GBM Scan Results ...

stevebrett · New User Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 1

Hello All,

My mum was disgnosed with a GBM in her right temporal lobe in july of this year and had surgery in early august. the resection removed 95% of the tumour but the remaining part was next to the motor area and the surgeons were not willing to remove it. she then had 2 weeks radiotherapy and was told chemo wasn't suitable as at 64 it would be too much of a strain. she completed the radiotherapy 10 or 11 weeks ago and had a follow up scan last week.

over the last 2 weeks she has gone downhill pretty quickly, her speech is slurred, she ios getting the same kind of headaches that she was getting proir to diagnosis, she can't walk very well unaided (although she did pull a muscle in her back whihc didn't help) and she is confused and repeating herself a lot. she requires constant care which we manage between myself and my brother and sister.

last week she was really bad and our gp decided to get the results of the scan as quickly as possible and phoned yesterday to say that there was no difference in the scan and the post op scan.

what is confusing is that whilst this seems like good news we don't know what is causing the headaches and other symptoms.

she is currently taking 6 mg of dexamthazone a day, along with diclofenac, codeine and paracetamol for the pain.

if the tumour is the same size could it be dead ? or is it likely to start to grow again and has just been stalled by the radiotherapy ?

we were expecting either good news or bad news but not 'no change' kind of news ...

?

many thanks for what is a superb forum, i can't believe it took me so long to find it.

michelesmith · Experienced user Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 72

Stevebrett,
I don't have a real answer for you. I will tell you to keep up hope. My dad went through part of the same thing. We finished chemo and radiation treatment, were told the tumor was dead, but instead of us seeing an improvement dad really went downhill fast beginning the day after his radiation finished. No one really had an explanation for us and all of his doctors kept saying that they thought he should be seeing improvemnet. All of his scans came back with no additional growth and his declide continued. Dad made it 6 weeks post treatment. I hope and pray for you that you will have a better outcome.

Michele
_________________
Michele

michelesmith · Experienced user Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 72

Stevebrett,
I don't have a real answer for you. I will tell you to keep up hope. My dad went through part of the same thing. We finished chemo and radiation treatment, were told the tumor was dead, but instead of us seeing an improvement dad really went downhill fast beginning the day after his radiation finished. No one really had an explanation for us and all of his doctors kept saying that they thought he should be seeing improvemnet. All of his scans came back with no additional growth and his declide continued. Dad made it 6 weeks post treatment. I hope and pray for you that you will have a better outcome.

Michele
_________________
Michele

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