Brain Mets???

keishi33

I have recently completed treatment for the 2nd time for Breast cancer.  We think my last chemo (October) took care of everything.  At least my PET Scan was clear.  I go for my next scans in a few weeks but I have been having awful headaches and I am afraid it is Brain Mets.  These headaches are only in the morning and only when I am up and active.  If I sit down for several minutes they go away.  EVERY MORNING!!  My Onc. said she thinks it is just sinus trouble because I have a bloody nose almost every morning as well.  Not like dripping or anything just when I blow my nose the tissue if filled with blood.  She advised me to call my family Dr., and I will tomorrow.  I really want a Brain MRI though.

Any thoughts?

Keishi

sherryw

Keishi,

Is you house dry.  This time of the year our houses depending on where we live can become really dry and that can give us bloody noses and headaches.  You could try a humidifier to put some moisture in the air in your house.  Hope this works.

I have had 2 brain mri's in the last 2 years and each time it ended up being sinus goop in my head and face, so i took an antibiotic and it fixed it.  So I hope that is what yours it.

Sherry

dudne

Never be too cautious.  I was diagnosed with BC 12/07.  I blamed my memory issues on the chemo.  In 12/08 I got up one morning, and couldn't even use th phone.  I was sent for a catscan and found that the BC had metasticized to my brain.  I was blaming, the headaches on stress at work, and sinus issues, but the sinus meds never helped. 

LisaSDCA

Like dudne, I blamed my symptoms on "chemo brain" and my headaches on a variety of issues. My brain metastasis was not identified until my aphasia had become acute and my micrographia (handwriting) was completely illegible. By this time the tumor had grown to over 2cm. and the mass effect was obstructing normal fluid flow from the left ventricle and causing a midline shift - causing normal brain tissue to be compromised.

I can't imagine an onc. refusing an MRI to a recurrent, triple negative patient with classic, textbook symptoms for possible brain mets. My PET scan six months earlier was only neck to knees - as most are. An MRI is definitive for the brain. Don't ask - TELL your onc. you need an MRI rather than any other scan. You'll feel so relieved when it rules out metastasis. Or you can act quickly to bring a tumor under control if it's bad news.

My good thoughts are with you,

Lisa

keishi33

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.  I have a MRI scheduled for Monday 3/9/09.  In the meantime my Dr. gave me an antibiotic, nose spray and sinus meds.  Once I talked to the doctor again she did not hesitate on the MRI, I don't think I gave a complete picture the first time.  Sometimes I tend to make light of things when indeed I should not.  She thought my main problem was nose bleeds. 

Keishi

lovingson09

I am very glad that you had that you had the MRI.  I hope that it went well.

 My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer last June.  It had spread to her lymph nodes and a Pet Scan revealed two very small spots on her lung.  The decision was made not to biopsy the lungs because the treatment would have been the same regardless of the outcome of the biopsy according to her oncologist.  She had also been showing signs of "Chemo Brain" with general confusion and forgetfulness She was scheduled for her 2nd to last chemo treatment on March 3, 2009 and her oncologist was concerned because her confustion had grown worse.  By March 5th we got an MRI done (after fighting with her insurance) and it showed innumerable small brain lesions throughout the majority of her brain including the brain stem and cerebellum.

By March 8 she had lost all ability to communicate and has gone into a coma and moved into hospice and is expected to pass anyday.

 I don't understand why after a possible positive Pet Scan showing spots in the lungs they would not have done a brain MRI as part of her treatment.  I have been told that the brain is really one of the only areas that the chemo would not have helped at all and that the cancer had probably already spread to her brain the entire time she was on chemo.  The nature of her small lesions kept a Pet Scan and even a CT Scan right before her MRI on 3/5 from seeing the cancer.  If it was me, I would push for a brain MRI at the earliest sign of "chemo brain" symptoms or sooner.