Pet scans what to believe.

jtebo1955
jtebo1955 Member Posts: 46
in Esophageal Cancer #1
Hi everyone, I haven't been on in awhile and hesitate to write now. But here goes. I've been feeling crappy all summer and was getting worse so went to my Onc last week. Lots of abdominal pain. He orders PET scan on Friday morning. Friday evening the office calls to say I have a partial bowel obstruction..go to ER if I get bad. Ok, so Sat I feel bad go to er they get a copy of scan..NO Cancer! Great news! Just a blockage they will remove on Monday! Right? Easy as pie. Nope..did have blockage BUT Cancer is all over in there. That's twice I've had clean scans and then surgery showed it was there. Anyway I'm hopeful, I figure it's probably been there all along and maybe it will be quiet for a bit. Not sure what Onc will do now. I figure since it's small little pieces here and there, a little chemo will hold off the wolfs for a bit longer. Good news .I guess.. At least I know now. Feeling much better without blockage.

Comments

  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,392 Member
    #2
    I am sorry to hear the results of your surgery

    I am very sorry to hear they found a recurrence during your surgery. Many people feel that a PET scan is the “gold standard” for finding cancer; but there is disagreement in the medical community about the value of PET scans vs. CT scans, and other tests. I think the bottom line is, if you are not feeling well and you are a cancer survivor, it needs to be investigated. My oncologist is a fan of yearly CT scans and endoscopies. When I have had mine and they come back as “no evidence of disease”, I think; well at least they did not find anything obvious, but I know the limitation of those tests.

     I assume your surgeon took a biopsy of what he believed to be cancer and your oncologist will have the results of the surgical pathology and biopsy. I hope you oncologist has a positive plan for treatment. I am glad the blockage is cleared and you are feeling better. 

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams

    McCormick, South Carolina
    DX 10/2009 T2N1M0  Stage IIB - Ivor Lewis Surgery  12/3/2009 - Post Surgery Chemotherapy 2/2009 – 6/2009
    Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU - Three Year Survivor

     

  • jtebo1955
    jtebo1955 Member Posts: 46
    #3
    paul61 said:

    I am sorry to hear the results of your surgery

    I am very sorry to hear they found a recurrence during your surgery. Many people feel that a PET scan is the “gold standard” for finding cancer; but there is disagreement in the medical community about the value of PET scans vs. CT scans, and other tests. I think the bottom line is, if you are not feeling well and you are a cancer survivor, it needs to be investigated. My oncologist is a fan of yearly CT scans and endoscopies. When I have had mine and they come back as “no evidence of disease”, I think; well at least they did not find anything obvious, but I know the limitation of those tests.

     I assume your surgeon took a biopsy of what he believed to be cancer and your oncologist will have the results of the surgical pathology and biopsy. I hope you oncologist has a positive plan for treatment. I am glad the blockage is cleared and you are feeling better. 

    Best Regards,

    Paul Adams

    McCormick, South Carolina
    DX 10/2009 T2N1M0  Stage IIB - Ivor Lewis Surgery  12/3/2009 - Post Surgery Chemotherapy 2/2009 – 6/2009
    Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU - Three Year Survivor

     

    Thanks Paul, you are always
    Thanks Paul, you are always so thoughtful in your replies. I am feeling much better. I see my Onc. Today. I've done some reading on mets to the intestines and it seems very rare, of course it is what it is. The pathology did show it was esophagus cancer. Hoping for the best. Thanks for the reply. Take care.

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