Had my 6 month PET today

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CAjim2011
CAjim2011 Member Posts: 15
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
I am very concerned. I viewed the orignal PET vs my 6 month PET and I clearly see uptake in my R upper lobe of lung and hilum of my lungs. This was NOT evident on intial PET. I did have aspiration pneumonia after my second surgery (TORS) in April. I wonder if this could be inflammation from the aspiration? Im afraid the cancer has spread to my lungs over th pastsix months. My origianl PET showed no lung uptake. I am T2N2a Mo at time of diagnois. Has anyone experienced aspiration into the lungs during surgery and had a positive uptake in lungs 6 months AFTER the aspiration pneumonia? I'm not a radilogist, but I can clearly see the uptake over my R upper lobe. My pneumonia was right upper lober and bilateral lower lobe. i thought I was going to die when I had the pneumonia. I did have 7 weeks of radiation. No chemo. Any similar experiences? I am very scared.

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  • ggpierce
    ggpierce Member Posts: 30
    #2
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    You are very knowledgable
    You are very knowledgable about your disease! I commend you for keeping on top of what you should know. While I can't tell you a thing about what may, or may not be happening. This I do know, and practice for 22 years since I first started dealing with having cancer. Please don't worry about something until you have something to worry about. Easy to say, hard to do. I know, sometimes I have trouble practicing in myself. But I do find that if I let all the what if's get in my head I am miserable for most of the time. KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE!!

    I wish you the very best, and good luck in your care.
  • po
    po Member Posts: 18
    #3
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    ggpierce said:

    You are very knowledgable
    You are very knowledgable about your disease! I commend you for keeping on top of what you should know. While I can't tell you a thing about what may, or may not be happening. This I do know, and practice for 22 years since I first started dealing with having cancer. Please don't worry about something until you have something to worry about. Easy to say, hard to do. I know, sometimes I have trouble practicing in myself. But I do find that if I let all the what if's get in my head I am miserable for most of the time. KEEP A POSITIVE ATTITUDE!!

    I wish you the very best, and good luck in your care.

    aspiration pnemonia
    hope you manage to keep your head up i know this is difficult as i'm having a bad time of it at moment. Aspitation pnemonia gets you down as it takes all the energy and puff out of you. I know this as im a nurse in scotland, i hope you feel better soon and on some antibiotics. regards pauline
  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #4
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    What does the report say?
    There must be some summation or impression section of the actual report which surmises the findings and makes a recomendation?? What does it say?
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #5
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    SCAR TISSUE??
    Might it be scar tissue from the radiation?? I had something show up on a Chest CT but 6 month scan later and it was gone. Written off as "inflamation of unkown origin."

    I pray for a good result.

    Best!!

    Mike
  • Hal61
    Hal61 Member Posts: 655
    #6
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    SUV?
    Hi Jim, sorry to hear of your scare, and I hope your view of the scan can be better understood in a way that can relieve your anxiety. I echo what Rick/Rat said, the report should have had a diagnostic summary at the end, and it should have mentioned the lung I would think, one way or another. If I'm thinking right, the uptake should have a value also, an SUV. Have you any idea of what that number in the area was? 2.5, give or take a tenth, is the normally given acceptable level.

    best, hal
  • CAjim2011
    CAjim2011 Member Posts: 15
    #7
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    Hal61 said:

    SUV?
    Hi Jim, sorry to hear of your scare, and I hope your view of the scan can be better understood in a way that can relieve your anxiety. I echo what Rick/Rat said, the report should have had a diagnostic summary at the end, and it should have mentioned the lung I would think, one way or another. If I'm thinking right, the uptake should have a value also, an SUV. Have you any idea of what that number in the area was? 2.5, give or take a tenth, is the normally given acceptable level.

    best, hal

    Hello everyone. I had the 6
    Hello everyone. I had the 6 month PET today. I am looking at the scan itself on CD and comparing to initial scan. On initial scan I can see the cancer in my left tonsil region. Chest is completley clear of uptake on first one. Now on the o PET today, I see diffsue tracer uptake in R upper lobe and L hilum. O had aspiration pneumonia in april 2011 after my TORS throat surgery. I don;t know if residual inflamation from the pneumonia could still cause my lungs to 'light up' at this time, or am I looking at METS. I just wondered if anyone had pneumonia after their surgery for head an neck CA and if so, did follow up PET show something similar. I can't get a radiology reading until I see my Oncologist next week. needless to say I am anxious. Just wondering if anyone on this board ever experienced this, as aspiration with surgery is not all that uncommon. Sorry to be a freak here, but I thought maybe someone experineced the same thing. I would not think it's from radiation, as they treated my neck and not my chest. My initial PET showed not chest involvement. Thanks ahead for all support.

    Jim
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #8
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    Hi CAjim

    I had my PET a few months ago that was showing the same thing, and it was aspiration according to the PET scan report. Every time I drunk or eat something I always get a little in the lungs and have a hard time getting it back up. I just hope I can get passed this aspiration problem before I get pneumonia or something worse.

    Take care
    Hondo
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #9
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    Gonna Tell You
    I'm gonna have to tell you like my ENT told me last time.....

    "Quit reading your own reports, LOL...."

    More than likely you are putting yourself through some undue stress.

    Have you actually spoke to your ENT or the MD that ordered the PET as of yet?

    Hopefully it'll just be residual, scarring, something else going on other than what you are thinking,

    Best,
    John
  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #10
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    Skiffin16 said:

    Gonna Tell You
    I'm gonna have to tell you like my ENT told me last time.....

    "Quit reading your own reports, LOL...."

    More than likely you are putting yourself through some undue stress.

    Have you actually spoke to your ENT or the MD that ordered the PET as of yet?

    Hopefully it'll just be residual, scarring, something else going on other than what you are thinking,

    Best,
    John

    I've done it too
    Thats why I was questioning what the report says? I know the waiting is impossible but if you are doing what I did, sticking the CD's in the computer, opening up frames and trying to be a radiologist you might discover you're pregnant. Unless you have had some training in reading these and some actual experience then you going to drive yourself nuts. You sound like a smart person so seek out more information in the form of the accompanying written reports which are much easier to understand. I doubt cancer that was not there six months ago in your lungs could grow that fast and be that big. Generally speaking this stuff sometimes takes years to make itself known. The pneumonia is probably a big culprit in your assessment. You will find that even radiologist don't ever commit to anything using language like, "may indicate mets" or "possible this or that". On top of that they almost always recommend confirmation by CT scan after a suspicious finding. The ugly truth is that even the experts know much less than we give them credit for! Call somebody today, tell them your going crazy and need some clarification now. I emailed my oncologist once at 3a.m. after interpreting a scan as you have done. I know exactly where you're at mentally. He emailed back at 5 a.m. believe it or not with some comforting interpretation. They can be human sometimes. You are going to be fine.
  • CAjim2011
    CAjim2011 Member Posts: 15
    #11
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    Thanks everyone. You were
    Thanks everyone. You were right. My Doctor said the report read as aspiration and inflamation in the Right upper lobe, lymph nodes or hilum. No sign of cancer in my neck or lingual reigons! I was very freaked out when I looked at that scan and compared to my first one. You peole are all a blessing. I pray we all recover from this, I pray we can all receive calm and peace. You are all wonderful people. Thank you all,
    Jim
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #12
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    CAjim2011 said:

    Thanks everyone. You were
    Thanks everyone. You were right. My Doctor said the report read as aspiration and inflamation in the Right upper lobe, lymph nodes or hilum. No sign of cancer in my neck or lingual reigons! I was very freaked out when I looked at that scan and compared to my first one. You peole are all a blessing. I pray we all recover from this, I pray we can all receive calm and peace. You are all wonderful people. Thank you all,
    Jim

    Hi Jim

    That’s good news, just sit back now and take it easy for a while you earned it my friend.

    Hondo
  • sweetblood22
    sweetblood22 Member Posts: 3,228
    #13
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    Hondo said:

    Hi Jim

    That’s good news, just sit back now and take it easy for a while you earned it my friend.

    Hondo

    Jim
    Happy to read good news!
  • buzz99
    buzz99 Member Posts: 404
    #14
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    CAjim2011 said:

    Thanks everyone. You were
    Thanks everyone. You were right. My Doctor said the report read as aspiration and inflamation in the Right upper lobe, lymph nodes or hilum. No sign of cancer in my neck or lingual reigons! I was very freaked out when I looked at that scan and compared to my first one. You peole are all a blessing. I pray we all recover from this, I pray we can all receive calm and peace. You are all wonderful people. Thank you all,
    Jim

    Great News
    Glad to hear that the changes on your PET where from the aspiration pneumonia. We have been dealing with an infection in Buzz's neck which caused the PET to light up and he may not have a recurrence of the cancer after all. Like you, I read so much into every report and lab test. Having been an RN, I may know too much. We sometimes create our own anxiety. Karen

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