What do y'all think?

nursesheri
nursesheri Member Posts: 50
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I secretly checked the results of my last CT (and only the second scan since dx), and read that there was a 3mm (very tiny) spot on my left upper lobe. When the onc. gave me the results over the phone, he didn't mention it. Maybe he thinks the chemo will take care of it (I've only had one tx so far), didn't think it was big enough to mention, or just didn't want to scare me. Any thoughts? Or am I just being paranoid?

Comments

  • AnneCan
    AnneCan Member Posts: 3,673 Member
    #2
    Sheri
    Hi Sheri,

    3mm is very small. I would ask the doctor about it for piece of mind. He might not even think it is cancer - sometimes it is hard to know what these doctors are thinking unless we ask. Good luck!
  • Left Coaster
    Left Coaster Member Posts: 25
    #3
    AnneCan said:

    Sheri
    Hi Sheri,

    3mm is very small. I would ask the doctor about it for piece of mind. He might not even think it is cancer - sometimes it is hard to know what these doctors are thinking unless we ask. Good luck!

    What does the radiologist think of it?
    Does the radiologist think that it is suspicious? It sounds like you read the radiologist's report. Either way I would bring it up to the Dr. I ask a lot of questions of my Dr.
  • Patteee
    Patteee Member Posts: 945
    #4
    upper left lobe? lung or
    upper left lobe? lung or liver?

    I had several spots, all quite small on my lung, that they have just watched over the last several years. The radiologist has never thought they were anything hardly mentioning. Turns out the bout of pneumonia that I had years ago probably left these places. I agree that the radiologist is the one who puts the question in there or suspicions about the spots, did s/he indicate anything on the report? I think it is interesting the detail that shows up on the CT, from prior surgeries to kidney stones (that I had no clue that I even had), to the clips in place where my gallbladder used to live.
  • Smethport
    Smethport Member Posts: 15
    #5
    Patteee said:

    upper left lobe? lung or
    upper left lobe? lung or liver?

    I had several spots, all quite small on my lung, that they have just watched over the last several years. The radiologist has never thought they were anything hardly mentioning. Turns out the bout of pneumonia that I had years ago probably left these places. I agree that the radiologist is the one who puts the question in there or suspicions about the spots, did s/he indicate anything on the report? I think it is interesting the detail that shows up on the CT, from prior surgeries to kidney stones (that I had no clue that I even had), to the clips in place where my gallbladder used to live.

    Found on CT scans
    I had some calcified plaques found on my first CT scan after surgery and my doc thought that they were scars from pneumonia that I use to get when I was young. It also showed a kidney stone and I am getting sound wave lithotripsy for that soon. The thing that I am worried about is that the CT scan showed a multinodular thyroid. Saw an ENT yesterday and he said "yes, there is definitely something there". I am having a lot thyroid blood work and thyroid ultrasound next week. Had some kind of lamp treatment when I was about 15 for acne on the neck from a fur collar on my winter coat, so that is a great risk factor for thyroid ca. That was a long time ago, 50 years or so, and that is how they treated it.

    I know I am jumping the gun, but the thought of having another kind of cancer, sends me into orbit. Anyone else have thyroid problems? Need some input on your experiences.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #6
    It's good to have access to info,
    As long as you know how to read the report. Radiologists are trained to read the reports...so, did you see the report itself?

    I know it's hard, as a healthcare provider yourself, to be a patient, but I think you should....if you second guess your treating doc, then maybe you should find one that you trust more.

    MY philosophy is to let the experts deal with it. My beau is a doctor, so he has access to any and all of his results. He says 'No, I'll wait to talk to my doc, he knows more than I do, having seen many more than just me!'

    My 2 cents!

    Hugs, Kathi
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #7
    KathiM said:

    It's good to have access to info,
    As long as you know how to read the report. Radiologists are trained to read the reports...so, did you see the report itself?

    I know it's hard, as a healthcare provider yourself, to be a patient, but I think you should....if you second guess your treating doc, then maybe you should find one that you trust more.

    MY philosophy is to let the experts deal with it. My beau is a doctor, so he has access to any and all of his results. He says 'No, I'll wait to talk to my doc, he knows more than I do, having seen many more than just me!'

    My 2 cents!

    Hugs, Kathi

    Agreed
    I agree with Kathi. I'm not a radiologist or a doctor so I do now know what is normal and what isn't. I've seen my scans before and much of it looks the same to an untrained eye. There's "stuff" that is in there that is normal but looks similar to "stuff" that isn't.
    -p
    You're up to $0.04
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #8
    PhillieG said:

    Agreed
    I agree with Kathi. I'm not a radiologist or a doctor so I do now know what is normal and what isn't. I've seen my scans before and much of it looks the same to an untrained eye. There's "stuff" that is in there that is normal but looks similar to "stuff" that isn't.
    -p
    You're up to $0.04

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #9
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Up to 6 cents...ROFL
    Graci, I am a bit concerned about what you were saying about the clot. The Coumadin is not only for that, but also to make sure other clots don't happen. My beau takes it, and although I don't like it much, I don't like the idea of a stroke even more...

    There is a new drug in The Netherlands that doesn't require the same blood testing, etc...I'm not sure of it's name, but I can ask a Dutch friend of mine who is taking it if you would like. Let me know....

    Hugs, Kathi
  • herdizziness
    herdizziness Member Posts: 3,624 Member
    #10
    Small spot on lung
    My onc also had mentioned to me at my last appointment that a small spot was seen on my CT in my lung, but they wouldn't know anything until they did a biopsy and he wasn't concerned about doing it anytime soon. Something he said to deal with after the colon and liver.
    I told him, it was probably from when I was young and very ill with a high fever, that I thought it was probably scarring.
    So truthfully, I'm not concerned about it at this point.
    If it is, then it will be dealt with eventually, I don't have my head stuck in the sand, but I'm going mentally believing it's scarring, gives me more piece of mind at the moment.
  • ketziah35
    ketziah35 Member Posts: 1,145
    #11
    Perspectives
    2.54 centimeters is one inch. Therefore 25.4 mm is one inch.

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