Cyberknife? - Cancer: Lung Message Board

Kerrjaster · 08-30-2008, 04:14 PM

Hello All,

I am new here, so I am sorry if I am posting in the wrong spot.

My mom was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer with mets to the brain. She had the Cyberknife treatment on the brain mets. Now, they have her on Chemo, and also Tarceva to shrink the lung tumors.

I am wondering, why can't they just do Cyberknife on the lung tumor now? Is there a health risk to doing radiosurgery without shrinking the tumor? She has only had one round of chemo and is sick like you would not believe!

Please, I would appreciate any input anyone can give me.

Txsoftballmom · 08-30-2008, 05:48 PM

Hi - I am new here too and it sounds like your Mom is fighting the same thing my Mom is.

My mom was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer (non small cell adenocarcinoma) on July 25th. She didn't have any symptoms until she woke up on July 21st with severe dizziness, vommitting and severe head pressure near her brain stem.

CT scan showed large mass in lower right lung, lymph nodes and 2 tumors on the brain. She went through 14 whole brain radiation treatments and now we are waiting for an MRI to determine how small the tumor shrunk and then we hope to have the cyber knife treatment done. She is feeling better though and doesn't have the severe symptoms she was having before the radiation of the brain.

We anticipate starting radiationan and chemo on the chest area on September 9th. That is assuming her PET scan shows that the cancer remains contained in the chest area.

Kerrjaster · 08-30-2008, 05:58 PM

Sorry to here about your mom. Sounds very much the same as my mom. She had Cyberknife before any other treatments. The Cyberknife worked wonders. Three trips and the brain tumores were done! But I dont know why she has to go through this horrible chemo before the can try Cyberknife on the lung.

Txsoftballmom · 08-30-2008, 07:11 PM

Thank you

I'm so glad cyber knife was successful for your mom. I'm hoping it will be successful for my mother as well. I'm praying her pet scan results show that the cancer is contained to the chest area because they say that radiation and chemo combined at low dosage has a good chance of giving her more time and even putting this into remission (even though she is stage 4).....I've read some wonderful success stories on the internet of folks living well past the "expected" time frame so my hopes and prayers for your family is that the treatments are a success.

From what I've been reading on the internet, if the cancer in the lung has gone to the lymph nodes, then the cybe knife will not help but that radiation and chemo is more successful. Maybe that is why they are not doing cyber knife on her lung?? Just a thought...but I would certainly ask that question of her docs.