first Pet scan after treatment worries.

Dave55
Dave55 Member Posts: 12
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Had my first scan after treatment. My neck came back looking all clear, then he says it showed a small spot on my lung that wasn't there from previous scan. He says he thinks it's little pocket of infection people get in there lungs sometimes. He was going to schedule next scan in 3 months. I was concerned and so he moved it up to 2 months for my sake. What do you guys think?

Comments

  • supagama
    supagama Member Posts: 31
    #2
    Hi Dave!

    Hi Dave..I had my first scan after treatment just before Christmas and the waiting for the results was unbelievably stressful!  Happily mine came out NED, but if they had found something...anything else, I think I would insist on another scan ASAP!  I couldn't deal with waiting 2 months!  I hope you get in sooner and they find nothing major!  Prayers and best wishes for you my friend.

    Wendy

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #3
    likely you are ok

    Dave,

    Sounds like there were no signs of the original cancer, which is great.

    The doctor thinks it is an infection, so I would try to roll with that.

    Having another scan now will most likely show the same thing.  With time between scans the infection may clear up.

    Different scans show different things, a PET for instance shows any activity, cancer or not.

    Without a biopsy it is left up to the judgement of the experts.  You can always seek multiple opinions on your scan and maybe that might buy you some piece of mind.

    Good luck,

    Matt

  • MrsBD
    MrsBD Member Posts: 615 Member
    #4
    Scan

    There probably isn't anyone on this discussion board who looks forward to a scan. Scans pick up everything! Most of the incidental findings are nothing to worry about, but we do. Like, how long before that arthritis they picked up in my hip starts to bother me? A scan is just a snapshot in time. You might have a little spot of infection that will be fought off by your immune system and nowhere to be found on the next scan. We all know you're going to worry anyhow, so come here for support and prayers whenever you need them!

  • Barbaraek
    Barbaraek Member Posts: 626
    #5
    Dave I know it must be nervewracking

    but try and hang in there. Hopefully it is a small infection that will be gone by the next scan. I'll be sending prayers your way.

     

    Barbara

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #6
    I do agree....

    At this point I would not be to concerned. You showed clear where the cancer was and on the first scan it often has false showing if done much befor 6 months. If your doctor had any feelings that it was something to be concerned with he would not just want to have it checked in three months, they would be doing something now, but the're not. I know it is easy to tell someone to relax and not worry, but it is also hard not to. So for now, take a deep breath and enjoy the "New Year" and just concentrate on the rest of your recovery. Easy to say and hard to do. Once you hear That Word, any lump or bump or anything, you will get tence and wonder, is that anything to worry about. Now the same thing before you hear cancer you will never give it a second thought. It is hard to get back to that way of thinking and really, not many will ever get that back. It stays in the back of your head just waiting to surface. It will get much better with time and you start getting used to hearing the doctor write NED on your file.

    Bill

  • Dave55
    Dave55 Member Posts: 12
    #7
    wmc said:

    I do agree....

    At this point I would not be to concerned. You showed clear where the cancer was and on the first scan it often has false showing if done much befor 6 months. If your doctor had any feelings that it was something to be concerned with he would not just want to have it checked in three months, they would be doing something now, but the're not. I know it is easy to tell someone to relax and not worry, but it is also hard not to. So for now, take a deep breath and enjoy the "New Year" and just concentrate on the rest of your recovery. Easy to say and hard to do. Once you hear That Word, any lump or bump or anything, you will get tence and wonder, is that anything to worry about. Now the same thing before you hear cancer you will never give it a second thought. It is hard to get back to that way of thinking and really, not many will ever get that back. It stays in the back of your head just waiting to surface. It will get much better with time and you start getting used to hearing the doctor write NED on your file.

    Bill

    Thanks

    Thanks for all the replys. You've helped. I'm glad I found you guys.Smile God Bless you all!

  • Dave55
    Dave55 Member Posts: 12
    #8
    Dave55 said:

    Thanks

    Thanks for all the replys. You've helped. I'm glad I found you guys.Smile God Bless you all!

    All Clear!

    Had my CT Scan today and everything came back good. The spot on my lung had shrunk almost all away. The Doc was right. I can't beleive how stressful it's been for the last couple of months. I'm NED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. All thx and praise go to God!

    Thanks for the support!

     

  • swopoe
    swopoe Member Posts: 492
    #9
    Dave55 said:

    All Clear!

    Had my CT Scan today and everything came back good. The spot on my lung had shrunk almost all away. The Doc was right. I can't beleive how stressful it's been for the last couple of months. I'm NED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. All thx and praise go to God!

    Thanks for the support!

     

    Wonderful! Congrats on NED!!

    Wonderful! Congrats on NED!!

  • tomb247
    tomb247 Member Posts: 54
    #10
    NED

    Congratulations on NED! 

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,722 Member
    #11
    congrats

     

    A February NED is a good NED

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #12
    Hi Dave

    The same thing here one PET scan would show up as a hot spot on the lungs and the next one would show nothing. Just glad you got a good NED body with you

    Tim         

     

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #13
    Dave55 said:

    All Clear!

    Had my CT Scan today and everything came back good. The spot on my lung had shrunk almost all away. The Doc was right. I can't beleive how stressful it's been for the last couple of months. I'm NED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. All thx and praise go to God!

    Thanks for the support!

     

    That is very good news. The lungs can show all sort of things that are really nothing to be concerned with. Heck mine are half empty, well almost half. I have scarred many a x-ray tech that didn't want to listen to me before taking the x-rays. Had one even turn kinda pale. Now he diserved it as I did try to warn him, but no, he had it all in controll. I know he had to change his shorts. I just smilled and said this is just a routine followup, how did you like the spot, and how about the right lung all that scarring. He just said you knew about all that? Sure, been that way for years now. I was only 32 at the time.

    Glad your's is good.

    Bill

  • lifeisDHA
    lifeisDHA Member Posts: 64
    #14
    Great news!

    So happy for you.

  • Barbaraek
    Barbaraek Member Posts: 626
    #15
    Dave55 said:

    All Clear!

    Had my CT Scan today and everything came back good. The spot on my lung had shrunk almost all away. The Doc was right. I can't beleive how stressful it's been for the last couple of months. I'm NED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. All thx and praise go to God!

    Thanks for the support!

     

    Doing the Happy, happy dance for you!

    That is great news...and hopefully you will hear the "all clear" words for many years to come. Glad you came back and let us know your good results - it's always encouraging to know there are success stories out there.

     

    Barbara

  • kdot2003
    kdot2003 Member Posts: 143
    #16
    Dave55 said:

    All Clear!

    Had my CT Scan today and everything came back good. The spot on my lung had shrunk almost all away. The Doc was right. I can't beleive how stressful it's been for the last couple of months. I'm NED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. All thx and praise go to God!

    Thanks for the support!

     

    WOnderful

    WOnderful Dave!!!  So happy for each and every NED!!!  There is hope :)

     

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