› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Question for those with brain mets
- This topic has 18 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 3 months ago by
kylez.
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- December 2, 2015 at 3:11 am
I'm curious as to whether anybody with brain mets was asymptomatic when they were discovered? Here's why I ask:
Last week I saw my oncologist, and I told her I had been having occasional mild headaches.I have always had sinus issues, my sinuses have been bothering me lately, and these headaches feel to me like sinus headaches. They are very mild and don't last too long, and I notice sinus pressure when I have them. But I thought it was a good idea to mention them. So she sent me for a CT scan today.
I am having zero symptoms that might suggest brain mets. In fact, I haven't even had any headaches lately. But of course now I'm nervous that my scan might show something, and I thought I'd ask if any of you who have brain mets had no symptoms when they were discovered.
Thanks in advance.
-Bill
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- December 2, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Is your doc a melanoma specialist? Usually a head scan is done via MRI. I have one head tumor left pressing on but not in my brain so I really don't know personally about symptoms but yes I've read about others not having symptoms but they were very small and few so gamma knife always took care of them.
Artie
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- December 2, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Is your doc a melanoma specialist? Usually a head scan is done via MRI. I have one head tumor left pressing on but not in my brain so I really don't know personally about symptoms but yes I've read about others not having symptoms but they were very small and few so gamma knife always took care of them.
Artie
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- December 2, 2015 at 2:20 pm
Is your doc a melanoma specialist? Usually a head scan is done via MRI. I have one head tumor left pressing on but not in my brain so I really don't know personally about symptoms but yes I've read about others not having symptoms but they were very small and few so gamma knife always took care of them.
Artie
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- December 2, 2015 at 2:57 pm
Thanks Artie.
My doctor works in general oncology, but she has a background in melanoma research. I had an MRI of my head done about 1.5 years ago, and that was the last time they looked at my head. I really think my issue is sinus problems, and I don't think there will be any other issues, but you know how it is….you get a scan done, then you sit around on pins and needles until you get the results. Like I said, I have had no symptoms that suggest that I have brain mets. Since I started Keytruda I have some visible lesions that have shrunk, and my last CT scan showed the spots in one lung have shrunk. So with those things going in the right direction I'd be really surprised if there was anything going on in my head.
-Bill
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- December 2, 2015 at 2:57 pm
Thanks Artie.
My doctor works in general oncology, but she has a background in melanoma research. I had an MRI of my head done about 1.5 years ago, and that was the last time they looked at my head. I really think my issue is sinus problems, and I don't think there will be any other issues, but you know how it is….you get a scan done, then you sit around on pins and needles until you get the results. Like I said, I have had no symptoms that suggest that I have brain mets. Since I started Keytruda I have some visible lesions that have shrunk, and my last CT scan showed the spots in one lung have shrunk. So with those things going in the right direction I'd be really surprised if there was anything going on in my head.
-Bill
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- December 2, 2015 at 2:57 pm
Thanks Artie.
My doctor works in general oncology, but she has a background in melanoma research. I had an MRI of my head done about 1.5 years ago, and that was the last time they looked at my head. I really think my issue is sinus problems, and I don't think there will be any other issues, but you know how it is….you get a scan done, then you sit around on pins and needles until you get the results. Like I said, I have had no symptoms that suggest that I have brain mets. Since I started Keytruda I have some visible lesions that have shrunk, and my last CT scan showed the spots in one lung have shrunk. So with those things going in the right direction I'd be really surprised if there was anything going on in my head.
-Bill
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- December 2, 2015 at 5:14 pm
After reading your reply I did the research I should have done earlier. I found these things:
CT is considered acceptable for a brain scan, but MRI is preferred.
60-70% of people with brain mets are asymptomatic.
I haven't gotten a call about the results of my scan yet, so I'm gonna consider that a good thing. 🙂
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- December 2, 2015 at 5:14 pm
After reading your reply I did the research I should have done earlier. I found these things:
CT is considered acceptable for a brain scan, but MRI is preferred.
60-70% of people with brain mets are asymptomatic.
I haven't gotten a call about the results of my scan yet, so I'm gonna consider that a good thing. 🙂
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- December 2, 2015 at 5:14 pm
After reading your reply I did the research I should have done earlier. I found these things:
CT is considered acceptable for a brain scan, but MRI is preferred.
60-70% of people with brain mets are asymptomatic.
I haven't gotten a call about the results of my scan yet, so I'm gonna consider that a good thing. 🙂
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- December 3, 2015 at 7:18 am
I didn't have any symptoms and had two brain mets…one tiny and the other one small. I had them both treated with Gamma Knife. I hope this helps! Good luck!
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- December 3, 2015 at 7:18 am
I didn't have any symptoms and had two brain mets…one tiny and the other one small. I had them both treated with Gamma Knife. I hope this helps! Good luck!
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- December 3, 2015 at 7:18 am
I didn't have any symptoms and had two brain mets…one tiny and the other one small. I had them both treated with Gamma Knife. I hope this helps! Good luck!
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- December 4, 2015 at 3:10 pm
I too have been having mild headaches…and was just woddering if it time to call ONC or not….
But in my case, just had a HEAD ct as part of recent recurrence …am scheduled for my once annual BRAIN MRI in January.
Head CT was NORMAL….so i am thinking no need to call DR….noted that MRI is preferred, but with a normal head CT, I am assuming these headaches are most likley STRESS induced….
Any other thoughts?
Bill, how are your headaches?
tks,
jenny
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- December 4, 2015 at 3:10 pm
I too have been having mild headaches…and was just woddering if it time to call ONC or not….
But in my case, just had a HEAD ct as part of recent recurrence …am scheduled for my once annual BRAIN MRI in January.
Head CT was NORMAL….so i am thinking no need to call DR….noted that MRI is preferred, but with a normal head CT, I am assuming these headaches are most likley STRESS induced….
Any other thoughts?
Bill, how are your headaches?
tks,
jenny
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- December 4, 2015 at 3:10 pm
I too have been having mild headaches…and was just woddering if it time to call ONC or not….
But in my case, just had a HEAD ct as part of recent recurrence …am scheduled for my once annual BRAIN MRI in January.
Head CT was NORMAL….so i am thinking no need to call DR….noted that MRI is preferred, but with a normal head CT, I am assuming these headaches are most likley STRESS induced….
Any other thoughts?
Bill, how are your headaches?
tks,
jenny
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- December 5, 2015 at 4:32 am
First time, the only symptom was so tiny (at first) that I paid it no mind. A winking light would come now and again. I wrote it off as a cosmic ray hitting my eye. A PET scan showed a tumor in my left occipital lobe (vision). Shortly thereafter, the visual symptoms started to get pretty wild. It grew to 3+ cm and I had a craniotomy. No headaches.
Second time, a pair of them both grew to 2+cm without me having any symptoms. Then I suddenly could not perform the most basic tasks at work and went to the ER. As I got to the surgery a couple of weeks later, they were both around 3.5 cm each (a golf ball is 4.5 cm I think ) plus two much smaller ones. Weirdly again, with that stuff going on, I also did not have a single headache.
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- December 5, 2015 at 4:32 am
First time, the only symptom was so tiny (at first) that I paid it no mind. A winking light would come now and again. I wrote it off as a cosmic ray hitting my eye. A PET scan showed a tumor in my left occipital lobe (vision). Shortly thereafter, the visual symptoms started to get pretty wild. It grew to 3+ cm and I had a craniotomy. No headaches.
Second time, a pair of them both grew to 2+cm without me having any symptoms. Then I suddenly could not perform the most basic tasks at work and went to the ER. As I got to the surgery a couple of weeks later, they were both around 3.5 cm each (a golf ball is 4.5 cm I think ) plus two much smaller ones. Weirdly again, with that stuff going on, I also did not have a single headache.
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- December 5, 2015 at 4:32 am
First time, the only symptom was so tiny (at first) that I paid it no mind. A winking light would come now and again. I wrote it off as a cosmic ray hitting my eye. A PET scan showed a tumor in my left occipital lobe (vision). Shortly thereafter, the visual symptoms started to get pretty wild. It grew to 3+ cm and I had a craniotomy. No headaches.
Second time, a pair of them both grew to 2+cm without me having any symptoms. Then I suddenly could not perform the most basic tasks at work and went to the ER. As I got to the surgery a couple of weeks later, they were both around 3.5 cm each (a golf ball is 4.5 cm I think ) plus two much smaller ones. Weirdly again, with that stuff going on, I also did not have a single headache.
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