PET UPTAKE 2 1/2 Months after Biopsy! Cancer or not?

Hello,

I had a small BOT biopsy 2 1/2 months ago and just had a PET scan that showed BOT uptake of 4.1.

I have not been diagnosed with BOT, we're exploring as my doctor said.  I have had pain in BOT for

8 months now and had 3 CT's, Tonsillectomy and 2 small biopsies.  Should I be concerned with the 4.1 uptake.

The radiologist report says no mass noted and uptake "probably" due to biopsy.  What is everyone's opinion on

this uptake?  Should I trust the doctors or pursue more biopsies?  Is 4.1 that bad? 

 

Comments

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    Trust

    Well first and foremost... If you can't trust your MD's, you need to find other ones.., after all your life is in their hands.

    But that being said (we are not the ones to ask)..., but more than likely residual from your surgeries and treatment is a good possibility...

    What does your ENT or MD say..., they are truely the ones with the medical expertise and knowledge.

     

    Now if you don't like what they are telling you, a second opinion is never out of the question, even more opinions.

     

    Best,

    John

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    as John said

    Uptake in that range, this soon after biopsy, is almost certainly caused by the biopsy itsself.  What the PET does is use glucose, labeled with radioactive substance, to identify areas that are at higher metabolic rates than normal.  Cancer has super high metabolism.  Healing areas, or areas of inflammation, less so.  So no  surprise a biopsy area is weakly positve.

     

    Also as John said, this whole  thing is hard enough you don't have to be your own doctor.  You need simply to have doctors you trust. 

     

    be well

     

    Pat

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    as John said

    Uptake in that range, this soon after biopsy, is almost certainly caused by the biopsy itsself.  What the PET does is use glucose, labeled with radioactive substance, to identify areas that are at higher metabolic rates than normal.  Cancer has super high metabolism.  Healing areas, or areas of inflammation, less so.  So no  surprise a biopsy area is weakly positve.

     

    Also as John said, this whole  thing is hard enough you don't have to be your own doctor.  You need simply to have doctors you trust. 

     

    be well

     

    Pat

  • wellington90
    wellington90 Member Posts: 20
    Skiffin16 said:

    Trust

    Well first and foremost... If you can't trust your MD's, you need to find other ones.., after all your life is in their hands.

    But that being said (we are not the ones to ask)..., but more than likely residual from your surgeries and treatment is a good possibility...

    What does your ENT or MD say..., they are truely the ones with the medical expertise and knowledge.

     

    Now if you don't like what they are telling you, a second opinion is never out of the question, even more opinions.

     

    Best,

    John

    PET

    Hello,

    My ENT suggested thinks I should wait on biopsy.  It's been 2 1/2 months since a very (SMALL) biopsy was taking in the

    BOT area.  I have read after 8 weeks a PET is 90 % accurate and this PET was done 2 1/2 months after biopsy. 

    I'm fearful and just don't know what to do because there is still no answers to my pain.  The CT scan showed no mass, but we

    know that these scans are not very accurate in detecting smaller BOT cancers. 

    Your thoughts?

  • wellington90
    wellington90 Member Posts: 20
    Skiffin16 said:

    Trust

    Well first and foremost... If you can't trust your MD's, you need to find other ones.., after all your life is in their hands.

    But that being said (we are not the ones to ask)..., but more than likely residual from your surgeries and treatment is a good possibility...

    What does your ENT or MD say..., they are truely the ones with the medical expertise and knowledge.

     

    Now if you don't like what they are telling you, a second opinion is never out of the question, even more opinions.

     

    Best,

    John

    PET

    Hello,

    My ENT suggested thinks I should wait on biopsy.  It's been 2 1/2 months since a very (SMALL) biopsy was taking in the

    BOT area.  I have read after 8 weeks a PET is 90 % accurate and this PET was done 2 1/2 months after biopsy. 

    I'm fearful and just don't know what to do because there is still no answers to my pain.  The CT scan showed no mass, but we

    know that these scans are not very accurate in detecting smaller BOT cancers. 

    Your thoughts?

  • wellington90
    wellington90 Member Posts: 20

    as John said

    Uptake in that range, this soon after biopsy, is almost certainly caused by the biopsy itsself.  What the PET does is use glucose, labeled with radioactive substance, to identify areas that are at higher metabolic rates than normal.  Cancer has super high metabolism.  Healing areas, or areas of inflammation, less so.  So no  surprise a biopsy area is weakly positve.

     

    Also as John said, this whole  thing is hard enough you don't have to be your own doctor.  You need simply to have doctors you trust. 

     

    be well

     

    Pat

    PET

    Pat,

    So even if there was just a small biopsy taken 2 1/2 months ago, it would cause an uptake of 4.1?  The other side

    that I had my biopsy on didn't light up nor my tonsillectomy? 

  • wellington90
    wellington90 Member Posts: 20

    as John said

    Uptake in that range, this soon after biopsy, is almost certainly caused by the biopsy itsself.  What the PET does is use glucose, labeled with radioactive substance, to identify areas that are at higher metabolic rates than normal.  Cancer has super high metabolism.  Healing areas, or areas of inflammation, less so.  So no  surprise a biopsy area is weakly positve.

     

    Also as John said, this whole  thing is hard enough you don't have to be your own doctor.  You need simply to have doctors you trust. 

     

    be well

     

    Pat

    PET

    Pat,

    So even if there was just a small biopsy taken 2 1/2 months ago, it would cause an uptake of 4.1?  The other side

    that I had my biopsy on didn't light up nor my tonsillectomy? 

  • fishmanpa
    fishmanpa Member Posts: 1,227 Member

    PET

    Hello,

    My ENT suggested thinks I should wait on biopsy.  It's been 2 1/2 months since a very (SMALL) biopsy was taking in the

    BOT area.  I have read after 8 weeks a PET is 90 % accurate and this PET was done 2 1/2 months after biopsy. 

    I'm fearful and just don't know what to do because there is still no answers to my pain.  The CT scan showed no mass, but we

    know that these scans are not very accurate in detecting smaller BOT cancers. 

    Your thoughts?

    My Thoughts

    Hi Wellington,

    You've had several tests, CT scans a PET scan, a tonsillectomy done at the top cancer hospital in Alabama and several biopsies taken. Being that your surgery and biopsies were done at UAB, your surgeon would have collected samples from several areas including the BOT, and I'm sure your tonsils were examined/tested as well. You were diagnosed with Dysplasia. What your doctor said about the biopsy site being the reason the PET showed the hot area makes total sense. As you stated, he doesn't seem concerned. 

    Dysplasia, while it is an abnormal area of cell growth, is not cancer. Typically, with this diagnosis, you'll be watched closely for any changes to those areas as a very small percentage of dysplasia cases do turn ugly. 

    Based on the evidence thus far, your doctors have said you don't have cancer. I would venture to safely say that every person on this site, as well as the other oral cancer forum, would be jumping for joy if given your diagnosis! This is an excellent site for information and support. The folks here are amazing! However, one thing we're not, are diagnosticians. We can't tell you if what you have is cancer. You can ask about our symptoms till the cows come home but everyone is different and it won't get you any closer to the answers you seek. You've taken several steps in diagnosing your condition and thus far you've been told it's not cancer. If you're not satisfied with the answers you're receiving, the only alternative is to seek more opinions from the medical world.

    Good luck, positive thoughts and prayers

    "T"

  • wellington90
    wellington90 Member Posts: 20
    fishmanpa said:

    My Thoughts

    Hi Wellington,

    You've had several tests, CT scans a PET scan, a tonsillectomy done at the top cancer hospital in Alabama and several biopsies taken. Being that your surgery and biopsies were done at UAB, your surgeon would have collected samples from several areas including the BOT, and I'm sure your tonsils were examined/tested as well. You were diagnosed with Dysplasia. What your doctor said about the biopsy site being the reason the PET showed the hot area makes total sense. As you stated, he doesn't seem concerned. 

    Dysplasia, while it is an abnormal area of cell growth, is not cancer. Typically, with this diagnosis, you'll be watched closely for any changes to those areas as a very small percentage of dysplasia cases do turn ugly. 

    Based on the evidence thus far, your doctors have said you don't have cancer. I would venture to safely say that every person on this site, as well as the other oral cancer forum, would be jumping for joy if given your diagnosis! This is an excellent site for information and support. The folks here are amazing! However, one thing we're not, are diagnosticians. We can't tell you if what you have is cancer. You can ask about our symptoms till the cows come home but everyone is different and it won't get you any closer to the answers you seek. You've taken several steps in diagnosing your condition and thus far you've been told it's not cancer. If you're not satisfied with the answers you're receiving, the only alternative is to seek more opinions from the medical world.

    Good luck, positive thoughts and prayers

    "T"

    PET

    "T"

    Thank you so much for your response.  My ENT telephoned me back after closing hours and said he wanted

    to go ahead with the biopsy after telling me he thought the uptake was from the previous small biopsy.  I know

    there is no one on this site who can diagnose me, but I have actually learned more from these sites and went

    into the doctors office with more knowledge and questions.  It is good to have people to talk about this issue. 

    I'm clearly not out of the woods yet, but hopeful.   I have the symptoms, uptake, asymmetry at the base of my tongue. 

    CT's clearly have not been useful or accurate in diagnosing this condition per my ENT.  I will have the biopsy in two weeks

    and hopefully this ordeal will be over.   Thank you

  • wellington90
    wellington90 Member Posts: 20
    fishmanpa said:

    My Thoughts

    Hi Wellington,

    You've had several tests, CT scans a PET scan, a tonsillectomy done at the top cancer hospital in Alabama and several biopsies taken. Being that your surgery and biopsies were done at UAB, your surgeon would have collected samples from several areas including the BOT, and I'm sure your tonsils were examined/tested as well. You were diagnosed with Dysplasia. What your doctor said about the biopsy site being the reason the PET showed the hot area makes total sense. As you stated, he doesn't seem concerned. 

    Dysplasia, while it is an abnormal area of cell growth, is not cancer. Typically, with this diagnosis, you'll be watched closely for any changes to those areas as a very small percentage of dysplasia cases do turn ugly. 

    Based on the evidence thus far, your doctors have said you don't have cancer. I would venture to safely say that every person on this site, as well as the other oral cancer forum, would be jumping for joy if given your diagnosis! This is an excellent site for information and support. The folks here are amazing! However, one thing we're not, are diagnosticians. We can't tell you if what you have is cancer. You can ask about our symptoms till the cows come home but everyone is different and it won't get you any closer to the answers you seek. You've taken several steps in diagnosing your condition and thus far you've been told it's not cancer. If you're not satisfied with the answers you're receiving, the only alternative is to seek more opinions from the medical world.

    Good luck, positive thoughts and prayers

    "T"

    PET

    "T"

    Thank you so much for your response.  My ENT telephoned me back after closing hours and said he wanted

    to go ahead with the biopsy after telling me he thought the uptake was from the previous small biopsy.  I know

    there is no one on this site who can diagnose me, but I have actually learned more from these sites and went

    into the doctors office with more knowledge and questions.  It is good to have people to talk about this issue. 

    I'm clearly not out of the woods yet, but hopeful.   I have the symptoms, uptake, asymmetry at the base of my tongue. 

    CT's clearly have not been useful or accurate in diagnosing this condition per my ENT.  I will have the biopsy in two weeks

    and hopefully this ordeal will be over.   Thank you

  • joannaw81
    joannaw81 Member Posts: 185 Member

    as John said

    Uptake in that range, this soon after biopsy, is almost certainly caused by the biopsy itsself.  What the PET does is use glucose, labeled with radioactive substance, to identify areas that are at higher metabolic rates than normal.  Cancer has super high metabolism.  Healing areas, or areas of inflammation, less so.  So no  surprise a biopsy area is weakly positve.

     

    Also as John said, this whole  thing is hard enough you don't have to be your own doctor.  You need simply to have doctors you trust. 

     

    be well

     

    Pat

    smililar situation for my

    smililar situation for my mom, something showed on the MRI, biopsy was done and it was negative, 2 months after biopsy it showed uptake and later 4 months after no uptake, be positive but also do not ignore your other symptoms.

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member

    PET

    Pat,

    So even if there was just a small biopsy taken 2 1/2 months ago, it would cause an uptake of 4.1?  The other side

    that I had my biopsy on didn't light up nor my tonsillectomy? 

    Two Months...

    Actually 2 1/2 months isn't that long after treatment, the odds of having resdiual show up is a lot greater than 4+ months. It's also not uncommon at all, many here have had residual show up on early scans only to have good scans a few months later..

    John

  • wellington90
    wellington90 Member Posts: 20
    Skiffin16 said:

    Two Months...

    Actually 2 1/2 months isn't that long after treatment, the odds of having resdiual show up is a lot greater than 4+ months. It's also not uncommon at all, many here have had residual show up on early scans only to have good scans a few months later..

    John

    No treatment

    I haven't been diagnosed or had treatment, just had a small biopsy.  I have not been diagnosed with cancer. 

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member

    No treatment

    I haven't been diagnosed or had treatment, just had a small biopsy.  I have not been diagnosed with cancer. 

    I would presume, just the scarring and healing tissue from the biopsy in that area could produce enough to still be showing on a PET is what I meant...