Radiation to skull

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JFV
JFV Member Posts: 795
edited September 2017 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

Hi !

Seems my bone mets have made it to my skull. I will require gamma knife radiation because a lesion is pressing on my optic nerve. I was wondering if anyone could share any experience s they've had with skull mets and gamma knife.

Thanks. JFV

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  • Goodie16
    Goodie16 Member Posts: 446
    edited September 2017

    I didn't have skull mets radiated with GammaKnife, but I did have a brain met radiated with it. The process itself was relatively quick. The worst part was getting the halo on. I was tired afterwards and for a few days following, but nothing terrible.

    Best of luck to you!

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  • JFV
    JFV Member Posts: 795
    edited September 2017

    Thank you Goodie 16

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  • PattyPeppermint
    PattyPeppermint Member Posts: 11,162
    edited September 2017

    Jfv. I don't have experience with skull Mets or gamma knife but I did want to encourage you. Hugs


    I am sure someone will be along soon who do have this experience.

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  • JFV
    JFV Member Posts: 795
    edited September 2017

    Thank you patty

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  • PattyPeppermint
    PattyPeppermint Member Posts: 11,162
    edited September 2017

    Jfv it is a holiday weekend and not many people posting.

    Hey fellow bco members with experience of bone Mets to skull, jfv needs some questions answered if you could help please.

    Bumping this thread so it doesn't get lost without many answers for her

    Hugs

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  • LindaE54
    LindaE54 Member Posts: 2,054
    edited September 2017

    JFV- not sure my experience will help you but here we go. I didn't have gamma knife, just "regular" rads to C1 and clivus bone in the skull. C1 met was pressing against the hypoglossal intracranial nerve resulting in unilateral tongue swelling and deviation/paralysis and impaired speech. Clivus met was found quite by fluke with brain MRI. Had 5 rounds of rads, lost my hair from ear level down, had a bad case of oral thrush and mouth sores and a lot of nausea for a good month or so. Tongue swelling went down but the paralysis is still there due to permanent damage to the hypoglossal nerve. The goal was to prevent further neurological damage and so far so good.

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  • JFV
    JFV Member Posts: 795
    edited September 2017

    Thanks Patti ! LindaE thank you for the info. I forget all the details of my MRI. But I think I have small lyric lesions on the front of my skull pressing on my optic nerve. I get the impression I might go blind without the gamma knife. Always something interesting

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  • PattyPeppermint
    PattyPeppermint Member Posts: 11,162
    edited September 2017

    Also, have you looked at the thread here :. Brain Mets. I bet they have some info first hand.


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  • JFV
    JFV Member Posts: 795
    edited September 2017

    Thanks Patty ! I did look. I saw a radiation oncologist today for the first time. Happily my brain looks good. But I have a small tumor that is pressing on one of my eyes. So, I will have something like gamma knife. Just don't know if I'll have 5 sessions or 20 sessions. It seems the eye can get easily damaged by radiation and 20 sessions might be easier on my eye. A whole new world of information to digest

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  • PattyPeppermint
    PattyPeppermint Member Posts: 11,162
    edited September 2017

    Hip hip hooray our brain was clear. That rocks. Good luck with radiation


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  • JFV
    JFV Member Posts: 795
    edited September 2017

    Thank you !!!

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