Advice whole brain radiotherapy - Newly diagnosed secondary brain cancer

Hi ManthaP and a warm welcome to the online community

I'm very sorry to read that your husband has recently been diagnosed with secondary brain cancer and I can understand what a worrying time this will be for you both. 

I'm assuming that the skin cancer you refer to was melanoma as it's extremely rare for other forms of skin cancer to spread elsewhere.

I can see that you've joined the melanoma group and I hope that you don't mind me suggesting that you also post your question there as there are a number of members in that group who have brain metastasis. If you'd like to do that a quick way to get back there is to click on the link I've created.

When you have a minute, it would be great if you could pop something about your husband's journey so far into your profile as it really helps others when answering or looking for someone with a similar diagnosis. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.

x

If it is just 2 -3 spots, maybe more, they can zap them with cyber knife / gamma knife. Is your doctor a radiation oncologist that can perform cyberknife?

My Valerie has secondary brain cancer (she had breast cancer 6 years ago).

We were told that she had one tumour in her brain stem and she was booked into Birmingham for Radio Surgery.

Birmingham said they could not do the Radio Surgery because they saw multiple tumours all over her brain.

Why Birmingham saw more than Coventry I don't know/understand.

Instead she had Whole Brain Radio Therapy which we took to be treatment, but it turned out to be Palliative care.

It involved getting a plastic face mask made at the hospital and then 5 sessions of radio therapy.

The mask is to keep the head still.

The procedure is nothing to worry about.

Side effects Valerie had/has are loss of hair. We shaved Valerie's head in December and no new growth has happened.

She has other side effects but they are probably to do with the drugs she is on.

No headaches, sickness etc,.

I wish you and your husband all the luck in the world.

Look after yourself.

Hi Larry ,

sorry to hear your wife had to go through whole brain radiotherapy, my husband starts his radiotherapy next week 

we have been told it is palative , how long this gives us together who knows

it was a tough decision to make as he is fit and well at the minute , you wouldn’t know he had cancer 

how was Valerie  after the treatment, I read hair loss and fatigue plus sickness during the treatment are the main ones , did Valerie experience after effects immediately?
stay safe and well

fran 

Hi my husband had his treatment 6 weeks ago. He did not have too many symptoms at the time but he did loose his hair. He improved a little bit after but over the last 7-10 days some of his symptoms have returned. It's difficult to understand if this is the treatment or the cancer. He is super tired on some days.

Good luck with the treatment. Take care. Xoxo

Hi ManthaP

thank you ,  it’s good to be in touch with someone who has gone through this.  I don’t know about you I find it hard being a bystander.

hope you both stay safe and well. Xx

It is very hard being a by stander. I know I am driving him mad at times keep asking if he is ok. He also wants to do some crazy things like get on shed roofs to paint!! Which we did fall out about. However I am getting support from a counselling service at work as well as family and friends so I'm trying very hard to back off a bit and let him make his own decisions even if I'm not happy with them. Xoxo

Hello,

My name is Nikki and my husband was diagnosed with brain tumours both 12 years ago and 5 years ago . He had radiotherapy and chemotherapy 5 years ago for 6 weeks, every day. He coped incredibly well, the only side effects he had was bouts of extreme fatigue and his head became very red and sore. The faitgue lasted about 4/5  months and was extreme tiredness, he went to sleep for hours, days and waking him was difficult but this resolved after a few months. Its been 5 years since his treatment and he has had no long side effects so far. I hope this helps you at this time and I wish you all the best xx