› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Tomotherapy radiation question – especially for spinal tumors
- This topic has 8 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 5 months ago by
lyndaloo.
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- August 18, 2011 at 10:26 pm
My wife's scans last week came back with pretty bad news – she has about a dozen tumors in the epidural space along her spinal column. She was going to have the one causing pain in her tailbone area treated with Cyberknife radiation, but now the radiologists are recommending Tomo Therapy radiation. Apparently this is the latest, greatest radiation treatment there is – precision and real time targeting of multiple tumor sites (can get all 12). Supposed to be painless (of course) and minimal side effects (all I can find are references to anemia and hair loss).
My wife's scans last week came back with pretty bad news – she has about a dozen tumors in the epidural space along her spinal column. She was going to have the one causing pain in her tailbone area treated with Cyberknife radiation, but now the radiologists are recommending Tomo Therapy radiation. Apparently this is the latest, greatest radiation treatment there is – precision and real time targeting of multiple tumor sites (can get all 12). Supposed to be painless (of course) and minimal side effects (all I can find are references to anemia and hair loss). There is only one machine in Seattle. The alternatives are not good at all – total body radiation which has awful side effects or watch and wait for 2-3 months (until her brain calms down from the Gamma Knife brain radiation treatment she had las week) and try direct injection chemo into spinal column via a brain port (sounds lovely doesn't it). That assumes she doesn't present symptoms which force some action (likely).
Anyone done this type of radiation treatment and can speak to side effects?
thanks, Nick
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- August 18, 2011 at 10:50 pm
Nick,
I cannot begin to suggest what to do. I wanted to tell you that what you describe as the direct injection of chemo via a brain port sounds like what Amy Busby had done. This did keep Amy stable for quite some time. My suggestion is to do a search on Amy along with IL2 and see if you can find any of her posts talking about this.
I hope someone can give you some information on the Tomo Therapy. At least they can hit 12 areas without subjecting the entire body.
Linda
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- August 18, 2011 at 10:50 pm
Nick,
I cannot begin to suggest what to do. I wanted to tell you that what you describe as the direct injection of chemo via a brain port sounds like what Amy Busby had done. This did keep Amy stable for quite some time. My suggestion is to do a search on Amy along with IL2 and see if you can find any of her posts talking about this.
I hope someone can give you some information on the Tomo Therapy. At least they can hit 12 areas without subjecting the entire body.
Linda
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- August 18, 2011 at 11:24 pm
Thank you Linda – I do know about the brain port thing – it's just that my wife can't do that as an option for 2-3 months because she just had Gammaknife treatment on her brain and is on steroids and anti-seizure meds. Her seizures after her last Cyberknife brain radiation treatment put her at high risk for use of IL-2 and direct import of chemo into the spinal column.So we are all over that if she can keep free of brain mets for the wait period. These damn brain mets really screw up treatment options.
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- August 18, 2011 at 11:24 pm
Thank you Linda – I do know about the brain port thing – it's just that my wife can't do that as an option for 2-3 months because she just had Gammaknife treatment on her brain and is on steroids and anti-seizure meds. Her seizures after her last Cyberknife brain radiation treatment put her at high risk for use of IL-2 and direct import of chemo into the spinal column.So we are all over that if she can keep free of brain mets for the wait period. These damn brain mets really screw up treatment options.
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- August 18, 2011 at 11:31 pm
I believe this is what my father had for his lung cancer (NSCC). Instead of doing the normal daily radiation for 30 days, he did 3 high dose real time treatments MWF. He was basically fitted in some type of inflatable body cast and they did studies to determine / predict lung movement. Then he just had the 3 high dose treatments which has hopefully killed his lung tumor. His only real side effects were fatigue (he was 84) and some residual skin burns on his back. My Dad didn't want any real invasive treatments given his age, and he tolerated this quite well.
Best wishes,
Janner
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- August 18, 2011 at 11:31 pm
I believe this is what my father had for his lung cancer (NSCC). Instead of doing the normal daily radiation for 30 days, he did 3 high dose real time treatments MWF. He was basically fitted in some type of inflatable body cast and they did studies to determine / predict lung movement. Then he just had the 3 high dose treatments which has hopefully killed his lung tumor. His only real side effects were fatigue (he was 84) and some residual skin burns on his back. My Dad didn't want any real invasive treatments given his age, and he tolerated this quite well.
Best wishes,
Janner
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- August 20, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Hello – we are located in Canada, my husband had whole brain radiation along with tomo therapy to target some brain mets. He managed to work thru it all but was very tired wtih some nausea. Its been a few months since and he seems to be regressing with his radiation symptoms, sleeping more, he also lost his hair. We have heard great things about tomo therapy and its targeted approach, I only hope that it has done its job. His memory remains good and it hasn't affected his personality.
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- August 20, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Hello – we are located in Canada, my husband had whole brain radiation along with tomo therapy to target some brain mets. He managed to work thru it all but was very tired wtih some nausea. Its been a few months since and he seems to be regressing with his radiation symptoms, sleeping more, he also lost his hair. We have heard great things about tomo therapy and its targeted approach, I only hope that it has done its job. His memory remains good and it hasn't affected his personality.
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