Has anyone ever heard of brain mets in gastroesphageal cancer?

I was hoping for feedback on my previous posts, but I guess my interests are different than most, but am curious as to whether anyone else has ever heard of this cancer presenting first as metastsis to the brain?

 

On 9/27/2009 gingery56 wrote:

I was hoping for feedback on my previous posts, but I guess my interests are different than most, but am curious as to whether anyone else has ever heard of this cancer presenting first as metastsis to the brain?

Hello Gingery56,

I, like a lot of people on this board, I'm sure, have read your posts. I wish I had some good answers for you. I would think that if an endoscopy or PET scan had been done, before the other scans, the cancer would have been found first in the esophagus. I hope someone is able to answer your questions.

I have found that this board is read much more on weekdays, so maybe someone will have something for you in the next couple of days.

Steve

Gingery56,  I remember two days before my EC surgery, my surgeon sent me for a brain scan to be sure that I had no cancer which was told to me by the technician.  I was just recently checked by my radiology oncologist and he asked me if I was having any headaches and my answere was no, but now I wonder what they were asking and checking. Phil A.

Phil, they may have been the reason, but our onc tells us it is very unusual to have this cancer go to the brain.  I am trying to see if anyone else has had this experience.

Thanks for your reply,

Ginger

 

On 9/27/2009 Cyclist wrote:

 

On 9/27/2009 gingery56 wrote:

I was hoping for feedback on my previous posts, but I guess my interests are different than most, but am curious as to whether anyone else has ever heard of this cancer presenting first as metastsis to the brain?

Hello Gingery56,

I, like a lot of people on this board, I'm sure, have read your posts. I wish I had some good answers for you. I would think that if an endoscopy or PET scan had been done, before the other scans, the cancer would have been found first in the esophagus. I hope someone is able to answer your questions.

I have found that this board is read much more on weekdays, so maybe someone will have something for you in the next couple of days.

Steve

 

Steve,

The reason I was asking is that he really didn't have GI symptoms that would have sent us looking for that.  He had the usual things we all have occasionally, belching, reflux occasionally, but nothing that would have sent him to a GI doctor.

In early July he had some obscure symptoms that he attributed to it being a hot day, and they went away so he didn't go to the doctor for almost a month.  These were not really GI symptoms, but symptoms from the brain tumors.

He was having balance and gait problems, headaches and nausea.  These were even very subtle for awhile, then finally July 31st were enough to get us to the doctor, mainly because I looked at his lower eyelids and they were completely colorless. (he was anemic, but not terribly)

Given Phenergan for the nausea and sent home on a Friday. We were back in the office on Monday with our own doc instead of a fill in. When he heard the cluster of symptoms, he ordered the MRI of his head and found the tumors.(2 seen at that time)

There were no other symptoms really at the time but they did a CT of his abdomen, chest and pelvis....negative.

He had the largest tumor removed on 8/20 and from the pathology they had an idea of the kind of tissue, but did not know the site of the primary. It was only discovered this past week from the PET scan that it was at the gastro esophageal junction. (one lymph node involved)

They had found other brain tumors (all mets) and he had the gamma knife on 6 of them.

We are now to get the EGD on Tuesday and see the onc on Friday. From that meeting we will make a plan. We may go to MD Anderson since it's only 5 hours from where we live in Texas.

I hope you are doing well.

Ginger

There have been several people with brain mets on the acor board. It may have been a case of "silent reflux" so there weren't a lot of gastro type symptoms, but esophageal metastasizes quickly and can really go anywhere. Bone and brain seem much less common than liver and lung mets, but I've known people with all all of them. Sorry you found your way to us.

 

On 9/27/2009 tongrenhealer wrote:

There have been several people with brain mets on the acor board. It may have been a case of "silent reflux" so there weren't a lot of gastro type symptoms, but esophageal metastasizes quickly and can really go anywhere. Bone and brain seem much less common than liver and lung mets, but I've known people with all all of them. Sorry you found your way to us.

Thank you for the feedback.  I had never heard of brain mets with this cancer and I had been googling all morning, and I knew the doctors thought it was rare.  Glad to know it isn't unheard of.

Since his gamma knife for the brain mets, my husband has regained his strength, is eating really well and seems to be feeling better every day.

My concern is that if this spreads quickly, that we will not have time to get to MD Anderson to see if there is anything they have to offer.

I do appreciate the information you gave me.

Ginger

I'm late to this discussion, just saw the postings.  My husband, who had ED surgery on 4/30/09, had "clean" CT scan after his chemo in Aug., never started feeling better, then started suffering from daily headaches.  MRI disclosed a lesion in the skull.  We will get the results of the full body bone scan today or Monday.  From what I have read, this not too common (but, then again, neither is EC, is it?).  I have to admit I am really scared.

On Sep 27, 2009 12:00 AM gingery56 wrote:

I was hoping for feedback on my previous posts, but I guess my interests are different than most, but am curious as to whether anyone else has ever heard of this cancer presenting first as metastsis to the brain?

My husband was dx with esophageal cancer 1 yr ago. He under went chemo, radiation, and a resection. He now has bone and brain mets. He is had 2 more rounds of chemo and doing radiation to selected areas of mets.

My dad was diagnosed with EC with mets to the liver and brain last month.   He is to have radiation for his brain and chemo for the liver and esophagus.  Unfortunately, he has been given only a year to live.