PONY
  • michaelcie
    michaelcie Member Posts: 133
    #4
    pony said:

    Mike...hello,
    First of all I would like to say WTG for being a survivor. I like yourself am a survivor of lung cancer. I just finished my chemo and radiation this last November and am also in complete remission. My Doctor also pushed for PBI but I put it off till I could find out more about it. The Central Nervous System is a frequent site of relapse. There are high incidences of brain metastases in patients whose small-cell-lung cancer has gone into remission. The brains blood vessels contain special cells that create a blood-brain barrier. This barrier prevents chemotherapy from entering the brain as efficiently as it does elsewhere in the body. It is true that it can return in more than one place but the chances of it coming back in the brain with this treatment are about 20% to 30% less than without it. I myself have started these treatments, I hope I have helped you in some way with what you are looking for. If you have any questions I will try my best to answer them for you as I go through this.
    Take care and God Bless
    My prayers are with you
    PONY

    Hello Pony, How is your treatment going? Did the doctors discuss the long term effects with you? My doctor(oncologist) doesn't like the radiation to the brain, and says that it hasn't been proven to help in the long term, I really don't know what to do and have been trying to find all the information that I can find on it. Well thank-you for responding and any info that you can give will be greatly appreciated. Mike
  • tashka
    tashka Member Posts: 3
    #5
    Mike,
    It's a tough decision to make. My mother decided to have it at the recommendation of her oncologist. 1 1/2 years later the sclc had spread to her brain anyway. She was in the unfortunate percentage where it spreads anyway. My point is this, because she had the PCI, she could not have any radiation when it did spread to her brain. If she had not had the PCI she would have been able to have it when she really needed it. Like I said, it's a hard decision, but you need to know both sides. Good luck and God Bless!

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