Biopsy positive but PET negative

Tribes
Tribes Member Posts: 4
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
 

Posts: 1
Joined: Jul 2016
Jul 06, 2016 - 6:22 pm





Hi folks, brand new to this group. 12 days ago was scoped and the mass was found. Surgery to remote it and biopsy done. Was told that I had stage 1, ordered a whole body PET scan with additional head and neck and set up an appointment for this Friday with a radiation oncologist. I had the PET scan yesterday and picked up the CD and report a few hours ago. Negative. No activity anywhere. BOT negative for any abnormal metabolic activity. Is that possible? Anyone know what that means?

 

Comments

  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #2
    welcome

    Tribes,

    Welcome to the H&N forum, sorry that you are here, but you sound pretty good.

    You are stage 1, so I believe they found cancer and you had surgery to remove it.  Since then you had a PET and it turned up no additional areas of activity.  It is possible that they removed all the cancer, it does happen.

    Now, they (YOU) will decide if treatments beyond surgery is warranted.  Being that it was stage 1, they might recommend a wait and see approach.  They will keep very close tabs on you for a period of time until you are clear of more cancer.

    Or they might suggest more, to be  sure.

    A wait and see approach is certainly a good choice.

    To get a bigger response you may want to start a new thread.  you did!

    Matt

  • Tribes
    Tribes Member Posts: 4
    #3
    CivilMatt said:

    welcome

    Tribes,

    Welcome to the H&N forum, sorry that you are here, but you sound pretty good.

    You are stage 1, so I believe they found cancer and you had surgery to remove it.  Since then you had a PET and it turned up no additional areas of activity.  It is possible that they removed all the cancer, it does happen.

    Now, they (YOU) will decide if treatments beyond surgery is warranted.  Being that it was stage 1, they might recommend a wait and see approach.  They will keep very close tabs on you for a period of time until you are clear of more cancer.

    Or they might suggest more, to be  sure.

    A wait and see approach is certainly a good choice.

    To get a bigger response you may want to start a new thread.  you did!

    Matt

    Thanks Matt. I couldn't

    Thanks Matt. I couldn't understand a positive biopsy and a negative PET scan.  

  • wmc
    wmc Member Posts: 1,804
    #4
    Welcome to H&N group

    You caught it early with it only stage 1. 

    Matt explained perfectly that is was removed and the PET showed there is nothing left of it. Congratulations.

    Bill

  • Tribes
    Tribes Member Posts: 4
    edited July 2016 #5
    wmc said:

    Welcome to H&N group

    You caught it early with it only stage 1. 

    Matt explained perfectly that is was removed and the PET showed there is nothing left of it. Congratulations.

    Bill

    Thx Bill

    Meeting with the RO tomorrow for the first time. We will see what he says. I'll keep you posted. Cheers

  • slk2015
    slk2015 Member Posts: 54
    #6
    Just removing the mass

    I asked on a different thread about people who had had partial glossectomies and partial neck dissections but no radiation or chemo.  I had stage 2 tongue.  The mass was removed, along with lymph nodes.  The lymph nodes were negative for cancer.  Now, I have cat scans every six months or so to check for any new masses, etc.  My ENT wanted to do a CT-PET scan, but I am diabetic and could not keep my blood sugars in range to do the test.  My oncologist just went with the CAT scans because of this.

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