CancerCompass message board discussion started by monica hoss on 8/14/2007 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,15275,0.htm Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ My wife Monica, had 2 surgeries, 2 weeks ago, to remove a large 6cm tumor on the left side at Barrow Neurological in Phoenix. It has been identified as  a Well-differentiated astrocytoma, WHO grade II' (grade 2). High risk low grade in other words they tell me.  They are suggesting radiation which they say is the common post surgery treatment for these surgeries, and then possibly taking part in a phase II study using temozolomide chemo simultaneously.  Does anyone have any experience with this chemo?  The benefits don't seem to be well defined at this point??  monica hoss Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT My husband was dx with a GR4 GBM of the brainstem 5 July 07. He had surgery a few days later and then started a 29 dose course of radiation with 160mg of Temodal a day.Every tumour and person is different but my husband  has become absolutely exhausted, he has swelling on the back of his neck, he now has very shaky hands, some memory loss, a little confusion and has started having seizures. He just lays in bed all day and if he feels ok he may get up for a 20 minute period.Nobody can say what is making the changes and I suppose in a few weeks if he is feeling better we will think it was the treatment. My husbands symptoms that he had prior to surgery, the main one being bad nausea is being masked by drugs.Our radioligist said that the operation would extend his life by about 12 months , radiation by 2months and the chemo by 2 months. A lot of money spent for a short amount of time. In Australia the temodal costs about $10,000 a month.Hope that is some help and i hope everything is going ok. lab-lady Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT