Treatment Options > Radiation / Radiosurgery

Time for CK

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sree:
Hi all
after W&W for 5 years we decided to go for radio surgery.
AN was same size untli my recent MRI. It showed around
2mm growth (9.2mmx 4mm). After doing some research on facilities we
are going with Dr. Tse atKaiser South SfO / Redwood City.
I have appointments scheduled on September 6 & 7th for
consultation with the team, CT, Mask and MRI etc.
Actual CK going to be after a week it seems.
It's going to be a single session.
we asked Dr.Tse that we wanted to go for 3 sessions instead of one
just worried about putting too much radiation once than
splitting it in multiple sessions.
Dr.Tse said to talk to Radiation Oncologist about our concerns.

Please give any inputs or suggestions or tips to get ready for the treatment
and also on 1 vs 3 sessions.
this group helped me a lot with all your experiences and valuable information.
Thanks
Sree

Toasted2018:
I am new to the forum and had CK in Ottawa in July (5 weeks ago).  My AN was 4.3 x 10.4, left ear, slightly larger than yours.  I was given three sessions, consecutive days at one half hour each.  There was never any suggestion of a single session. I probably would have questioned a single session as well.

I found the entire experience simple and I was without any anxiety or need for medications.  I did not want music or TV as I preferred to watch the machine itself or just rest with my eyes closed.  I got up off the bed easily after each session and had no difficulty walking out, although I had someone there to drive me home just in case.  All in all it was quite uneventful.

After the sessions were done I thought perhaps I had a side effect in that my ears were sore.  Soon enough I realized however that it was simply the compression of the mask against my awkwardly protruding ears for one half hour that made them sore!! Indeed the past 5 weeks have been quite uneventful with regard to any side effects.  I still have partial hearing loss in the left ear and my only other pre-existing condition, which was balance issues, is slowly getting better.  I do vestibular exercises I found off the Net and my balance is actually quite good but not perfect.  All in all I am quite happy with the results although I do know that there could be some side effects in a few months due to delayed reaction from radiation and swelling, but I am optimistic about it.  I have never had tinnitus and I have noticed no diminution of hearing from pre-CK.

Best of luck to you,

Gary

gary.s:
Hi Sree,

It seems like your tumor is still very small, just curious as to why you have decided to take care of it now. I had Cyber Knife radiation at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix during April of 2018. My radiation oncologist said he would give me five gentle doses, totaling a large cumulative dose. So instead of one massive dose, my radiation was spread over a five day period. I am now over 4 months post CK and doing okay. It is always nice to get another opinion from a neurologist. If you live in the Bay area, some of the best hospitals are located near you, especially Stanford. Best of luck.

Gary

notaclone13:
Sree, I have read of a few instances where CK was performed in a single session, but most of the time it is 3 sessions.  It is important to know the total amount of radiation you will be given. If you still have hearing in the affected ear, it is usually about 12 Gys. If you have already lost hearing, they may go a little higher. My doctor mentioned 3 sessions, 4 Gys each for a total of 12 Gys. Did any of your doctors specify how many Gys you will receive?

juliawilson:
You are asking your neurosurgeon a very valid question about why he is choosing only one CK session. I find it disturbing that he couldn't or wouldn't give you an answer. Have you met with the radiation oncologist? Being Kaiser, my fear would be that one session was chosen because it is less expensive than three.

Do you have the option of getting a second opinion elsewhere? Redwood City is half an hour from Stanford, where CK was pioneered. I had mine done there in 2017 with Dr. Stephen Chang, and his standard procedure is three sessions.

As for CK itself, it's pretty much a walk in a park. It works like this: Lie there with your comfy mask and heated blankets. Listen to music. Have a little rest afterward, probably taking a steroid tablet with a glass of juice. Get up and go to lunch. After my first session, I was stunned that my tinnitus disappeared within hours. (That's unusual.) Otherwise, I felt nothing. However, after the third session, I was bone tired and couldn't wait to take a nap. That hit-the-wall fatigue lasted for a number of weeks--fixed each day with a nap--but gradually it disappeared.

Keep us posted on your journey.

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