Expert: Claes-Gustaf Nordquist, M.D. - 7/8/2011

Question
My brother from Baltimore, MD is 60 year old. His vitally started declining since 4/11. He was diagnosed with a tumor astrocytoma level II tumor in the thalamic area. He has implanted a ventricular shunt 2 weeks ago. At this point his weakness has taken almost completely his body, he can’t move his extremities, and his capacity to reason or comprehend where he is and why and he is unable to speak. He sleeps all the time. The medical team says he needs radiotherapy 5 days a week for 7 weeks to reduce the tumor. My question is:  Up to what point with this aggressive treatment he will be available to regain any type of quality of live? How much is worth it to put him thru this treatment? Thanks so much for the answer.

Answer
I suppose that you mean GRADE II (2). With a thalamic location it is probably inoperable. So the ONLY available treatment is radiation therapy of some kind. If it is considerably bigger than 1 inch, and his severe condition probably indicates that, stereotactic radiation therapy with the so called GammaKnife or proton beams is not possible. So then only conventional radiation therapy is available. Such treatment can not cure him but MAY decrease his symptoms - though there may also be side effects - and prolong his survival time. I do not regard such a treatment as very aggressive though it involves a "full" radiation dose. Without it he probably does not have much time left. With it he MAY live perhaps another year though such an estimate is indeed uncertain. I'm sorry I have nothing better to tell you!



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