How are people with liver mets doing?

living- cyber knife is a very specific form of radiation treatment using gamma rays directed at the tumor using a computer. It requires s special machine that looks kinda like an MRU machine. I had this treatment on my brain mets and have been clear ever since.

I was told that it could have been used for my solitary liver met but only if regular radio frequency ablation wasn't an option. It would have involved inserting gold chips to be used as markers first, followed by the actual gamma knife/ cyber knife treatment.

Others who will be having this treatment might be able to be more specific. My only reference is my brain treatment and consult for my liver treatment.

Hope that helps

Ok I goofed gamma knife is different than cyber knife. In general they at every precise ways to deliver targeted radiation treatment to a tumor.

Gamma knife is supposed to be more accurate but is used almost solely on brain tumors.

From what I understand cyber knife uses real time x rays and is therefore able to treat more than brain tumors. Gamma knife used a fixed frame that is attached to your head via screws for brain treatment.

Cyber knife is done using a robotic arm and can have multiple sessions.it is s single beam. The robot arm moves from place to place using real time x rays for guidance. Gamma knife is done in one session ( due to fixed head halo) and uses multiple beams at the same time. A CT image is used to program the computer to guide those beams.

That's my best try at explaining this advanced treatment stuff.

Sorry for the confudion

Lvin, I have normal watery eye problems on Xeloda but nothing extreme. When I was on Taxotere, however, my tear ducts closed up completely due to scar tissue from the chemo. The watering eyes would run down my face all day long. For a month straight, my eyes hurt and itched from so much from excessive watering. I had to carry tissue with me all day at work and dab my eyes throughout meetings and client one-on-one discussions. It looked like I was crying all day. I was prescribed steroid eye drops by my oncologist (I believe it was dexamethasone). When those didn't work, I had to go to an opthmalogist that deals with chemo patients. He had to manually reopen my tear ducts with an ice-pick type device. It sounds creepy but didn't hurt and only took 15 minutes or so while I was awake with some type of local anesthesia. Good luck finding a solution. I would suggest starting with steroid eye drops. I believe that is enough to solve the issue for most people.

And I am very sorry to hear about so many of you having this watery eye side effect. I have not heard of that one and it does not sound nice at all. Livn an Isy, I hope you find a solution soon.

Kaayborg, I had a wonderful six week break from gem/carbo but mainly because of Christmas/new year/holidays though my onc is all for giving breaks every now and again to give body a rest. I think it's a great idea as long as things relatively stable. I had to come off it eventually because of progression in bones, bit it did work well for my liver. Even a weeks delay to your chemo will mean your platelets recover without compromising the treatment. Hope you manage to stay on it long time I found it an easy chemo to take.

lsy, i am currently on javelin? That's possibly spelled wrong. I have tried 4 different scripts nothing works. May go to eye dr.

Kathy I am in the boonies in Maricopa. My doc is at ironwood in chandler. I like him he starts positive and is very nice great bedside manner. I guess Summer is here, 118 on Sat? Awww 😭

Babs, Excellent !

Babs, great news! I am happy for you!

yah, Babs, love hearing good news! Happy dance, indeed!!

Rejoicing with you, Babs! Go Xeloda! Go normal! Go YOU!

Thank you Stephanie! I wish I were young!!! I'll be 67 this year but I don't want BC to take over my life. Whatever time I have on this earth I wish to enjoy. My Mom was 42 when she died of BC and she always lived life to the fullest! I still miss her EVERY day but I have so many great memories. Thank god!!! And I want to leave those I love with great memories too- hopefully not for a long time!!!

Babs

Thanks Stephanie!

Babs

gramen,

my MO scheduled my scan after the 3rd round of Taxotere, several weeks later. Closer to chemo #4. That way it had time to work.

Anti anxiety meds are nice to have on hand. They take the edge off, if our mind is going overtime, or to the dark side.

Mine are scheduled every three months, one coming up in a week. Super scanxiety! I think I need to follow the med advice as well just for periodic "freak outs".

great news Babs! You and my mom were diagnosed around the same time and it's nice to see you (among everyone) with improvements.

Xeloda didn't work well for my mom unfortunately and liver mets are now extensive. She qualifies for a trial with Dana Farber and will be starting on Sapacitabine (oral chemo drug) days 1-7 twice daily than seliciclib (cdk inhibitor) for days 8,9,10 than week off. Beginning in a couple of weeks.

Fingers crossed she can join the improvement and ideally NED club soon.