Mets to liver

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Lifeisajourney
Lifeisajourney Member Posts: 216
in Colorectal Cancer #1
Just an update on my mets to liver which were noticed in January by Hospital 1 on cat scan taken because of er admittance for diviticulitis. No contrast by mouth on this one. So my onc is at Hospital 2 and he ordered a c scan in February (prior to that I had one in October 2010, supposedly ok. at Hospital 2) Febr scan showed possible mets, so onc ordered my first pet scan which lit up mets of right lobe, nothing else on liver lit up, showed 2 cysts, which we knew about and they had been biopsied...biopsied new leison, showed mets/ talked about sir spheres, no chemo due to my severe toxic reaction before and didn't want to weaken me for surgery. So went to see surgeon May 3rd because looked like surgery was possible. Surgeon is at one of our states two cancer hospitals....and my onc is also on staff there also and at Hospital 2. Surgeon ordered a new c scan wanted to be sure and of course he came back showing something on the left lobe or left side which isn't defined enough on c scan, so now we are going to do an MRI as soon as they can get me in which could be the 20th or sooner. Needs to be done at Cancer Center. Wants to be sure what is there.....
I just wondering at this point how accurate are c scans, pet scans....Talk about scanzity...I want the surgeon to be sure, but wondered if anyone else had been had clean scan less then 2 months showed mets. Also pet didn't show anything on left side In March but they see something on scan in little over month....appreciate any comments. The surgeon does have a good reputation from my research, will follow thru and see what is suggested and if no go for surgery, will probably get 2nd opinion.....thanks for letting me vent....Pat

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  • pepebcn
    pepebcn Member Posts: 6,331 Member
    #2
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    Pat, must be a nightmare for you!
    Kind of 5 months scanxiety , hope the best results on your MRI! .
    Sending you the best from here!
  • jjaj133
    jjaj133 Member Posts: 867 Member
    #3
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    Hi Pat, so sorry you have to
    Hi Pat, so sorry you have to go through this. I am having a second liver resection on the 24th of may. 3 month ago i was fine. Now i'm not. Every time they go in they find a bit more than showed up on the scans.
    This started in march so i really appreciate you anxiety. Hang in there. Sending prayers your way.
    Judy
  • jjaj133
    jjaj133 Member Posts: 867 Member
    #4
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    Hi Pat, so sorry you have to
    Hi Pat, so sorry you have to go through this. I am having a second liver resection on the 24th of may. 3 month ago i was fine. Now i'm not. Every time they go in they find a bit more than showed up on the scans.
    This started in march so i really appreciate you anxiety. Hang in there. Sending prayers your way.
    Judy
  • jjaj133
    jjaj133 Member Posts: 867 Member
    #5
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    Hi Pat, so sorry you have to
    Hi Pat, so sorry you have to go through this. I am having a second liver resection on the 24th of may. 3 month ago i was fine. Now i'm not. Every time they go in they find a bit more than showed up on the scans.
    This started in march so i really appreciate you anxiety. Hang in there. Sending prayers your way.
    Judy
  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #6
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    Pat -

    Re:
    "I just wondering at this point how accurate are c scans, pet scans"

    They all have their place. The PET uses radioactive glucose, with
    the assumption that a cancer will take in more glucose than a normal
    cell and the equipment will indicate that happening. Unfortunately,
    normal cells can absorb more glucose than a cancer cell, when the
    normal cell is in the healing process.

    PET scans taken too soon after surgery will end up lighting you up
    like a Christmas tree, so it should never be recommended if that
    is the circumstance.

    (My surgeon got irritated when he heard that an oncologist told
    me that she wanted me to get a PET scan while I was in recovery.
    She would have had me on Chemo for sure!)(and you know how
    I feel about -that-)

    The CT scan is usually a surgeon's choice, since they can see
    quite a bit with the results of those. But as mentioned above,
    an operation to actually see the "real thing" can be a major
    help in finding where cancer is, and isn't. All too often we get
    "clean" scans, and find out that during the operation that they've
    found nodes involved, etc. So scans are just tools of the trade,
    not absolute indicators of anything. Neither are blood tests
    absolute indicators of cancer, so we really oughta relax a bit,
    and let the surgeon figure things out.

    And, by all means, get other "outside" opinions. You aren't
    insulting a physician by doing so. It's your life, and how you
    want to live it, is your choice alone; have trust in yourself and
    your intuition.

    Cancer usually doesn't grow so fast, that one month it's not there,
    and the next month it is. When -any type- of scans are taken,
    there are very specific angles that the equipment has to be set at.
    If the angle is the smallest amount different than a previous scan,
    it can indicate differences in the way small things appear.

    I have spots on both lungs, and have had them since the 90's.
    A scan I had a few years back indicated that they were larger
    than before. That scared the hell out of me!

    Another scan indicated that they were actually smaller than my
    old scans.... It's nothing for me to be concerned with, according
    to a surgical oncologist I went to. It was only a difference in
    the "camera angle".

    So relax. You're going to be around awhile; you have plenty
    of time to decide your paths.....

    Best of health,

    John
  • Lifeisajourney
    Lifeisajourney Member Posts: 216
    #7
    Options
    John23 said:

    Pat -

    Re:
    "I just wondering at this point how accurate are c scans, pet scans"

    They all have their place. The PET uses radioactive glucose, with
    the assumption that a cancer will take in more glucose than a normal
    cell and the equipment will indicate that happening. Unfortunately,
    normal cells can absorb more glucose than a cancer cell, when the
    normal cell is in the healing process.

    PET scans taken too soon after surgery will end up lighting you up
    like a Christmas tree, so it should never be recommended if that
    is the circumstance.

    (My surgeon got irritated when he heard that an oncologist told
    me that she wanted me to get a PET scan while I was in recovery.
    She would have had me on Chemo for sure!)(and you know how
    I feel about -that-)

    The CT scan is usually a surgeon's choice, since they can see
    quite a bit with the results of those. But as mentioned above,
    an operation to actually see the "real thing" can be a major
    help in finding where cancer is, and isn't. All too often we get
    "clean" scans, and find out that during the operation that they've
    found nodes involved, etc. So scans are just tools of the trade,
    not absolute indicators of anything. Neither are blood tests
    absolute indicators of cancer, so we really oughta relax a bit,
    and let the surgeon figure things out.

    And, by all means, get other "outside" opinions. You aren't
    insulting a physician by doing so. It's your life, and how you
    want to live it, is your choice alone; have trust in yourself and
    your intuition.

    Cancer usually doesn't grow so fast, that one month it's not there,
    and the next month it is. When -any type- of scans are taken,
    there are very specific angles that the equipment has to be set at.
    If the angle is the smallest amount different than a previous scan,
    it can indicate differences in the way small things appear.

    I have spots on both lungs, and have had them since the 90's.
    A scan I had a few years back indicated that they were larger
    than before. That scared the hell out of me!

    Another scan indicated that they were actually smaller than my
    old scans.... It's nothing for me to be concerned with, according
    to a surgical oncologist I went to. It was only a difference in
    the "camera angle".

    So relax. You're going to be around awhile; you have plenty
    of time to decide your paths.....

    Best of health,

    John

    Thanks for replies
    just needed some reassurance. I realized there could be something else going on, but also felt I should slow down and figure my path out. Will let you know where it goes.

    Hope all goes well with the surgery being done, thought I would be right behind....thanks all, it is so nice to be able to vent to those who understand.......Pat

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