Frequently Asked Questions

Expert answers to common questions about brain metastases.

Itching associated with lung cancer with liver metastasis
Question My cousin has been diagnosed with lung cancer and now has liver cancer and cancer in her lymph nodes. She has severe itching and has these little scabby spots all over her body from itching. Can the itching be connected with the cancer? Thanks for your help. Answer Barbara Campling, MD, Medical Oncologist, responds: It is hard to know what

Pain relief for bone metastasis from prostate cancer
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My father is 65 years old and is suffering severe shoulder pain from metastatic prostate cancer. Is there something we can do for his pain? Erin McMenamin, MSN, CRNP, AOCN, Pain Medicine Nurse Practitioner and Program Manager at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, responds:He should

Hyperthermia Treatments for Liver Metastasis from Breast Cancer
Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," I am trying to find information for a friend with breast cancer, which has spread to her liver. She had a bone marrow transplant that kept the disease at bay for six months. She now has a 3cm tumor in her liver. I saw that somewhere they are doing a new procedure which uses direct heat to the affected

Chemotherapy and Metastasis to the Lungs
Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," My 14-year-old Walker Hound has a leg tumor that was diagnosed as an undifferentiated sarcoma in June. It had already metastasized to his lungs. He's been undergoing chemo for it since then. I noticed in your FAQ that chemo isn't recommended for metastatic cancers which have spread to the lungs. What

Brain Metastases from Lung Cancer
Question A good friend of mine was recently diagnosed with brain metastases from his lung cancer, adenocarcinoma type. The neurosurgeon said to him that surgery is the treatment of choice for his case. He was also seen by a radiation oncologist who claimed that radiation therapy is just as effective as surgery. Could you help him? Answer Li Liu,

Brain Metastases

Screening for Metastases in Breast Cancer
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," Having presented with back, shoulder and ear pain, together with loss of balance, I was referred for x-rays and scans, and metastases from the same "non-aggressive" breast cancer I suffered ten years earlier were found in the bones. A prognosis of two months plus was given. I have survived three years!

Clodronate to Prevent Bone Metastases in Prostate Cancer
Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," Are there any studies where clodronate has been used to prevent bone metastases in patients with advanced prostate cancer? In the situation to which I am referring, a radical prostatectomy has been performed, followed by radiation therapy. The use of Lupron and Casodex also has been instituted. Thus, the

Can I get radiation to my spinal metastases while receiving docetaxel?
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," Can I get radiation to my spinal metastases while receiving docetaxel? Carolyn Vachani RN, MSN, AOCN, OncoLink's Nurse Educator, responds:You should discuss this directly with your radiation oncologist as it depends on the size of the area being treated and the dose of radiation being given each day. If radiation

Treatment options for a dog with osteogenic sarcoma, metastasized to the lungs
Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts," I know that you can't give a medical opinion but I wonder if you could offer any advice? I don't expect a miracle but I need to try to find something that may help - I have a 7-year-old female Rottweiler who has osteogenic sarcoma. She was diagnosed 4 months ago and has had surgery to remove the affected

CyberKnife for Bone Metastases
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," Is there any information on the use of CyberKnife to treat bone metastases in the chest area associated with recurrent NSCLC? Carolyn Vachani RN, MSN, AOCN, OncoLink's Nurse Educator, responds:There have been quite a few studies using CyberKnife for spinal metastases (vertebral bones), mostly because this system