Brain lesion after Complete Pathological Response

Thank you all for your thoughts and wishes.  I've been busy trying to prepare for the upcoming surgery (Oct. 14th), if all the pre-ops go fine, and then we'll take it from there.  I feel ver comfortable about where I will do the surgery and relatively comfortable with the surgeon but even the Teaching Hospital where I'm having it is 2 1/2 hours away from home that complicates matters when you have an 11-year-old and no family around, but we will manage.  I just hope that we can find out what caused the seizure in the first place. Of course, I'm hoping that the medical oncologist is right ("I'm not convinced that it is a tumor", she said), but if the neurosurgoen is right and it is a new primaryI hope that it is a low grade one that doesn't require any further treatment unless it comes back because of the controversy surrounding the treatment of brain tumors.  I definitely hope that it is not a metastasis from the triple negative I had (all pre-op CT scans were clear) because that would be the worst news of all...Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.  I'll let you know as soon as I can what I found out at surgery (if it is a tumor or not).  Of course, the full pathology report at the end of October will tell us, hopefully, the whole story.

Warmly,

Christina 

Dear Sisters, 

I can't thank you enough for your support and uplifting messages.  I know I could or should be angry but I'm not because of what I've read in our boards and the courage that I saw in some of you who had to fight BC and metastatic scenarios.  I'm just a very "lucky" gal with two different kinds of beasts.  Let's see what the future will hold for me.  With much appreciation, Christina.

P.S. Yes, there was a resection (open craniotomy), not just a biopsy but unlike BC, you can't have a full resection in brain tumors and that's why they are considered incurable with a high probability of regrowth depending on several factors including the size of resection, age, grade, etc. 

Well, the problem is that you have only a few "bullets" if the low grade turns high grade and based on the most current research and clinical trials, they want to save them when you need them the most that's why the top brain centers recommend serial MRIs (every 2-3 months).  Unfortunately, although radiation seemed to postpone regrowth by the five-year mark (there was a clinical trial in Europe), the overall survival didn't change and the use of chemo is very controversial (no data yet showing any benefit).  In addition, there were some negative side effects with cognitive impairement due to radiation. Since I have had BC, though, I'm not eligible for any trial that may open up at NCI (you've got to be cancer free for five years), so I've got to live for four more years to be eligible for those:-).  I never knew that most of the research is geared towards high grade gliomas and that there is very little on low grade but maybe this is is good sign, who knows:-).  The MRI in December will be very crucial.  Let's hope that there is no change.  And I thought having mammos every six months for BC was going to be a little nerve-racking...  Again, I thank you all for your concern and your well wishes.

Dear Tender and all of you who were concerned about me,

 I just wanted to let you know that I got a second opinion yesterday from Duke and today from MD Anderson that concurred with the recommendation I got from JH (to just be monitored with MRIs every two months for the first six months--decrease the frequency after that, unless there are signs of regrowth or I start to have problems). Everybody said that the longer I can hold off to be treated the better off I will be because I will give a chance to technology to advance.  I hope I can be stable for a long time but it remains to be seen...  Thank you again for pushing me to get a second opinion.  I felt much more secure having done a triangulation of opinions.  --Christina