Breast Cancer Metastases /
CINN Brain Screening Event

In tonight's Medical Watch -- a diagnosis no one wants to hear ... cancer and it's spread. Now some advice on protecting the mind when breast cancer makes a run for the brain.

Kathy Southwick, breast cancer patient: "My then breast surgeon called to say it's in your liver. We don't do mastectomies if its in your liver do you understand?"

What Kathy Southwick didn't understand is why her then-physician didn't offer more treatment options for her stage 4 cancer.

Southwick: "So I fired my breast surgeon and my assigned oncologist and sought other help."

First, a cutting-edge radiation therapy to treat the tumors in her liver followed by a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Then Kathy found a clinical trial -- a brain screening study at the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch.

Dr Gail Rosseau, CINN Neurosurgeon: "We're seeing very, very long survivalships but that in a sense allows patients the opportunity to be alive longer and therefore have some of the other complications."

Like a metastasis -- when cancer cells travel from the primary site in the breast thru the blood stream and lodge in other organs, often the brain, where tumors eventually effect motor skills and cause headaches and seizures.

Southwick: "I had the mri and it did show a small lesion in the right frontal lobe of my brain. I was asymptomatic so I was surprised."

The finding on Kathy's MRI wasn't a surprise to neurosurgeon Dr. Gail Rosseau, an advocate for routine brain screening in breast cancer patients. Dr. Rosseau offered Kathy a treatment option -- radiosurgery with the Gamma Knife, a targeted high-dose of radiation to a precise target in the brain.

Dr. Rosseau: "What we know is if you take all brain metastases from all types of primary cancers, this outpatient treatment controls against future tumor growth in more than 90% of cases."

So far the treatment has controlled Kathy's tumor -- allowing her to remain as active as she was before her cancer diagnosis.

Southwick: "That week I rode 220 miles and Dr. Rosseau was pleased. I encourage people not to fear the mountains in the distance and keep moving forward."

In honor of breast cancer awareness month CINN is hosting a two-day brain screening event.

2007 BRAIN SCREENINGS FOR BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

When:

Friday, October 26th, 2007, 1:00 to 9:00 pm

Saturday, October 27th, 2007, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Where:

Neurologic and Orthopedic Institute of Chicago, 4501 N. Winchester, Chicago

Contact:

Sandi Davis, (773) 250-0425

Women diagnosed with HER-2 positive Stage III or Stage IV breast cancer are eligible to participate in a clinical trial investigating early detection of brain metastases from advanced breast cancer through education and screening. As part of the screening protocol, participants will undergo a MRI of the brain.

Participants must be at least 18 years old and should not participate if they are pregnant.

The brain MRI is free of charge to the patient. The CINN Foundation has underwritten the cost of the scans.

The Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch (CINN) Medical Group will use information from the screening to determine the potential benefit(s) of screening for brain metastases in patients with advanced breast cancer.

Study Selection & Enrollment Criteria

Women must be within three to twenty-four months of first metastases of Stage IV diagnosis or within 12 to 24 months of initial diagnosis of HER-2 positive Stage III disease. They must sign a written consent form approved by the CINN Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Exclusion criteria

Patients with a prior diagnosis of brain metastases or who are unable to be safely exposed to MRIs. Most common exclusions include, but are not limited to, pacemakers, implanted defibrillators, neurostimulators, aneurysm clips, cochlear devices, or any other institution contraindications. Women who are pregnant.

More resources for patients living with metastatic disease

www.mbcnetwork.org

Metastatic Breast Cancer Network (MBCN) is a national independent advocacy group of and for people with metastatic breast cancer. We intend to give metastatic breast cancer patients a greater voice in the breast cancer community.

www.livingwithbrainmets.org