My son has a different kind of tumor than your rare one, so I don't know if my answer will really help you....
My son David's doctor told us on two different occasions that David's mass effect was reduced. One was after his second brain surgery. The neurosurgeon said that he removed "a lot of junk"....necrosis, tumor, scar tissue. Our NO told us that this reduced the mass effect a lot. The other time was after a brutal blood brain barrier disruption with three chemos given simultaneously. The tumor shrank a lot after that treatment. Again our NO said that the mass effect was greatly reduced. You can see the difference in the size of the tumor in the MRIs that I posted in my expressions area.
If you would like to know more about the BBBD (blood brain barrier disruption), please let me know. Or you can goole it. We are doing the BBBD at Oregon Health Sciences University. We are part of a clinical trial that is determining the effect (and the toxicity level) of adding a third chemo called mephalan. They are combining it with carboplatin and etoposide.
David is fighting an aggressive recurrence of an anaplastic (grade 3) oligodendroglioma.
I am following yours and Leslie's posts and thinking of you guys and praying for you and for her husband.
Joined: May 2011
Not sure what you mean by
Not sure what you mean by mass effect.
Joined: Feb 2012
are you taking any steroids?
are you taking any steroids?
Joined: Jan 2012
Steroids
I am taking 40mg of prednisone daily. Me and dexamethsaone don't like each other.
Joined: Dec 2009
mass effect
Hi, tmfaubus.
My son has a different kind of tumor than your rare one, so I don't know if my answer will really help you....
My son David's doctor told us on two different occasions that David's mass effect was reduced. One was after his second brain surgery. The neurosurgeon said that he removed "a lot of junk"....necrosis, tumor, scar tissue. Our NO told us that this reduced the mass effect a lot. The other time was after a brutal blood brain barrier disruption with three chemos given simultaneously. The tumor shrank a lot after that treatment. Again our NO said that the mass effect was greatly reduced. You can see the difference in the size of the tumor in the MRIs that I posted in my expressions area.
If you would like to know more about the BBBD (blood brain barrier disruption), please let me know. Or you can goole it. We are doing the BBBD at Oregon Health Sciences University. We are part of a clinical trial that is determining the effect (and the toxicity level) of adding a third chemo called mephalan. They are combining it with carboplatin and etoposide.
David is fighting an aggressive recurrence of an anaplastic (grade 3) oligodendroglioma.
I am following yours and Leslie's posts and thinking of you guys and praying for you and for her husband.
Love and blessings,
Cindy in Salem, Oregon
Joined: Feb 2012
Thank you, Cindy :)
Thank you, Cindy :)
Joined: Feb 2012
BBBD
Cindy,
I'd be interested in knowing more about BBBD. Googling it, too. You called it "brutal." Can you tell me more how it affects the patient?
Much aloha,
Leslie