In
the past, patients were not treated with
chemotherapy to control disease in
the brain. This is because it was thought
that the blood-brain barrier (the
protective barrier around the brain) prevented
chemotherapy agents from getting directly
into the brain tissue. Recently this
assumption was found to be false.
Now more emphasis is being placed on the
use of chemotherapy in an effort to try
to reduce some of the symptoms seen from
spread of cancers to the brain.
In
some cases hormone treatment, especially for breast
and prostate cancers, may have a dramatic relief
of any symptoms that are occurring. These hormone
treatments act by trying to block the cancer
cells from growing. This is done by not allowing
certain naturally occurring hormones from acting on these
cells. The hormones can have their own special side
effects that can include the loss of desire
to have sex, hot flashes, fatigue
and an increased risk of developing blood clots
and developing other cancers. Please ask
your doctor about all the possible side effects
that may occur if you are receiving any hormone treatments.
