Connect
← Return to My Dad diagnosed with GBM Grade 4, he’s asking about SAGA study
Discussion
My Dad diagnosed with GBM Grade 4, he’s asking about SAGA study
Brain Tumor | Last Active: Jun 29 7:32am | Replies (12)Comment receiving replies
My mom, age 79, recently had surgery for GBM grade 4. It’s only been 2 weeks post-op and she’s still having issues with depth perception and peripheral vision. Looking for anyone else who is having vision problems post-surgery and what you’ve found helpful. She soon will be doing 4-6 weeks of radiation every day and an oral chemo drug. Please share experiences for us to consider and be aware of. Thank you.
Replies to "My mom, age 79, recently had surgery for GBM grade 4. It’s only been 2 weeks..."
My husband had GBM. I don’t think he had any vision issues. He was dizzy a lot though. His tumors weren’t removed. The doctor left them in when he did the surgery bexuswe he said they would just grow back. My husband did about 8 radiation treatments and that was all he could do. His bloodwork never allowed anymore. I don’t think the treatments helped him but I have read that other people do benefit from them. His biggest issue was sodium depletion due to the tumors. He was taking six grams of sodium near the end to keep his sodium levels normal. Be sure to watch for that. GBM rapidly depletes the body of sodium. I wish you and your mother the best.
I would think really hard about 4 to 6 weeks of radiation for a 79 year old. The cognitive impact of brain radiation can be immense. Please ask your doctor if there’s a lower number possible. Is my understanding that for people over the age of 70, 15 treatments, or three weeks, is the standard of care.
The SAGA study mentioned in the question seeks to discover whether a lower number of radiation treatments, 5-10 dependent on tumor size, is as effective as 15 treatments for people over the age of 70. If the tumor is larger, you’re definitely looking at 15 treatments. But by golly, not 20-30!
Good luck!
Connect
Ps the peripheral vision i had to learn to look harder that direction to be sure of not missing something. Mine is left eye. It's taken over a year to get good enough to make turns more comfortable. Have a great rest of the day today and weekend 😀