hesters blog brain mets

carkris
carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
in Breast Cancer #1
Brain Mets

8/2/2012 (1:01:50pm)Tags: noneComments: (0)

I do know this is a terrifying topic, but there is actually some "good" news. Most of us are aware the breast cancer can spread to the brain, that some breast cancers (most frequently those that are Her2 positive or triple negative) are more likely to do so, and that there IS treatment. What you may not know is that the treatment is actually quite effective, and it seems fair to suggest that, although scarier, brain mets are not so different than liver or lung or other serious mets in terms of prognosis. This is a change, and a very welcome one.

Until fairly recently, a diagnosis of brain mets inevitably signaled the beginning of the end. Women were treated with radiation, but there were side effects, and it did not seem to be very helpful. For most of us, the idea of cancer in our brains is more upsetting than thinking about cancer in other parts of our body. We live in our brains; our brains are central to who we are, and surely good brain functioning is necessary to continue to manage our lives. Symptoms of possible brain mets may be vague, and can include headaches that persist (and what else is accompanying those headaches such as nausea, a sense of general malaise), changes in vision, or even changes in balance or other motor function. When we report one of these things to our doctors (and we should), it is always taken seriously and usually followed up by a brain MRI.
to continue see her blog so glad we are seeing improvement!

Comments

  • kjrpcb
    kjrpcb Member Posts: 41
    #2
    Brain mets
    I was diagnosed with bc two years ago. One year ago I started having headaches and MRI showed brain mets. However, there is good news. I have been taking oral herceptin and feel great. Brain MRI is clear. My neuro surgeon says I have a normal brain with just some weakness on the left side. I'm really grateful for a skilled surgeon and medication. There is hope.
  • Heatherbelle
    Heatherbelle Member Posts: 1,226 Member
    #3
    kjrpcb said:

    Brain mets
    I was diagnosed with bc two years ago. One year ago I started having headaches and MRI showed brain mets. However, there is good news. I have been taking oral herceptin and feel great. Brain MRI is clear. My neuro surgeon says I have a normal brain with just some weakness on the left side. I'm really grateful for a skilled surgeon and medication. There is hope.

    Always "HOPE"!!
    thanks for
    Always "HOPE"!!
    thanks for sharing this!!
    xoxo -heather
  • salls41
    salls41 Member Posts: 340
    #4
    Thank you for this
    It has certainly helped ease my mind just a bit. TNBC scares me so much! I try not to let the fears overtake the day but being so new in this journey and not knowing what tomorrow may bring, it is hard not to think about every pain or tingle being a "What if that is a symptom"
    It is good to know that there is hope if it is a symptom eventually.
    Sandy

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