kimmek Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 Good Morning all... For all that were wondering about the deveolping brain mets, I asked Mom's radiation doc about this yesterday and she had the answer and most definatly put my mind at ease. Brain mets do not just appear in the brain, the have to travel there. A cell breaking off from a tumor can travel to the brain. But while under going chemo the chemo if working will be killing all the cancer cells floating around, along with the tumor. So knowing that, i guess there is a really good chance brain mets will not develop while ubdergoing chemo. She also talked a bit about "chemo brain" and says yes it is a very real condition. Some chemo will always slip thru the blood-brain barrier which could be the reason for the foggy mind, etc....or maybe all the different meds, no real answer to why this happens only that it does and doctors to recognize this. She really didnt seem to think it was a real worrisome problem, and if related to the chemo will go away with time. I hope this answers some of the concerns that were voiced from my last post, as I know I feel better about it. KIM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Lamb Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 Kim, Thank you for clearing that up for me as I was wondering about it.Now I know there really is a chemo brain (didnt think so before). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 kimmek For all that were wondering about the deveolping brain mets, I asked Mom's radiation doc about this yesterday and she had the answer and most definatly put my mind at ease. Brain mets do not just appear in the brain, the have to travel there. A cell breaking off from a tumor can travel to the brain. But while under going chemo the chemo if working will be killing all the cancer cells floating around, along with the tumor. So knowing that, i guess there is a really good chance brain mets will not develop while ubdergoing chemo. ////////////////////// This is an important topic that deserves clarification. While a few chemotherapy drugs are thought to cross the BBB they do so poorly ( by IV infusion ) and most competent oncologists consider their effect on the brain and spinal cord to be clinically insignificant or sub-therapeutic. It's certainly true that chemotherapy administered by IV infusion, if effective, will attack tumor cells elsewhere in the body that could be destined for the brain or spinal cord. That's certainly beneficial. Thankfully, alternate delivery systems and radiation are available to directly attack brain and spinal cord tumors. I only mention this because I've discovered that some cancer patients with brain mets that are receiving chemo by IV infusion are incorrectly assuming that this treatment is directly attacking their existing brain mets with equal vigor. Best of luck to all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAnn Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 Kim, Thank you for posting. That clears things up for all of us "foggy headed" chemo survivors! I knew that chemo brain is a real condition. They even had a story about it on our local news here in Houston not too long ago. As for it going away with time, the jury is still out on that one. My last chemo treatment was February 11th. .......still foggy...... TAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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