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CyberKnife

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › CyberKnife

  • Post
    • April 22, 2013 at 8:36 pm
    Brendan
    Participant
      Hi Everyone,

      I had a brain met discovered last June (I was NED for 9 months prior). I had GammaKnife to treat (followed by ipi in Sep-Oct) . I then had a craniotomy in Nov to remove the met which was causing severe pain (pathology revealed dead cells and melanoma cells). A recent MRI showed a 16mm recurrence and I begin my CyberKnife on Wed.

      Does anyone have any experience with both types of radiation?

      Thanks!
      Brendan

      Hi Everyone,

      I had a brain met discovered last June (I was NED for 9 months prior). I had GammaKnife to treat (followed by ipi in Sep-Oct) . I then had a craniotomy in Nov to remove the met which was causing severe pain (pathology revealed dead cells and melanoma cells). A recent MRI showed a 16mm recurrence and I begin my CyberKnife on Wed.

      Does anyone have any experience with both types of radiation?

      Thanks!
      Brendan

    Viewing 5 reply threads
    • Replies
        • April 22, 2013 at 8:56 pm
        jag
        Participant
          Brendan, I’m pretty sure it is the same thing-you just dont have to get bolted in like Frankenstein. Why are you opting for radiation is it operable?
            • April 22, 2013 at 11:53 pm
            Brendan
            Participant

              Hey jag,

              The met is <2cm so my team of docs want to use this first.  It is operable, but I am on serial MRI surveillance so they want to try the least invasive approach first and operate if necessary.

              I've read your profile several times.  Six craniotomies is pretty impressive.  Continued good luck to you and your family (I hope Jedd is sleeping).

              Brendan

               

              • April 22, 2013 at 11:53 pm
              Brendan
              Participant

                Hey jag,

                The met is <2cm so my team of docs want to use this first.  It is operable, but I am on serial MRI surveillance so they want to try the least invasive approach first and operate if necessary.

                I've read your profile several times.  Six craniotomies is pretty impressive.  Continued good luck to you and your family (I hope Jedd is sleeping).

                Brendan

                 

                • April 22, 2013 at 11:53 pm
                Brendan
                Participant

                  Hey jag,

                  The met is <2cm so my team of docs want to use this first.  It is operable, but I am on serial MRI surveillance so they want to try the least invasive approach first and operate if necessary.

                  I've read your profile several times.  Six craniotomies is pretty impressive.  Continued good luck to you and your family (I hope Jedd is sleeping).

                  Brendan

                   

                • April 22, 2013 at 8:56 pm
                jag
                Participant
                  Brendan, I’m pretty sure it is the same thing-you just dont have to get bolted in like Frankenstein. Why are you opting for radiation is it operable?
                  • April 22, 2013 at 8:56 pm
                  jag
                  Participant
                    Brendan, I’m pretty sure it is the same thing-you just dont have to get bolted in like Frankenstein. Why are you opting for radiation is it operable?
                    • April 23, 2013 at 2:20 am
                    kylez
                    Participant

                      Hi Brendan, 

                      I'm sorry to hear you've had a recurrence. It's good that you're getting treatment quickly.

                      What do you want to know? Not sure if I can provide any info you don't know, but I've (been fortunate enough to) had both. I had cyberknife first, Gamma Knife second. 

                      – Kyle

                      PS These pics may or may not come through (URLs may or may not be permanent):

                       

                        • April 23, 2013 at 2:45 pm
                        Brendan
                        Participant

                          Hi Kyle,

                          Thanks.  I have the same pic of my GammaKnife as well (JAG called it Frankenstein.  I go with Hannibal Lecter). 

                          The day after my GammaKnife I suffered a seizure.  My rad onc described it as one big punch that 'pissed off' my tumor (her words . . . she's great).  From my understanding, CyberKnife will be five smaller punches and the sum of the punches is greater than the GammaKnife (more radiaion by the end of the five days).  Essentially I am curious about the results.  ObviousIy, I hope the second round of radiation is more effective than the first.  I can't find much about radiation to treat a brain met recurrence.  Are the new melanoma cells generally more resistant to radiation?  Less resistant? 

                          I will ask my rad onc tomorrow and get the medical answers, but it's always good to communicate with another patient who actually went through both types. I will post in a couple weeks and let you know how it goes.

                          Thanks!  Good luck to you.

                          Brendan

                          • April 23, 2013 at 4:11 pm
                          kylez
                          Participant

                            Brendan, I just re-read JAG's profile too. I admit was a little surreal when the surgeon used a torque wrench to tighten up the bolts on the Frankenstein mask for GK. 

                            Comparing results is difficult, I think. The 2 times I've had radiosurgery, not only were the machines different, but also the tumor load was different; the tumor positions in the brain were different; the tumor composition was likely different in at least some small ways; the radiation oncologists were different; and the radiation was given at 2 different facilities in 2 completely different medical organization. So it's probably hard to draw any real conclusions just on the machines alone.

                            I haven't had any grand mal seizures — knock on wood. I have been on Keppra since my first brain involvement but after my last EEG, rather than wean me off Keppra which they wanted to do, they're instead slowly transitioning me off Keppra and onto lamictal.

                            They gave me GK in one session/fraction as they did yours. They gave me CK in 2 sessions — whereas you're getting yours in 5. Here's to blasting the heck out of the DNA at and around the tumor site with each one of those 5 punches. Good luck next week — looking forward to hear how it's going.

                             

                            – Kyle
                            • April 23, 2013 at 4:11 pm
                            kylez
                            Participant

                              Brendan, I just re-read JAG's profile too. I admit was a little surreal when the surgeon used a torque wrench to tighten up the bolts on the Frankenstein mask for GK. 

                              Comparing results is difficult, I think. The 2 times I've had radiosurgery, not only were the machines different, but also the tumor load was different; the tumor positions in the brain were different; the tumor composition was likely different in at least some small ways; the radiation oncologists were different; and the radiation was given at 2 different facilities in 2 completely different medical organization. So it's probably hard to draw any real conclusions just on the machines alone.

                              I haven't had any grand mal seizures — knock on wood. I have been on Keppra since my first brain involvement but after my last EEG, rather than wean me off Keppra which they wanted to do, they're instead slowly transitioning me off Keppra and onto lamictal.

                              They gave me GK in one session/fraction as they did yours. They gave me CK in 2 sessions — whereas you're getting yours in 5. Here's to blasting the heck out of the DNA at and around the tumor site with each one of those 5 punches. Good luck next week — looking forward to hear how it's going.

                               

                              – Kyle
                              • April 23, 2013 at 4:11 pm
                              kylez
                              Participant

                                Brendan, I just re-read JAG's profile too. I admit was a little surreal when the surgeon used a torque wrench to tighten up the bolts on the Frankenstein mask for GK. 

                                Comparing results is difficult, I think. The 2 times I've had radiosurgery, not only were the machines different, but also the tumor load was different; the tumor positions in the brain were different; the tumor composition was likely different in at least some small ways; the radiation oncologists were different; and the radiation was given at 2 different facilities in 2 completely different medical organization. So it's probably hard to draw any real conclusions just on the machines alone.

                                I haven't had any grand mal seizures — knock on wood. I have been on Keppra since my first brain involvement but after my last EEG, rather than wean me off Keppra which they wanted to do, they're instead slowly transitioning me off Keppra and onto lamictal.

                                They gave me GK in one session/fraction as they did yours. They gave me CK in 2 sessions — whereas you're getting yours in 5. Here's to blasting the heck out of the DNA at and around the tumor site with each one of those 5 punches. Good luck next week — looking forward to hear how it's going.

                                 

                                – Kyle
                                • April 23, 2013 at 2:45 pm
                                Brendan
                                Participant

                                  Hi Kyle,

                                  Thanks.  I have the same pic of my GammaKnife as well (JAG called it Frankenstein.  I go with Hannibal Lecter). 

                                  The day after my GammaKnife I suffered a seizure.  My rad onc described it as one big punch that 'pissed off' my tumor (her words . . . she's great).  From my understanding, CyberKnife will be five smaller punches and the sum of the punches is greater than the GammaKnife (more radiaion by the end of the five days).  Essentially I am curious about the results.  ObviousIy, I hope the second round of radiation is more effective than the first.  I can't find much about radiation to treat a brain met recurrence.  Are the new melanoma cells generally more resistant to radiation?  Less resistant? 

                                  I will ask my rad onc tomorrow and get the medical answers, but it's always good to communicate with another patient who actually went through both types. I will post in a couple weeks and let you know how it goes.

                                  Thanks!  Good luck to you.

                                  Brendan

                                  • April 23, 2013 at 2:45 pm
                                  Brendan
                                  Participant

                                    Hi Kyle,

                                    Thanks.  I have the same pic of my GammaKnife as well (JAG called it Frankenstein.  I go with Hannibal Lecter). 

                                    The day after my GammaKnife I suffered a seizure.  My rad onc described it as one big punch that 'pissed off' my tumor (her words . . . she's great).  From my understanding, CyberKnife will be five smaller punches and the sum of the punches is greater than the GammaKnife (more radiaion by the end of the five days).  Essentially I am curious about the results.  ObviousIy, I hope the second round of radiation is more effective than the first.  I can't find much about radiation to treat a brain met recurrence.  Are the new melanoma cells generally more resistant to radiation?  Less resistant? 

                                    I will ask my rad onc tomorrow and get the medical answers, but it's always good to communicate with another patient who actually went through both types. I will post in a couple weeks and let you know how it goes.

                                    Thanks!  Good luck to you.

                                    Brendan

                                  • April 23, 2013 at 2:20 am
                                  kylez
                                  Participant

                                    Hi Brendan, 

                                    I'm sorry to hear you've had a recurrence. It's good that you're getting treatment quickly.

                                    What do you want to know? Not sure if I can provide any info you don't know, but I've (been fortunate enough to) had both. I had cyberknife first, Gamma Knife second. 

                                    – Kyle

                                    PS These pics may or may not come through (URLs may or may not be permanent):

                                     

                                    • April 23, 2013 at 2:20 am
                                    kylez
                                    Participant

                                      Hi Brendan, 

                                      I'm sorry to hear you've had a recurrence. It's good that you're getting treatment quickly.

                                      What do you want to know? Not sure if I can provide any info you don't know, but I've (been fortunate enough to) had both. I had cyberknife first, Gamma Knife second. 

                                      – Kyle

                                      PS These pics may or may not come through (URLs may or may not be permanent):

                                       

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