More Interim Brain MRI Update

     Last Thursday I had an MR spectroscopy.  This is a more sophisticated and expensive MRI, which was supposed to give me additional information about the lesion in my brain.  Unfortunately, following the spectroscopy, the neuroradiologist was unable to better characterize the lesion and still cannot definitively report it as a metastatic tumor, or not.  It is "atypical" of what he would expect a metastatic tumor to look like given the type of cancer I have.  (Although it was a short time interval since my last MRI, I'm happy to report that the lesion did not grow in the past two weeks.)

     My first inclination was to say..."OK - so let's zap it anyway." The stress and frustration of this uncertainty is getting to me.  Thank goodness for the cool head of my oncologist.  Focused radiation treatments, (stereotactic radiosurgery -SRS), is not without side effects, so it's important not to do it unnecessarily. My options at this point are to wait another 8 weeks for another MRI, or I can seek other opinions.  I've chosen the latter.

     I picked up copies of my most recent MRIs from the hospital, (3 in the last 2 months), and have FedEx-ed them to experts at the University of Colorado and the University of Chicago.  I don't know how long it will take to get their interpretations and recommendations, but I hope it's not too long. 

Stayed tuned for more on this cliff-hanger....
 

Interim Brain MRI Update

     Last week I had another brain MRI in follow-up to one I had in December which found a small lesion that the neuroradiologist was not able to characterize.  Unfortunately, the second MRI found that the lesion has grown a bit, (1.3 mm), and its appearance is atypical.  Further testing by an MR spectroscopy is recommended.  

MRI room

     In all likelihood, this is a small tumor. The good news is that there is a treatment - focused, high-dose radiation to the lesion.  This treatment goes by various names:  stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), gamma knife, cyberknife.  There are no knives involved, just highly focused radiation which, essentially, will zap the tumor to smithereens.

     The next step is to get the MR spectroscopy - actually the next step is to secure insurance approval, then schedule an MR spectroscopy.  If all goes as I suspect it will, I'll be blogging about my experience with SRS in the near future. 

     Although the process of figuring out what is happening in my head is stressful, I am optimistic about available treatments.

Please continue to wish me luck! 

P.S. Knee surgery recovery is going well.