My mum was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 brain metastases, with a tumour in her brain stem, and in the parietal region of her brain. Doctors have said the only treatment option is whole brain radiotherapy therapy, but that this will only give her a few additional months. We had to probe to find out that this treatment was non curative, and probe again to understand that it was terminal with months not years left. When I asked why steriotactic wasn't possible, the response given was that it may be travelling in the blood, but given that stereotactic is for multiple tumours (which arise through cell transport in the blood) I'm finding it hard to understand why this potentially curative treatment was overruled. Has anyone got experience with a similar diagnosis and has information or reading they can share?
Hi AlexmacB
I am sorry your mum is going through this. It must be really difficult for all of you. I am not a member of this forum but am one of the community champions for breast cancer. My cancer is metastatic but as far as I know isn’t in my brain. It’s really difficult facing a stage 4 diagnosis. Medical staff will always describe treatment for stage 4 cancers as being palliative, rather than curative. The reason is that cancer cells have travelled around the body through lymph or blood, so there may be deposits elsewhere that are too small to see on imaging. Treatments aim to slow the cancer down and/or give relief from symptoms. The medical specialists are the best people to advise why one form of treatment may be more suitable than another. I am sure they would be happy to take you through it in more detail.
Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm
I am a Macmillan volunteer.
I have metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer, in remission
