Crap. About. CyberKnife.

Crows talking

I got a bummer email from Dr. N (though I am glad to have the info!)

You have too many lesions for cyberknife to be a good option... Cyberknife or radiation might be a good option, though, if you have one or two lesions that are growing faster than the others AND causing symptoms, as the symptoms could be helped. Sometimes treating the symptom might improve survival (ie: if a person is bleeding and the bleeding is controlled the person might live longer than they would have). 

The reason I stated that focused radiation is unlikely to improve survival in your case, at this time, is that if all lesions cannot be treated, there is no data to suggest you would live longer since the underlying problem with cancer spread/growth is not being completely managed. In general terms, we think of local treatment with cyberknife or surgery, to a limited number of visible lung or liver metastasis from a cancer, to potentially allow people to liver longer if all sites of limited measurable disease can be effectively treated. If all sites cannot be treated, or new sites are developing over relatively short intervals of time, the local treatment does not seem to change how long a person lives (again, unless there is a life-threatening symptom that is being controlled). The x-ray may look better, but it is the fact that there are lots of other cancer cells growing that ultimately determines survival... 

Front yard, San Carlos, Ca

I don't feel like I can do chemotherapy again, especially when it seems so unlikely to work. Must try not to fill in the blanks about what will happen or what I will do. That will be my practice for the next month. Plus dealing with the waning symptoms:

• Alopecia (I may have already mentioned this).
• Numb feet & mildly numb face. 
• Insomnia. 
• Troublesome digestion. 
• Fatigue.

OK, I mean it this time, my last post for a while...Hasta luego. xox