Tumor Paint

These are not "Paints" but are specific fluorescent dyes that are genetically tagged (labeled) to reach specific cell types.

Interesting!

It seems like the next logical step, would be to mix something into the dye that destroys cancer cells, making surgery unnecessary.

The fact that this venom attaches specifically to cancer cells of all types, is much more significant than just making them glow...it can be used as a search and destroy vehicle.

Your talking about a paint to better see the tumor for removal. Which involves surgery.

Duke University has gone one better. After being immunized for polio booster shots. They have injected a modified polio virus into the tumor and had good results in their trials. Of having one's own immune system kill the tumor.

I'm all for all of these. The more tools a doctor can choose from, the potential for more favorable outcomes increase. That being said, you are your own best patient advocate. When faced with a serious medical condition (that isn't immediately life threatening), it is best for the patient to undertake as much research as they can stand to do.

Thirteen years ago, I was on a one year work assignment in Hawaii (somebody had to do it), and I was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma in my left ear ( a.k.a. vestibular schwannoma). The ENT specialist in Kailua recommended surgical removal at the House Institute in LA. Given that brain surgery is a bit invasive, I opted for a second opinion with a more senior, noted specialist in Honolulu. Same recommendation.

I over-rode both their recommendations and opted for a somewhat new, but initially effective fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery with the late Dr. Jeffery Williams at Johns Hopkins. This was the result of one week of virtually all day web surfing for anything and everything I could find out about acoustic neuromas. I reviewed all the post-operative recovery, potential side effects and follow-on surgeries that often occurred with surgical removal of the tumor. The percentages were not very encouraging. I talked/emailed with Dr. Williams and he reviewed my records including the brain MRI and indicated I was a good candidate. I had already figured as much from my research.

I scheduled the treatment several months later to accommodate work schedules and the holiday season (acoustic neuromas are slow growing, so there is usually little reason to rush) and flew back home for a week and some days to get the outpatient treatment. Yes, outpatient. The longest part of the treatment was the creation of the 'face mask' that is used to secure the head into the fixture attached to the LINAC. That takes about a half a day. The five treatment days each take less than an hour to check in, get set up on the machine and then being zapped for about four or five minutes. On the fourth day, I felt just a twinge of nausea, but otherwise the treatments were no worse than a teeth cleaning except less pain. My wife and I went out for dinner after each treatment since we were temporarily 'empty nesters' while my parents watched the four kids still back in Hawaii.

I've had three MRI's to monitor the size and condition of the tumor since the treatment. There has been no change in the size or shape of the tumor, and the tumor has shown signs of necrosis. My hearing in my left ear was pretty much toast by the time I figured out I had a problem, and after the radio-surgery, the temporary swelling of the tumor finished off the hearing. The brain eventually figures out how to ignore the screwy signals it gets from the balance nerves ( I had some vertigo and balance issues before and after the surgery) but those went away within 60 days and have not had any vertigo issues since. I still ride motorcycles on the street and in the dirt, water ski, snow ski and do everything I normally did before the tumor. Uncle Sam even found me plenty fit for duty and mobilized my ass out of the IRR for Afghanistan in 2003-2004.

About a year after my experience, a former co-worker of mine was diagnosed with the same type and size of tumor in virtually the same location but he saw a different doctor at Johns Hopkins. This doctor convinced him that surgery would be a better option for him. He had the surgery, had to be on convalescent leave for 6 weeks. Ended up with wicked headaches due to cerebral fluid leaks, had to have followup surgery to fix that. Had problems with his facial nerve and had to have surgery to implant a gold weight into his eyelid to help him close that eye. Ended up with 'lopsided' facial expressions and all that. I tried to get him to at least talk to Dr. Williams, but he seemed intent of sticking with this one doctor. Such a shame, as I believe he could have had a significantly better outcome with this alternative treatment. These are typical problems that statistically happen to about 30% of the patients who undergo surgical removal. Within a year or so, he disappeared from the workplace and I'm not sure whether he left for a different assignment or was medically unable to continue working. Due to privacy issues, no one was really saying and I wasn't pushing to get the information either.

It's possible and perhaps quite likely that microsurgical techniques have improved enough over the last ten years or so that removal is less risky. But it always behooves the patient to aggressively research all their options and discuss them with their doctor, and not just necessarily go with the 'first thing you're told'. Go to as many doctors as you can find and/or afford and arm yourself with as much information as you can gather to make your decisions.