› Forums › General Melanoma Community › SRS Gamma knife
- This topic has 21 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 3 months ago by
DZnDef.
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- December 29, 2014 at 2:50 am
My husband is to have srs done in four places in his brain over the next two day. Tonight his fear is worked up and he has doubts if he wants to go. He had wbr back in september and it took him out after about 3 weeks after treatment. It has given him short term memory loss to this day and mad him very sleepy. he has fears that they might hit the worng spot and cause brain damange his nerves are bad right now. we are on yervoy in two weeks we get our 3 dose and after srs they want to treat his rib spine and back with radiaion oh and chest anyway we are looking for others who have been here and can tell me what to expect or what it was like. we dont have to do the halo by the way. thank you
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- December 29, 2014 at 4:59 am
Hi Crystale,
I had Gamma Knife in 2011 (and CyberKnife in 2010). What I found reassuring about the metal frame your husband will get for Gamma Knife, is that it holds the head almost perfectly still during radiation. After that it's up to the plan the radiation oncologist makes. No worries about wondering if a 1mm movement of his head will mess up the radiation plan.
I don't think SRS should be anything as hard as WBR was for him, based on my own experience and reading many others here. It only targets where the rays intersect as you know, so it's only small areas. For me, after what I'd been through, I was really happy to get Gamma Knife to kill away the tumors. Any fears of radiation damage were very much outdone by fear of not being treated.
Good luck to him and you tomorrow.
Kyle
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- December 29, 2014 at 4:59 am
Hi Crystale,
I had Gamma Knife in 2011 (and CyberKnife in 2010). What I found reassuring about the metal frame your husband will get for Gamma Knife, is that it holds the head almost perfectly still during radiation. After that it's up to the plan the radiation oncologist makes. No worries about wondering if a 1mm movement of his head will mess up the radiation plan.
I don't think SRS should be anything as hard as WBR was for him, based on my own experience and reading many others here. It only targets where the rays intersect as you know, so it's only small areas. For me, after what I'd been through, I was really happy to get Gamma Knife to kill away the tumors. Any fears of radiation damage were very much outdone by fear of not being treated.
Good luck to him and you tomorrow.
Kyle
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- December 29, 2014 at 4:59 am
Hi Crystale,
I had Gamma Knife in 2011 (and CyberKnife in 2010). What I found reassuring about the metal frame your husband will get for Gamma Knife, is that it holds the head almost perfectly still during radiation. After that it's up to the plan the radiation oncologist makes. No worries about wondering if a 1mm movement of his head will mess up the radiation plan.
I don't think SRS should be anything as hard as WBR was for him, based on my own experience and reading many others here. It only targets where the rays intersect as you know, so it's only small areas. For me, after what I'd been through, I was really happy to get Gamma Knife to kill away the tumors. Any fears of radiation damage were very much outdone by fear of not being treated.
Good luck to him and you tomorrow.
Kyle
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- December 29, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Hi Crystale, I had cyberknife done at the Ottawa General hospital in Oct 2013 and the procedure went off with out any problems. I was on the table for one hour to treat 3 small tumors, each about 3 -4 mm in size. My scan in December at x-mas of last year showed the procedure had worked. I started a BMS drug trial the first week of January last year getting Ipi or Nivolumab or both drug together (double blind). I felt fine after the procedure and was able to be active going for a ride on my mountain bike 2 days later. Wishing you and your husband the best with the treatments. Ed
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- December 29, 2014 at 2:48 pm
Hi Crystale
My husband had gamma knife radiation in Toronto on December 17, 2014. His treatment lasted 78 minutes to target the area where a tumour had been removed by surgery 2 weeks earlier. The worst part of the radiation treatment is when they attach the "frame" to your head, which takes about 5 minutes to do and can be a bit uncomfortable and unnverving. Your husband can ask to have a sedative like Ativan beforehand, if he's nervous. The actual radiation was painless and my husband's main side effect since has been fatigue. I hope that all goes very well for your husband!
Yasmin
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- December 29, 2014 at 3:26 pm
I had SRS in March of 2013 about 3 weeks after a tumor was removed from my brain. It fascinated me and I felt no discomfort. I felt a little dizzy on and off for a day and that's about it. Almost two years later and many MRIs, there are still no signs of any new mets.
Good luck to you and your husband!
Terrie
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- December 29, 2014 at 3:26 pm
I had SRS in March of 2013 about 3 weeks after a tumor was removed from my brain. It fascinated me and I felt no discomfort. I felt a little dizzy on and off for a day and that's about it. Almost two years later and many MRIs, there are still no signs of any new mets.
Good luck to you and your husband!
Terrie
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- December 29, 2014 at 3:26 pm
I had SRS in March of 2013 about 3 weeks after a tumor was removed from my brain. It fascinated me and I felt no discomfort. I felt a little dizzy on and off for a day and that's about it. Almost two years later and many MRIs, there are still no signs of any new mets.
Good luck to you and your husband!
Terrie
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- December 29, 2014 at 2:48 pm
Hi Crystale
My husband had gamma knife radiation in Toronto on December 17, 2014. His treatment lasted 78 minutes to target the area where a tumour had been removed by surgery 2 weeks earlier. The worst part of the radiation treatment is when they attach the "frame" to your head, which takes about 5 minutes to do and can be a bit uncomfortable and unnverving. Your husband can ask to have a sedative like Ativan beforehand, if he's nervous. The actual radiation was painless and my husband's main side effect since has been fatigue. I hope that all goes very well for your husband!
Yasmin
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- December 29, 2014 at 2:48 pm
Hi Crystale
My husband had gamma knife radiation in Toronto on December 17, 2014. His treatment lasted 78 minutes to target the area where a tumour had been removed by surgery 2 weeks earlier. The worst part of the radiation treatment is when they attach the "frame" to your head, which takes about 5 minutes to do and can be a bit uncomfortable and unnverving. Your husband can ask to have a sedative like Ativan beforehand, if he's nervous. The actual radiation was painless and my husband's main side effect since has been fatigue. I hope that all goes very well for your husband!
Yasmin
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- December 29, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Hi Crystale, I had cyberknife done at the Ottawa General hospital in Oct 2013 and the procedure went off with out any problems. I was on the table for one hour to treat 3 small tumors, each about 3 -4 mm in size. My scan in December at x-mas of last year showed the procedure had worked. I started a BMS drug trial the first week of January last year getting Ipi or Nivolumab or both drug together (double blind). I felt fine after the procedure and was able to be active going for a ride on my mountain bike 2 days later. Wishing you and your husband the best with the treatments. Ed
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- December 29, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Hi Crystale, I had cyberknife done at the Ottawa General hospital in Oct 2013 and the procedure went off with out any problems. I was on the table for one hour to treat 3 small tumors, each about 3 -4 mm in size. My scan in December at x-mas of last year showed the procedure had worked. I started a BMS drug trial the first week of January last year getting Ipi or Nivolumab or both drug together (double blind). I felt fine after the procedure and was able to be active going for a ride on my mountain bike 2 days later. Wishing you and your husband the best with the treatments. Ed
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- December 29, 2014 at 4:12 pm
I had radiation to one spot in my head but it was pressing on the brain from the outside so my experience might be a little different. Like Yasmin said a sedative might help. The worse for me was the head gear plus the last day of treatment I kept choking.
I've had radiation to spine and hip and leg. It all depends on where exactly they are radiating as to what side affects he might have. Like the t12 and l2 vertebrae caused some stomach and eating issues but mild enough I toughed through. The actual procedures was way easier than the head though. Although they say doing multiple spots is ok you still only have one body and nutrition system to build back from the radiation tearing the body down. If he's well taken care of he might be able to tolerate all those spots at once. My 7 zones in 4 treatments have been spread over 18 months granted it has been more of a need to do basis at the time. Also the amount of gray per treatment is important. Typically melanoma does not respond to less than 6 gray. However some spots they can't treat that strong like my hip so I'm hoping the immunotherapy makes up the difference.
good luck to you both.
Artie
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- December 29, 2014 at 4:12 pm
I had radiation to one spot in my head but it was pressing on the brain from the outside so my experience might be a little different. Like Yasmin said a sedative might help. The worse for me was the head gear plus the last day of treatment I kept choking.
I've had radiation to spine and hip and leg. It all depends on where exactly they are radiating as to what side affects he might have. Like the t12 and l2 vertebrae caused some stomach and eating issues but mild enough I toughed through. The actual procedures was way easier than the head though. Although they say doing multiple spots is ok you still only have one body and nutrition system to build back from the radiation tearing the body down. If he's well taken care of he might be able to tolerate all those spots at once. My 7 zones in 4 treatments have been spread over 18 months granted it has been more of a need to do basis at the time. Also the amount of gray per treatment is important. Typically melanoma does not respond to less than 6 gray. However some spots they can't treat that strong like my hip so I'm hoping the immunotherapy makes up the difference.
good luck to you both.
Artie
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- December 29, 2014 at 4:12 pm
I had radiation to one spot in my head but it was pressing on the brain from the outside so my experience might be a little different. Like Yasmin said a sedative might help. The worse for me was the head gear plus the last day of treatment I kept choking.
I've had radiation to spine and hip and leg. It all depends on where exactly they are radiating as to what side affects he might have. Like the t12 and l2 vertebrae caused some stomach and eating issues but mild enough I toughed through. The actual procedures was way easier than the head though. Although they say doing multiple spots is ok you still only have one body and nutrition system to build back from the radiation tearing the body down. If he's well taken care of he might be able to tolerate all those spots at once. My 7 zones in 4 treatments have been spread over 18 months granted it has been more of a need to do basis at the time. Also the amount of gray per treatment is important. Typically melanoma does not respond to less than 6 gray. However some spots they can't treat that strong like my hip so I'm hoping the immunotherapy makes up the difference.
good luck to you both.
Artie
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- December 31, 2014 at 3:51 pm
Hi,
I had SRS three times. There is no discomfort away from the halo getting screwed in but a local anesthetic eased that. I had the SRS done with Yercoy on two of those occasions. Search for the Abscopal effect on this site or look on the MSK web site and view the paper that Dr Jed Wolchok wrote on it. The combination of Yervoy and radiation has been getting some good results in stumulating the body's own natural defenses to attack the melanoma. From what I have heard SRS is significantly easier on the patient than the WBR. I would urge your husband to not get too worked up and embrace the concurrent SRS and Yervoy therapies. In reality for most people they are piece of cake and if you tolerate the Yervoy well, as most do, it should be beneficial. I too had some recall and memory issues but a small price to pay for being healthy and alive. I remember I love my wife and children and am in no rush to leave this great life. If any think get overwhelming I just put the breaks on and move at the new normal speed. Take the type A out of the passing lane and enjoy the view from the cruising lane. Same great view and you have more time to enjoy it.
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- December 31, 2014 at 3:51 pm
Hi,
I had SRS three times. There is no discomfort away from the halo getting screwed in but a local anesthetic eased that. I had the SRS done with Yercoy on two of those occasions. Search for the Abscopal effect on this site or look on the MSK web site and view the paper that Dr Jed Wolchok wrote on it. The combination of Yervoy and radiation has been getting some good results in stumulating the body's own natural defenses to attack the melanoma. From what I have heard SRS is significantly easier on the patient than the WBR. I would urge your husband to not get too worked up and embrace the concurrent SRS and Yervoy therapies. In reality for most people they are piece of cake and if you tolerate the Yervoy well, as most do, it should be beneficial. I too had some recall and memory issues but a small price to pay for being healthy and alive. I remember I love my wife and children and am in no rush to leave this great life. If any think get overwhelming I just put the breaks on and move at the new normal speed. Take the type A out of the passing lane and enjoy the view from the cruising lane. Same great view and you have more time to enjoy it.
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- December 31, 2014 at 3:51 pm
Hi,
I had SRS three times. There is no discomfort away from the halo getting screwed in but a local anesthetic eased that. I had the SRS done with Yercoy on two of those occasions. Search for the Abscopal effect on this site or look on the MSK web site and view the paper that Dr Jed Wolchok wrote on it. The combination of Yervoy and radiation has been getting some good results in stumulating the body's own natural defenses to attack the melanoma. From what I have heard SRS is significantly easier on the patient than the WBR. I would urge your husband to not get too worked up and embrace the concurrent SRS and Yervoy therapies. In reality for most people they are piece of cake and if you tolerate the Yervoy well, as most do, it should be beneficial. I too had some recall and memory issues but a small price to pay for being healthy and alive. I remember I love my wife and children and am in no rush to leave this great life. If any think get overwhelming I just put the breaks on and move at the new normal speed. Take the type A out of the passing lane and enjoy the view from the cruising lane. Same great view and you have more time to enjoy it.
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