[Latest Scan Results - Good News]

Well, the results are in and they are wonderful. There is no sign of the brain tumor, it's gone to the eye of a CT and there are no signs of any new tumors, the Gamma Knife was a success.

For now my doctor has gone back to his original theory which was a stray small cluster of cells found a comfortable home after the surgery but before the chemo. He is not expecting any more but will do an MRI of the brain and neck in three months after which we will start stretching out scans again. The chest and abdomen scans show no disease either.

So many have been encouraging these past months, thank you,

[Heterogenious Cells to Bone Marrow]

Katie,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. I thought about posting in "Ask the Experts" but I see there has been no activity there since 2007. Since Onctalk has changed I thought perhaps Dr. West wasn't moderating or anwering here any more?

[Vision Changes - symptoms of brain mets?]

Dear Bette,

As you know I had no symptoms. My single brain MET was picked up by a CT at only 7 mm. An MRI was then ordered which still just showed the one but it also showed the ring of swelling around it. While I know that the CT picking it up may have just been the luck of how it sliced through it's not unusual that doctors start with a CT.

You had your surgery and chemo over two years ago and have never had a brain scan. It's just my personal opinion but I would think asking for one is not an unreasonable request. Im happy you have asked for and received a brain scan added to your others, might as well do it all at the same time

Sending positive thoughts that your just fine.

[Heterogenious Cells to Bone Marrow]

I have a question and I'm not sure whether to post this under upcoming tests or here.

My last scan which was six weeks after Gamma Knife to one brain MET showed that the tumor had shrunk, no new ones and nothing else showing elsewhere; that was about six weeks ago. The scan showed good shrinkage but it was also noted for the first time, "Heterogeneous Cells, cervical spine bone marrow."

I wasn't aware of it until about a week after my appointment when I was filing the report in my binder. I have talked to my Oncologist who is aware,noted it but didn't mention it, wanted to see this next set of scans. I'm scheduled for another set of scans next week.

Have any of you had scan reports which mentioned something similar and what was the outcome?

The last time something unusual showed up in any testing it was in my labs, a chem panel, which showed abnormally low sodium as well as all electrolyte elements except potassium. The following scans which the doctor moved to two months instead of three showed the brain met.

Thank you

[Introducing myself]

Hi Steve,

See your now here too, I'm still learning how to navigate but think I'm beginning to get it.

I think I told you I would be having my scans in July, as it turns out it's next week, thought I still had more time before the next one. The last one showed some shrinkage to the brain tumor, but also showed a new teaser "heterogeneous cells, bone marrow cervical spine." That has me concerned this time. All the best to you on your upcoming scans.

[Almost New From NW Arkansas]

Thank you all so much for your kind words and good wishes. I'm still not sure what I'm doing or how to reply to individual posts other than PM. So if you posted a welcome here just know that I appreciate it.

Carol if you read this, thank you for an addition to my "Introduce Yourself." It's so good to see you here. To Ned, thank you, I have posted to "My Story".

Donna G. so far the brain MET has shown shrinkage, I will find out next month if it is continuing to do so. So far there are now others, I pray it stays that way. As long as there are not diffused brain METs or more than a very small few they will be treated as individuals, sapped one at a time.

Again thank you all

[Toddy's Story]

I am originally from San Francisco living in Northern California until my husband and I retired to the beautiful Ozark Mountains of North West Arkansas. I have a nursing background which I left in the mid 70's, a career in business and was small business owner before retiring. Very active in Church, volunteer work, love the outdoors, water activities and my garden.

DX - Stage 1B Adenocarcinoma Lung Cancer T1 N0 M0

Surgery & Chemo 2006

Brain Met & Gamma Knife 2008

Medical Biography: update (6/27/08)

Oct. 2005 - began to notice pain in my left side under my arm about two to four inches down,chest tightness also on the left side. Blood panel done which was normal no further investigation.

2006

March - began to experience swallowing problems, more chest tightness and still had the pain under left arm, Endoscope ordered.

April - Gastrointerologist told he wouldn’t do the procedure until my heart was cleared, stress test was ordered. Passed stress test but a chest film that had also been ordered showed an abnormality. I was told to contact my doctor immediately. I did and was told it was probably atypical pneumonia, given an antibiotic and an order for a repeat chest film in six weeks.

3/26 - Endoscope

6/8 - Repeat chest film showing no change,

doctor said to come back in six months

for another chest film I changed doctors

6/23 - CT

6/30 - Bronchoscopy biopsy done, failed due to

bleeding

7/6 - Needle biopsy

7/11 - Rushed to ER hemmoraging from lung

7/12 - Surgery, thoracotomy removed ULL

most LLL, tumor was 7-1/2 x 6-1/2 cm,

staged 1B adenocarcinoma, T2,N0,M0

7/19 - Discharged from hospital after

thorencentesis

8/17 - First of four rounds of chemo, Taxol/Carbo

8/18 - Last chemo infusion

11/21 - First PET, NED

2007

2/22 - Second PET/CT showed two lymph nodes

March - HUSBAND DIAGNOSED WITH LC, ULL stage 1 A, no chemo required

5/17 - PET/CT one lymph node gone other much

smaller, basically NED. Labs. blood count

well within normal limits again.

7/18 - Chest film & lab, nothing abnormal noted.

10/17 - CT/PET, lab., NED

11/07 - Endoscope revealed Barretts Esophagus

without dysplasia, to follow annually.

2008

1/7 - Chest film & labs. Basically NED but CT

ordered in six weeks rather than three

months.

3/13 -CT reavealed small metastic area on

the right side of the frontal brain lobe.

Further tests to begen 3/17 thru 3/18.

4/11 - Sterotactic Gamma Knife done at

Providence Medical Center, Kansas

City, KS. To follow in four weeks with MRI

looking for shrinkage.

5/23 - Follow up MRI showed a 2mm reduction

in tumor size and no new one's. Did however mention Heterogenious

cells noted in cervical spine bone marrow. MRI & full CT schuled in July

[Almost New From NW Arkansas]

New or almost new here from NW Arkansas. I joined last March somehow made a mess of my registration, my computer crashed and a lot has happened since then so I've given up trying to find my way back with the old registration and have reregistered.

In March I had just been diagnosed with one 9 mm brain MET, twenty months after surgery and 4 chemo infusions of Carbo/Taxol for state 1B adenocacinoma. Since that time I have had gamma knife which at my last brain scan showed signs the tumor was shrinking and there were no new ones. My next set of scans including follow up brain scan is the middle of July.

I'm lost on this site so far, don't know where I belong or how to navigate. At one point I would have said early stage, I have not been given a new stage, they are still saying stage 1 with a reoccurrence, I guess because there have been no signs of METs anywhere else?

My husband of forty-seven years is also a LC patient having been diagnosed three months after my last chemo. He had ULL removed, staged 1A, no chemo. The week after my Gramma Knive he underwent a stent placement on the left side of his heart. Boy are we a pair? I say with a smile that perhaps we are experiencing the wrong kind of togetherness.

I have been a member of another site for well over a year now but felt it was time to look for support, empathy and encouragement elsewhere as several of my friends from the other site have done. Last March before every thing went a little haywire I was fortunate to meet a friend here who's husband had faced brain METs, I still have her personal address, she was a great help to me at the time and I thank her.

Guidance would be much appreciated, thank you,