Blogging in B Minor

Quick Post:  This is very preliminary but the Tumor Board met and approved me as a candidate for Gamma Knife surgery.  This is pretty cutting edge technology.  There are a lot of risks associated with this given the location of my tumor/recurrence including motor deficits and other deficits but there are also pros, the primary being in simple terms sterilizing the cancer tissue so it hopefully doesn’t grow so we can use other treatment modalities.  I’ll have this done at Sutter as I have all of my treatment.  The Sutter Neuroscience Institute is a top notch brain tumor center and I would recommend it to anyone seeking treatment for a primary brain tumor.

It looks like something out of science fiction but here is a great photo showing the convergence of 201 beams of computer-guided radiation on a tumor through a specialized “helmet” that keeps the patients head stationary.  Here are a few photos:

And here is a cross-section diagram that depicts the process graphically:

We’ll learn a lot more in the coming days.  I’m a bit tired of discussing the vaccine.  It’s there – the goal would be to use Gamma Knife then perhaps the vaccine but most likely we’d start with Avastin after Gamma Knife after some time passes to assess the surgery.  What’s great about the Gamma Knife process is it’s nearly an out-patient endeavor.

More to come.  Lots to discuss, absorb and decisions to make.

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