Doctor mistake: No brain mets now?!!

mariposa68
mariposa68 Member Posts: 4
in Lung Cancer #1
Doctors at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, CA just told my mother they made a mistake. They thought she had brain mets from lung cancer, but it turns out they were looking at a stroke in her brain--possibly from years ago. She went into the ER for a blood clot in lung last night after doctors did a lung CT scan to see if her chemo was working. Her oncologist called and told her to RUSH to the ER for treatment for this blood clot. When we reached the ER, doctors refused to give her blood thinners because an MRI scan in June showed her stage four lung cancer has progressed to brain mets.

An emergency MRI last night showed the "tumor" we thought she had for the past three months was actually a stroke. Thank goodness they can give her blood thinners now. And thank goodness they did not begin whole brain radiation yet!

How can this happen??
Has anyone heard of this happening??

Comments

  • Glenna M
    Glenna M Member Posts: 1,576
    #2
    I haven't heard of this but
    I haven't heard of this but I'm sure this is probably not the first time a scan was misread. Celebrate and enjoy the fact that it's not in your mom's brain...such good news!!!

    Stay well,
    Glenna
  • mariposa68
    mariposa68 Member Posts: 4
    #3
    Glenna M said:

    I haven't heard of this but
    I haven't heard of this but I'm sure this is probably not the first time a scan was misread. Celebrate and enjoy the fact that it's not in your mom's brain...such good news!!!

    Stay well,
    Glenna

    blood-brain barrier may have been broken
    Just spoke with oncologist....
    he said that while chemo is not usually able to treat brain mets in small cell, it looks like the blood/brain barrier may have been broken in this case. At any rate, there are no brain mets now!

    Mom is still in the hospital for the blood clot in lung.....
    but that is getting treated with cumidin.

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