Recurrence question

Judemo

How does a gyn/onc determine a recurrence of cancer that is showing a spot lighting up on the pelvic wall?  Do you have to have surgery for them to bx the area that is lighting up on the scan?  Or is it assumed that if it's lighting up on a PET scan that it is definately cancer?  Then can they just do radiation to treat the area lighting up without actually bx it or having surgery first? 

ccfighter

Hi judemo,
 
it it is hard to

Hi judemo,

 

it it is hard to say since any of these options are used.  If the area is easy to biopsy they may do that to confirm.  If the scan shows a small questionable spot they may choose a wait and watch approach and rescan in a few months.  If it seems like the spot is obviously a recurrence they may go straight to treatment with chemo or chemo /radiation or just radiation.  I had a lung nodule show up on my post treatment pet/ct that was small and had an sub of 1.1.  My onc wanted to wait and rescan.  After 2 months it appeared stable and 2 months after that it had grown so it was cancer, since cancer grows.  I then had it surgically removed.

 

how long have you been in remission?  Do you have a copy of the radiology report from your scan?  I hope everything turns out benign.  Hugs to you.

Judemo

ccfighter said:

Hi judemo,
 
it it is hard to

Hi judemo,

 

it it is hard to say since any of these options are used.  If the area is easy to biopsy they may do that to confirm.  If the scan shows a small questionable spot they may choose a wait and watch approach and rescan in a few months.  If it seems like the spot is obviously a recurrence they may go straight to treatment with chemo or chemo /radiation or just radiation.  I had a lung nodule show up on my post treatment pet/ct that was small and had an sub of 1.1.  My onc wanted to wait and rescan.  After 2 months it appeared stable and 2 months after that it had grown so it was cancer, since cancer grows.  I then had it surgically removed.

 

how long have you been in remission?  Do you have a copy of the radiology report from your scan?  I hope everything turns out benign.  Hugs to you.

Thank you CCfighter

Thank you ccfighter for taking the time to reply to my question and for giving me a very informed and helpful answer.    I haven't been on here in a while since I started a new job and have been so overwhelmed with working and family issues.  I am in the process of finding out about my recurrence and trying to figure things out.  I'm so overwhelmed and tired all the time.  How are you?  I will check back .  Thanks again for your caring. 

NoTimeForCancer

Judemo said:

Thank you CCfighter

Thank you ccfighter for taking the time to reply to my question and for giving me a very informed and helpful answer.    I haven't been on here in a while since I started a new job and have been so overwhelmed with working and family issues.  I am in the process of finding out about my recurrence and trying to figure things out.  I'm so overwhelmed and tired all the time.  How are you?  I will check back .  Thanks again for your caring. 

Judemo, I couldn't have been

Judemo, I couldn't have been any assistance, so I didn't answer but you do ask a good question.  I think ccfighter, who is always so helpful, helped me but also raises a question.

I asked my gyn/onc what would we be looking for and was told nauseau, diarhea, vomiting, but those things are for recurrence in the bowel area.  As she had something on her lung that a scan found, "we" don't know that if we don't feel it.  AND we don't know THE question we should be asking? 

I have a friend who was in a cc survivor telling her doctor she was in pain and they didn't listen to her and by the time they saw the recurrence it was too late and we are going to lose another fabulous woman. 

I am just going to have to find a different way to ask....like others, even after 2 1/2 years I wonder if this little pain or that body reaction is something to worry about or just a stupid hiccup.

I have never been a hypochondriac but since cancer I ask myself if it is something I should be following up on or not.

ccfighter

Judemo said:

Thank you CCfighter

Thank you ccfighter for taking the time to reply to my question and for giving me a very informed and helpful answer.    I haven't been on here in a while since I started a new job and have been so overwhelmed with working and family issues.  I am in the process of finding out about my recurrence and trying to figure things out.  I'm so overwhelmed and tired all the time.  How are you?  I will check back .  Thanks again for your caring. 

Judemo,
 
it it sounds like

Judemo,

 

it it sounds like you have a lot going on.  i hope that you like your new job.  I am doing well, thanks for asking.  Kids are on summer break from school so very busy with swim teams, baseball games and such.  I struggle with a few treatment related side effects such as small bowel obstructions, but overall doing just great.  Hugs to you.  Keep us updated.  We are all sending you positive energy for a good outcome.

Kaleena

Does not mean its cancer

I have had a soft tissue mass for over several years now.   It recently was growing slowly and went up to 6 x 2.1 cm then slowed again.   Part of it lights up on a PET Scan.   It started out at an SUV reading of 2.8 and I have had 5 PEt scans in the past year and a half.  The reading is now at a 3.4.    They still don't think it is cancer, but scar tissue.   I had part of it biopsied but it was the part that wasn't lighting up but it was negative and said it was connective tissue.   The PET report says that I have mild to moderate avidity.   I have been on a wait and see approach since it isn't anywhere else so no type of treatment.   It is however affecting my ureter and I do have a ureter stent which needs replaced every 3 months since August of 2014.

I have just discussed getting an implant surgery for the ureter so that I don't have to have the stent replacements anymore.   They will not remove the mass due to where it is at.  However, after my most recent discussion with both my urologist and now my gyne/onc, my gyne onc wants to assist with the implant surgery because at that time they will do a biopsy on the part of the mass that is lighting up so that they can rule out recurrence.   If it is cancer, then they may remove it then but it is a bigger surgery.

Hope everything else is well with you.

Kathy

Judemo

Kaleena said:

Does not mean its cancer

I have had a soft tissue mass for over several years now.   It recently was growing slowly and went up to 6 x 2.1 cm then slowed again.   Part of it lights up on a PET Scan.   It started out at an SUV reading of 2.8 and I have had 5 PEt scans in the past year and a half.  The reading is now at a 3.4.    They still don't think it is cancer, but scar tissue.   I had part of it biopsied but it was the part that wasn't lighting up but it was negative and said it was connective tissue.   The PET report says that I have mild to moderate avidity.   I have been on a wait and see approach since it isn't anywhere else so no type of treatment.   It is however affecting my ureter and I do have a ureter stent which needs replaced every 3 months since August of 2014.

I have just discussed getting an implant surgery for the ureter so that I don't have to have the stent replacements anymore.   They will not remove the mass due to where it is at.  However, after my most recent discussion with both my urologist and now my gyne/onc, my gyne onc wants to assist with the implant surgery because at that time they will do a biopsy on the part of the mass that is lighting up so that they can rule out recurrence.   If it is cancer, then they may remove it then but it is a bigger surgery.

Hope everything else is well with you.

Kathy

Sorry for such a late reply!

Thank you ladies for your helpful responses!  Sorry im so tardy in getting a thank you out to you guys!  You are all amazing women!  CCFighter, NoTime and Kaleena, you truly are troupers and so helpful to others here on this website!  Thanks for all the help you give to others!

Kathy, what did you decide on the ureter implant surgery?

Kaleena

Judemo said:

Sorry for such a late reply!

Thank you ladies for your helpful responses!  Sorry im so tardy in getting a thank you out to you guys!  You are all amazing women!  CCFighter, NoTime and Kaleena, you truly are troupers and so helpful to others here on this website!  Thanks for all the help you give to others!

Kathy, what did you decide on the ureter implant surgery?

Getting surgery

my current urologist wants to wait to see my PET scan in November and then do surgery.  However in the meantime I met with my gyne/onc and now he wants to be at the surgery so that he can biopsy the mass when they are in there to finally determine the status of the mass.  The only thing I forgot to ask us what if the mass is positive?   Will they remove it?   I have a big meeting with the new urologist and my gyne/onc in November. So I will ask then

last week had stent replaced again.  Although this time I am having more discomfort with it than I have had.  It usually goes away one or two days.  It's almost a week.  I am going to have some type of surgery and due to my insurance I want to have it before the end of year because I have met my deductible and new rates will apply in January

i will let you know when I find out more

 

my best to you!

 

Kathy