Brain Radiation The Initial Consultation
October 27, 2017 was our initial consultation with Dr. Wendt, my radiation oncologist. I was accompanied by my wife and my older sons, Brett and Austin.
I asked him for an MRI as a second opinion as advised by my second opinion at Vanderbilt. He informed me that the brain lesions were still subcentimeter, and he felt that radiation could take care of those. He also told me that whole brain radiation therapy is recommended for small cell cancer patients in order to help prevent recurrence. This was a very scary thought. What does whole brain radiotherapy mean ?
I talked with the doctor about the long term effects of WBRT. There is a definite risk of cognitive decline after whole brain radiation therapy. The doctor mentioned that there are Alzheimer’s drugs which can be administered after WBRT which have been found to help with the potential of cognitive issues. The specific drugs which I was prescribed were donepezil (Aricept, Eisai).
We all felt very comfortable with Dr. Wendt. Brett mentioned that as we were leaving his office that morning, he felt enveloped in warmth. It was almost as if God was telling him we were in the right place.
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