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- Lung Cancer Metastasized to Brain- Pencil Proton Therapy?
Lung Cancer Metastasized to Brain- Pencil Proton Therapy?
So I signed up to undergo 28 separate daily treatments with Pencil Proton Therapy for my brain tumor. I will receive a total of 50 Grays after all the treatments are completed.
Hi David: Thanks for your response concerning my Lung Cancer (but very small at this stage) and a therapy called pencil proton therapy.
I believe my lung cancer has metastasized to my brain. The brain tumor suddenly is growing rapidly and I have the symptoms below:
- lost my eye sight,
- can’t walk straight anymore,
- lost my hearing in my left ear and
- headache’s and jaw pain.
So I signed up for Sept. to undergo 28 separate daily treatments with Pencil Proton Therapy for my brain tumor. I will receive a total of 50 Grays after all the treatments are completed. To my knowledge this is the safest radiation out there, the machine can cost as much as $80,000,000.00 Dollars so there are very few Proton Machines in the United States.
I must travel 800 miles to reach the nearest to me that using the Pencil Proton Therapy with Gantry.
I refused surgery because of my advanced age of 72 and with other health issues I didn’t think I could make through the 10 to 12 hour surgery, with high risk of being paralyzed in the face for life.
On the other hand what will this do to my Lung Tumor and other vital organs having 50 Grays of Radiation.
I heard Boswellia can decrease the size of the tumor because it fights inflammation.
Question being, should I add
- Bromelain,
- Omega-3 fatty acids,
- Olive Oil etc,
every day between the procedure and during the procedure or wait until after the procedure?
I would like you to comment and coach me.
Thanking you in advance, Sincerely, Jack
Hi Jack-
I’m going to address your email below point by point. And then ask you some questions at the end of the my reply.
If you would like to work with me beyond the information below reply to me accordingly and we will discuss your thinking further.
My current thinking-
- I have to believe that the brain tumor is a metastasis or spread from your lung cancer. I believe your symptoms (eye sight loss, walking imbalance, hearing loss, etc.) are a result of the brain tumor. I have to believe that the pencil proton therapy will alleviate these symptoms as it irradiates the tumor.
- While 50 grays of radiation is a lot (we will discuss integrative therapies below) I agree with your decision to forgo the surgery in favor of the radiation therapy.
- I know of no reason to think radiation to your brain will negatively impact your lung tumors in any way. Yes, I think you should address the lung cancer ASAP but I don’t know of any research saying that tradition to one’s brain affects lung tumors.
- Regarding your question about Boswella- According to the study linked below, yes, this herb may help the trauma cause by your brain tumor.
- Radiation to your brain is high-risk therapy. I know of no other therapy that will address a fast growing brain tumor.
- Consider the evidence-based therapies to protect/heal possible radiation damage.
David Emerson
- Cancer Survivor
- Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading:
- Early Lung Cancer Therapies Reduce Cancer Deaths Significantly
- Early Lung Cancer, SBRT if Surgery is Not an Option
- The Cure for Lung Cancer May Be in Fish Oil
- Fish Oil Improves Response to Chemo, Improves OS for Lung Cancer Patients
Protection Against Ionizing Radiation-Induced Normal Tissue Damage by Resveratrol: A Systematic Review
“The use of some agents as radioprotectors has been evaluated for protection against normal tissue toxicity following exposure to ionizing radiation. Resveratrol, a natural flavonoid, with antioxidant and anti-inflamma- tory properties has attracted research interests for its radioprotective potential.
This study systematically evaluates existing studies to examine the radioprotective effectiveness of resveratrol. A literature search of the electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Embase was conducted to retrieve articles investi- gating the protective effect of resveratrol against ionizing radiation-induced damage to normal tissues.
The search timeframe ranged from the inception of each database to January 2020. From an initial search of 231 articles, and after the removal of duplicates as well as applying the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 33 articles were finally included for this systematic review.
Results showed promising protective effect of resveratrol against ionizing radiation-induced damage to normal tissues. Furthermore, no adverse effect was observed after administering resveratrol. Resveratrol showed the potential to protect against ionizing radiation-induced damage to normal tissue cells via notable mechanisms, including anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects.
However, further studies on the efficacy of clinical translation of resveratrol would open up more insights, while other gray areas such as the optimal radioprotective dosage of resveratrol requires further investigation. Overall, resveratrol is a potential double-edged sword in cancer therapy while protecting healthy tissues…”
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy effectively treats long-term damage from radiation therapy
“More than 11 million people living in the U.S. today have been diagnosed with cancer, and about half of them have received radiation therapy (radiotherapy). While improved radiotherapy techniques have increased treatment precision and reduced side effects caused by radiotherapy, the high doses of radiation used to kill cancer cells may still cause long-term damage to nearby healthy cells in some patients. By helping the blood carry more oxygen to affected areas, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been proven effective for these patients…”
Boswellia serrata acts on cerebral edema in patients irradiated for brain tumors: a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot trial.
“BS significantly reduced cerebral edema measured by MRI in the study population. BS could potentially be steroid-sparing for patients receiving brain irradiation. Our findings will need to be further validated in larger studies.”
Cerebral edema
“Cerebral edema is excess accumulation of fluid in the intracellular or extracellular spaces of the brain.”
5) Regarding your question regarding “prehabilitating” with supplements to prepare for your surgery and or heal from surgery, I encourage you to take these supplement before the procedure, as I say to prepare your body for the shock to your system that the radiation will take, stop immediately before the procedure- your radiation oncologist will not want you taking any supplements during the therapy.
And then start up again once you return from the therapy.
6) If you choose to work with me as a cancer coach I will elaborate on your pre-habilitation to prepare your body to best manage the radiation. As I said above, 50 grays is a lot of radiation. As an example I would like to have a more complete discussion of antioxidants both nutritionally as well as supplementation.
“With few exceptions, most of the studies draw positive conclusions about the interaction of antioxidants and radiotherapy. Although further studies are needed, the preponderance of evidence supports a provisional conclusion that dietary antioxidants do not conflict with the use of radiotherapy in the treatment of a wide variety of cancers and may significantly mitigate the adverse effects of that treatment.”