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 Breast Cancer with Brain Metastasis: Craniotomy, Surgery, Radiation

Decisions Regarding Surgery and Radiation for Treatment of Metastatic Disease

If you’ve been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer in the past, you more than likely had either a lumpectomy or mastectomy. If this is your first breast cancer diagnosis, and it was discovered from the onset that it has spread to other organs, then you probably haven’t had any surgery. The following is some information related to surgical decisions and what you might expect.

 I had a lumpectomy and axillary node dissection done 3 years ago and now the cancer has returned to my bones. Will the doctor need to do a mastectomy now?

No, the concern isn’t about breast cancer still being in your breast. The surgery or radiation that you had 3 years ago took care of that. The issue now is treating the disease that has spread elsewhere. The time has come for systemic treatment, which is treatment that will travel throughout your body no matter where the cancer cells may have gone. Medicines are used to treat disease when it has spread. If you are experiencing bone pain, radiation may also be given to shrink a specific area where a tumor exists that is pressing on nerves causing the pain.

Chrissie’s comments:

I was really hoping that the doctor would simply tell me that I can have a mastectomy and some pills to treat my cancer. Having now met with her and understanding my situation better, I realize that doing surgery isn’t the first priority; treating the disease where it has spread needs to be my first focus.

My cancer has spread to my brain and is located in one spot. What are the treatment options for this type of metastasis?

Sometimes when the cancer is in one specific spot and is relatively small, it can be surgically treated, including when it is found to be in the brain. A neurosurgeon would be consulted about this type of surgical procedure. More than likely, this type of surgery would be followed by radiation to the brain.

Andrea’s comments:

Learning my cancer had spread to my brain was devastating. I had been having headaches, something that rarely happens to me. The cancer is in one spot and the doctors said that it could probably be surgically removed. This gives me great hope for the future that I’ll be around longer to spend time with my children.

I have disease in my liver. Can I get a liver transplant as my treatment?

Unfortunately, no. Liver transplants are more for treatment of disease in the liver that is not cancer related. Medicines are needed to treat cancer that has spread to the liver. When the cancer in the liver is limited to just one small area, there may be other options.

Sometimes when the cancer is in one specific spot and is relatively small, it can be surgically treated, including when it is found to be in the brain.

Terms:

Lumpectomy - Breast cancer surgery to remove the breast cancer and a small amount of normal tissue surrounding it.

Mastectomy - Surgery that removes the whole breast.