hopeforlife
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Posts:12
My mom had WBR earlier this year. Unfortunately, the doctors have found an area of new growth and want to radiate just that area. They mentioned something about screwing a cage around her head and needing to have it on for the whole day. Just wondering if anyone has any experiences to share regarding this. My mom has some anxiety about the screws in the head thing and I would love to be able to explain it to her better, if only I had an idea what that is all about and if it hurts or is uncomfortable, etc. Mom is 65 y/o (5 years out from diagnosis!), stage IV NSCLC with EGFR mutation, currently on Tarceva and Alimta (which is on hold until the radiation is complete). Thanks so much in advance for the help :).
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Reply # - November 4, 2012, 07:23 PM
Reply To: radiation to brain
Hi Hope, I'm sorry your mom needs radiation again. I'm not going to try to answer your questions but will say that those who have had different types of brain radiation have managed well even if it means a bit of a sedative to get through to procedure. I think it's a good idea to find out exactly what to expect. The nurses in the radiation dept would be the best to tell you exactly what to expect.
And since 2 heads are better than one I'll contact a doctor to give some input on the matter though it will most likely be tomorrow before we get a reply.
Congratulations on your mom's 5 year anniversary. I know you all must breathe a sigh of relief at each scan. I hope you get another 5...for starters!
Janine
Reply # - November 5, 2012, 03:27 AM
Reply To: radiation to brain
Whoever called it a "cage" should be sent on some kind of training course about how to talk to patients. I'm sorry your mother had to hear such an unhelpful comment. It's usually called a "halo" - basically it's a metal frame that keeps the head still so the radiation can be targeted as precisely as possible. Perhaps your mother had something similar when she had WBR? I agree with Janine that the best people to ask would be the specialist nurses - they will be able to reassure her.
What a great run your mother has had on the Tarceva - I hope the Alimta comb continues to work for her. Best wishes.
Reply # - November 5, 2012, 07:46 PM
Reply To: radiation to brain
This is really the standard way that "radiosurgery", otherwise known as GammaKnife or CyberKnife, is done. It's often reported as a little uncomfortable, but it's a lot less to go through than a brain surgery, and most patients find the overall experience to be pretty easy overall.
Good luck.
-Dr. West
Reply # - November 5, 2012, 08:10 PM
Reply To: radiation to brain
Hi...
I agree with certain spring that "cage" is not our usual descriptor for the aluminum headframe or halo that we use for Gamma Knife. Such a headframe uses four pins that go through the skin into the outer table of the skull to very precisely support the head to keep it completely still. A local anesthesia injection is used at each pin site (kind of like going to the dentist - that is the worst part).
For cyberknife, we don't actually use any such pins at all. The cyberknife is a "frameless" radiosurgical device. For cyberknife treatment we use a thermoplastic mask and realtime imaging to be sure that the head remains still within sub-millimeter alignment for stereotactic treatment. There can be disadvantages to using the cyberknife, but it does have the advantage of being completely "non-invasive".
Altogether, Dr. West is right, most patients go through the experience without much difficulty.
I hope that helps,
Dr Loiselle