Setback: Nother brain leasion found .My cancer story. A new challenge to fight. A.L.K. Mutated Adeno

rdn2blazer said:

Long overdue update...

I am still alive. I'll tell you its been a rough road. Lots has happened. I finally had my 2nd brain surgery to remove the second tumor as it finally saw regrowth. Aug 28 2015 was the date of the 2nd surgery. I recently found out I have a thirsd tumor growing right next to the pocket on my brain where the second tumor was removed. I've been back to work since last time I was on here but am currently back out on disability. Starting 5 straight days of radiation next week. More surgery may be in my future yet still if this doesn't handle it. I'll probably have Necrosis from this treatment as I seem to be subseptable to Necrosis. I've gotten it after both radiation treatments before and this will be more then I have ever had to date. None of it even matter. I'm going to surviv this no matter what. I feel fine and can do everything I've always been able to do. I have more fatigue then normal, to be expected. But I will get it back. Not even worried about it. And if I don't then I will just work exhausted. I am and have been for decades anyway. I had this 2nd surgery 11 days after turning 48. This was a 5/ hour surgery. Was out of the hospital in two days. The second day I was out I walked Costco with my brother, then a two days later walked about a mile and a hald walking with a buddy walking his dog. 

 

 

How rare am I? How many more are there like me with this, in this deep, still alive? What do you think about this? This from the link below. Remember, my lung cancer is a very rare cancer as well on top of the statistics. Only 5% of all lung cancer patients get my cancer. Crazy lol!

Long-term survival with metastatic cancer to the brain
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11114706

QUOTE:


Metastatic cancer to the brain has a poor prognosis. The focus of this work was to determine the incidence of long-term (> or = 2y) survival for patients with brain metastases from different primary cancers and to identify prognostic variables associated with prolonged survival. A retrospective review of 740 patients with brain metastases treated over a 20 y period identified 51 that survived 2 or more years from the time of diagnosis of the brain metastasis. Prognostic variables that were examined included age, sex, histology, tumor number and location, and treatment. In the 51 patients, 35 (69%) had single lesions and 16 (31%) had multiple tumors. For all tumor types (740 patients), the actuarial survival rate was 8.1% at 2 y, 4.8% at 3 y, and 2.4% at 5 y. At 2 y, patients with ovarian carcinoma had the highest survival rate (23.9%) and patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) had the lowest survival rate (1.7%). At 5y, survival rates were 7.8% for ovarian carcinoma, 2.9% for non-SCLC, 2.3% for melanoma and renal cell carcinoma, 1.3% for breast carcinoma and there were no survivors with SCLC, gastrointestinal, bladder, unknown primary, or prostate cancer. Age, sex, histology, location for single tumors, systemic chemotherapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery did not significantly influence survival. The presence of a single lesion (P = 0.001, chi-square test), surgical resection (P= 0.001), and WBRT (P = 0.009) were favorable prognostic variables for extended survival. Multiple bilateral metastases was a poor prognostic indicator (P= 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed younger age (P< 0.05), single metastasis (P < 0.0001), surgical resection (P < 0.0001), whole brain radiation therapy (P < 0.0001), and chemotherapy (P = 0.0288) were associated with prolonged survival. 29 patients (57%) died of systemic disease progression, 9 (18%) died of central nervous system progression, and the cause of death was unknown in 3 (6%). Patients with a single non-SCLC, breast, melanoma, renal cell, and ovarian carcinoma brain metastasis have the best chance for long-term survival if treated with surgical resection and WBRT.


END QUOTE.


From the day I passed out in the shower its been 3 years, 5 months, 3 weeks, and two days since that day give or take my numbers. I obviously had the cancer before that day for who knows how long. That will never be known. Then of course it lets cells go from the lesion into my blood stream to my brain causing the first tumor. That grew to about the size of a god damn large marble before it let it be known it was there by almost killing my brain from massive swelling alone. Tumor about an inch and a sixteenth in size it grew to. That'a a damn BIG brain tumor as far as brain tumors go on average. Luckily it was a surface tumor so no penetration into my brain. I lost brain matter still from surgery though and the Necrosis that followed less then a year later caused brain swelling at the same time the second brain tumor showed on an MRI. More brain swelling. More radiation. More Necrosis, Second tumor finally had regrowth. More brain surgery, my second. More loss of brain tissue. as they went into my brain about 1/2 inch to remove the second tomor. I will more then likely have Necrosis down the road from the radiation I'll be starting next week to hit this now third tumor. The rarity of surviving all that, and I am fine. Other then my energy level, which is understandable, I have a freakin brain tumor trying to reek havoc on my brain. But so far I am winning. This radiation will be fatiguing even more so I already am I assume. I expect to get sick. If not great, if I do I can and will get through it. Just like all of it to date. I am undefeated with cancer and brain tumors so far. FOR THE WIN!!!

Every day you get up and your toes are pointed forward is a good day.  Thanks for the update.  I'm a full 5 years out now but no brain mets.