Radiation plan and brain/spine mri results
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Radiation plan and brain/spine mri results

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Radiation plan and brain/spine mri results

  • Post
    • August 26, 2014 at 8:41 pm
    arthurjedi007
    Participant

      Just an update if anyone is interested.

      I believe I'm really lucky with this brain stuff so far. Basically the one skull tumor that is growing is pressing on the outer layer of the brain and displacing the brain but nothing is in the brain. The other 2 tumors are actually a little smaller than they were in February with one of them still pressing on the outer layer of the brain but it doesn't displace it. I assume that's the PD1 working some but dunno. So why didn't they radiate last February when the mri said I had a tumor pressing on my brain? I dunno. That was my local onc doc then and now I have my mayo doc. That was also the time I was almost paralyzed so I didn't really look at the mri i guess.

      Anyway my local radiation doc is actually more concerned with the spine. Apparently there is some more spinal cord stuff happening like last February although I'm not really experiencing much symptoms yet. My mayo doc did confirm after reading the mri reports that the spine needs radiated too. So the plan is PD1 on Sept 3. Radiate t12 and l2 in spine at 30 gray in 5 fractions Sept 8 to 17th. That is the same plan that shrank the t10 in March and now the PD1 is continuing to shrink it.

      For the skull though he basically said he hasn't decided the best way of doing it. He hasn't got it in his head yet he said. He also said he will be talking to his colleague about it. He also didn't want me on the table that long and not being able to stay still for 30 plus minutes. So he's going to decide how to do it and do it after the spine. So the plan is PD1 on Sept 24. Radiate skull in some fashion starting around Sept 26.

      Like Joe said about the dosage needing to be higher per zap for melanoma he did say it would be higher than 3000 (ie: 3 gray I think) probably something like 4100. I guess that is a little over 4 gray. But he was not sure about a minimum of 6 gray to the skull. But he hasn't decided anything with the skull yet. He was talking more about focusing the beams directly and things instead of the standard area blast. So I think he's on the right track. I also think if he can shrink it even a litle maybe the PD1 will take over.

      I hope I get the radiation/pd1 combo miracle that some people get. We shall see.

       

    Viewing 11 reply threads
    • Replies
        • August 26, 2014 at 8:48 pm
        RJoeyB
        Participant

          Artie, our posts crossed as we were writing them 😉  I just replied to your other thread if you want to check it out, but it sounds like your doctor is still giving some thought to the cranial met, which is what I was suggesting in my reply from two minutes ago that you discuss with him.  I agree that he's on the right track and it sounds like progress and a plan is coming into form — good to hear.  Joe

            • August 27, 2014 at 1:47 am
            arthurjedi007
            Participant

              Thank you Joe. Yes it is exactly as you describe coming from the skull pressing on the dura. There is again a lump that I can feel. The strange thing is after I think the 3rd dose of PD1 back in I think late June that lump shrank to almost nothing. It was about a quarter inch tall and then it was about as thin as a dime. But after the MRI last Thursday it has rose back up. Just today it may have shrank a very very tiny bit but that might be my imagination. Very strange stuff.

              • August 27, 2014 at 1:47 am
              arthurjedi007
              Participant

                Thank you Joe. Yes it is exactly as you describe coming from the skull pressing on the dura. There is again a lump that I can feel. The strange thing is after I think the 3rd dose of PD1 back in I think late June that lump shrank to almost nothing. It was about a quarter inch tall and then it was about as thin as a dime. But after the MRI last Thursday it has rose back up. Just today it may have shrank a very very tiny bit but that might be my imagination. Very strange stuff.

                • August 27, 2014 at 1:47 am
                arthurjedi007
                Participant

                  Thank you Joe. Yes it is exactly as you describe coming from the skull pressing on the dura. There is again a lump that I can feel. The strange thing is after I think the 3rd dose of PD1 back in I think late June that lump shrank to almost nothing. It was about a quarter inch tall and then it was about as thin as a dime. But after the MRI last Thursday it has rose back up. Just today it may have shrank a very very tiny bit but that might be my imagination. Very strange stuff.

                • August 26, 2014 at 8:48 pm
                RJoeyB
                Participant

                  Artie, our posts crossed as we were writing them 😉  I just replied to your other thread if you want to check it out, but it sounds like your doctor is still giving some thought to the cranial met, which is what I was suggesting in my reply from two minutes ago that you discuss with him.  I agree that he's on the right track and it sounds like progress and a plan is coming into form — good to hear.  Joe

                  • August 26, 2014 at 8:48 pm
                  RJoeyB
                  Participant

                    Artie, our posts crossed as we were writing them 😉  I just replied to your other thread if you want to check it out, but it sounds like your doctor is still giving some thought to the cranial met, which is what I was suggesting in my reply from two minutes ago that you discuss with him.  I agree that he's on the right track and it sounds like progress and a plan is coming into form — good to hear.  Joe

                    • August 26, 2014 at 9:39 pm
                    jbronicki
                    Participant

                      Artie, I don't have anything medical to add but just wanted to let you know that following your story and hoping that all continues to improve!  Many thoughts for even greater results in the near future.

                       

                      • August 26, 2014 at 9:39 pm
                      jbronicki
                      Participant

                        Artie, I don't have anything medical to add but just wanted to let you know that following your story and hoping that all continues to improve!  Many thoughts for even greater results in the near future.

                         

                        • August 26, 2014 at 9:39 pm
                        jbronicki
                        Participant

                          Artie, I don't have anything medical to add but just wanted to let you know that following your story and hoping that all continues to improve!  Many thoughts for even greater results in the near future.

                           

                          • August 27, 2014 at 2:51 am
                          Bubbles
                          Participant

                            Like Jackie…don't have anything to add…except that you're awesome!  Hang in there, Artie!

                            Yours, Celeste

                            • August 27, 2014 at 2:51 am
                            Bubbles
                            Participant

                              Like Jackie…don't have anything to add…except that you're awesome!  Hang in there, Artie!

                              Yours, Celeste

                              • August 27, 2014 at 2:51 am
                              Bubbles
                              Participant

                                Like Jackie…don't have anything to add…except that you're awesome!  Hang in there, Artie!

                                Yours, Celeste

                                • August 27, 2014 at 3:43 pm
                                tcell
                                Participant

                                  Sounds like a good plan so far Artie. I think you are a lighthouse, not only to me.

                                  i saw a radiation specialist on Monday. She said we should keep the rays as an option for later as I have currently no pain and desease in the bones is stable. She also said that there are great differences in the susceptibility of melanoma to radiation. What works well for one does not forcibly hel the other.

                                  Hang in there. Keeping fingers crossed for a lasting success with anti-PD1.

                                  take care,

                                  Chris

                                  • August 27, 2014 at 3:43 pm
                                  tcell
                                  Participant

                                    Sounds like a good plan so far Artie. I think you are a lighthouse, not only to me.

                                    i saw a radiation specialist on Monday. She said we should keep the rays as an option for later as I have currently no pain and desease in the bones is stable. She also said that there are great differences in the susceptibility of melanoma to radiation. What works well for one does not forcibly hel the other.

                                    Hang in there. Keeping fingers crossed for a lasting success with anti-PD1.

                                    take care,

                                    Chris

                                      • August 28, 2014 at 12:32 am
                                      arthurjedi007
                                      Participant

                                        Thank you Chris. You hang in there. That's wonderful your disease in the bones is stable. My local doc mentioned he thought I should do surgery to the one in my skull. He says surgery can remove up to 99.9 percent whereas radiation at best can remove up to 80 percent. When I asked if we do radiation couldn't the PD1 take care of the rest of it like it is shrinking that t10 in my spine and he said it might. When I asked about the other 2 in my skull that are shrinking is that due to PD1 and he said probably. I'm going to go ahead and ask my Mayo doc on Sep 3 what he thinks. You hang in there Chris.

                                         

                                        • August 28, 2014 at 12:32 am
                                        arthurjedi007
                                        Participant

                                          Thank you Chris. You hang in there. That's wonderful your disease in the bones is stable. My local doc mentioned he thought I should do surgery to the one in my skull. He says surgery can remove up to 99.9 percent whereas radiation at best can remove up to 80 percent. When I asked if we do radiation couldn't the PD1 take care of the rest of it like it is shrinking that t10 in my spine and he said it might. When I asked about the other 2 in my skull that are shrinking is that due to PD1 and he said probably. I'm going to go ahead and ask my Mayo doc on Sep 3 what he thinks. You hang in there Chris.

                                           

                                          • August 28, 2014 at 12:32 am
                                          arthurjedi007
                                          Participant

                                            Thank you Chris. You hang in there. That's wonderful your disease in the bones is stable. My local doc mentioned he thought I should do surgery to the one in my skull. He says surgery can remove up to 99.9 percent whereas radiation at best can remove up to 80 percent. When I asked if we do radiation couldn't the PD1 take care of the rest of it like it is shrinking that t10 in my spine and he said it might. When I asked about the other 2 in my skull that are shrinking is that due to PD1 and he said probably. I'm going to go ahead and ask my Mayo doc on Sep 3 what he thinks. You hang in there Chris.

                                             

                                          • August 27, 2014 at 3:43 pm
                                          tcell
                                          Participant

                                            Sounds like a good plan so far Artie. I think you are a lighthouse, not only to me.

                                            i saw a radiation specialist on Monday. She said we should keep the rays as an option for later as I have currently no pain and desease in the bones is stable. She also said that there are great differences in the susceptibility of melanoma to radiation. What works well for one does not forcibly hel the other.

                                            Hang in there. Keeping fingers crossed for a lasting success with anti-PD1.

                                            take care,

                                            Chris

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