NSCLC Metastasis from Brain Tumors to Skin

Angbux
Posts:2

My mom (age 66) was diagnosed with late stage NSCLC last week... metastasis to brain and through to scalp across skin. Has anyone experienced this metastasis? We haven't even been able to address treatment - waiting on spine MRI. This is all happening quickly.

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 657
GRACE Community Outreach Team

Hi and welcome to Grace. I'm so sorry about your mom's diagnosis. I understand things happen quickly. We have an excellent collection of articles and videos and are here to answer your questions as they arise. As for the met you've described that would be a rare occurrence but as you will learn cancer will do anything and there is usually a thing or 2 about anyone's cancer that is rare. I've asked one of our faculty about your mom's specific situation.

 

To learn more about treatment options and diagnostic tests you need to know if the cancer is squamous or adenocarcinoma.  If it's adeno then mutation testing is necessary.  If squamous then immunotherapy is on the table.  I know how difficult waiting is some say it's the hardest part. 

 

Let us know how we can help.

I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 657
GRACE Community Outreach Team

I heard back from Dr. West who said, "Have not seen this, but I'd say it's a situation for which radiation would definitely be favored as the treatment of choice."

I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.

Angbux
Posts: 2

Thank you so much for the quick response. Yes, they've told us how rare this is... it mimicked shingles. We should have the specific pathology results back Thursday. With the presence of the two brain mets and size of the lung tumor in addition to the cutaneous metastasis, I'm hopeful that immunotherapy is still an option. :(

JanineT GRACE …
Posts: 657
GRACE Community Outreach Team

Yes, if her cancer is squamous nsclc then immunotherapy will be the treatment of choice to combat the whole body/systemic treatment. Radiation is used to focus on just one place such as the brain tumors.

I joined GRACE as a caregiver for my husband who had a Pancoast tumor, NSCLC stage III in 2009. He had curative chemo/rads then it was believed he had a recurrence in the spine/oligometastasis that was radiated. He's 10 years out from treatment.