Another ambiguous scan

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NikiMo
NikiMo Member Posts: 342
in Esophageal Cancer #1
Hi folks,

I had posted that Jeff's 5 month post-op scan was yesterday, we got the results today. Again the scan mentions something in the lungs. The thing in the lung they saw last time is stable and not changing, but there is a new nodule. This time the oncologist thinks Jeff should get a PET/CT in two months to see if there are any changes, He really didn"t seem too concerned, said that the radiologists find every small thing, but this time we should look a little closer.

Any vetererans out there go through anything like this?

Niki

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  • sangora
    sangora Member Posts: 213
    #2
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    The Lungs
    I am getting the sense that the lungs are an animal of their own. When I was first Dx. they found 4 nodules in my lungs. We watched them for 4 months or so and nothing changed. At first they assumed it was mets. After 4 months, the take was that they may have been there for a long time and not significant. On my last CT last month, they were still there with no change from the beginning but the scan picked up shadows in my right lung, so we thought and the radiologist said might be trouble. Might not. I have had 2 x rays and the lungs are clear. Now the oncologist is saying the scan may have picked up fluid from aspiration or something but there is nothing there now. I have been having alot of drooly stuff. My point is, don't stress yet. Look at the PET and the next scan. It may be gone. Sam Stage IV.
  • TerryV
    TerryV Member Posts: 887
    #3
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    This is close to home.....
    I don't know that I ever really posted the results of Nick's first scan. I was so wanting a 100% clean scan, that the hurt of not getting it and the fact that "saying it out loud makes it true" (odd, I know, but that's how I feel sometimes) made me not want to put too much into black and white text.

    What I'm trying to say is that Nick also had a "new" nodule showing in his 1st CT scan. The surgeon said no worries, I think we've seen that node before. You're a poster boy and all is good. See you in 6 months. The Oncologist 2 weeks later said hmmmm, a new node. Too small to biopsy, too early to tell. CT in 3 months.

    I went from "lite" concern to not breathing again. Nick, thank God, takes it all in stride. He's focused on what the surgeon said, and that all is good. Praying it's so.

    For what it's worth, I've got a friend that has had enlarged nodes followed in his lungs for the past 4 years. No change, so no worries. His story helped me take another breath. Your comments have done the same for me, Sam. Hoping, Praying, that "no change, no worries" is true for us too. And for you and Jeff, Niki. And continues for you as well, Sam.

    I don't know that I've brought anything new to the table, Niki. But you've given me a chance to share my fears.

    Love & Hugs to you all!

    Terry
  • Donna70
    Donna70 Member Posts: 852 Member
    #4
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    TerryV said:

    This is close to home.....
    I don't know that I ever really posted the results of Nick's first scan. I was so wanting a 100% clean scan, that the hurt of not getting it and the fact that "saying it out loud makes it true" (odd, I know, but that's how I feel sometimes) made me not want to put too much into black and white text.

    What I'm trying to say is that Nick also had a "new" nodule showing in his 1st CT scan. The surgeon said no worries, I think we've seen that node before. You're a poster boy and all is good. See you in 6 months. The Oncologist 2 weeks later said hmmmm, a new node. Too small to biopsy, too early to tell. CT in 3 months.

    I went from "lite" concern to not breathing again. Nick, thank God, takes it all in stride. He's focused on what the surgeon said, and that all is good. Praying it's so.

    For what it's worth, I've got a friend that has had enlarged nodes followed in his lungs for the past 4 years. No change, so no worries. His story helped me take another breath. Your comments have done the same for me, Sam. Hoping, Praying, that "no change, no worries" is true for us too. And for you and Jeff, Niki. And continues for you as well, Sam.

    I don't know that I've brought anything new to the table, Niki. But you've given me a chance to share my fears.

    Love & Hugs to you all!

    Terry

    have multiple nodes but been there
    Hi Nikki,
    Nodules are wierd. My husband no cancer has had a nodule in his lung that was scanned several times no change. I had multiple nodes in both lungs 5 yrs before my EC and they actually shrunk from the chemo and radiation. Now I still have these nodules and they never said too much about them until I had pneumonia and was found to have permanent damage to my lungs and some fibrosis from radiation and atelectasis which always is on my scans. They told me they are watching all the nodules and so far no change. I have seen a lot of people have nodules that don't turn into anything and mine are from really bad bouts of pneumonia. Hoping this is a case of harmless nodules, will keep Jeff in my prayers and you too.
    Donna70
  • Mary Pat
    Mary Pat Member Posts: 9
    #5
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    CT scan
    Hi there,
    for what it is worth, Rick has had tiny spots in his lung from the start when diagnosed with stage IV in Oct 2008. They continued to monitor these spots for at least four or five CTs and have since ignored them as they did not change. Our Onc said the CT is so sensitive it will show too much sometimes and these spots have probably always been in his lungs. The original lesion in the liver has never showed up again. After second round of chemo in January 2009. Unfortunately they never change the staging even though there seems to be no mets for three years.
    Try to live in the "now". god bless.
    Mary Pat
    Wife of Rick
    DX 10/08 stage IV
    Mets to liver
  • NikiMo
    NikiMo Member Posts: 342
    #6
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    Thank you
    Thanks all for replying. You would think that by now I would be comfortable with not having cut and dry black and white answers. Cancer is anything but predictable, and we have been down this road before with questionable scans. I am going to try very hard to not obsess over this for the next two months. Jeff is in good spirits and I should follow suit. He is back to work, started a new job that is less stressful, and we have every Sunday together. I feel lucky that we have come as far as we have, I will try robot let the fear of recurrence rule me. There are number of reasons for a nodule, I am hoping and praying for one of the benign reasons. The positive is that all other organs and lymph nodes appear to be nice and clean. And again the oncologist was not overly alarmed,he has been right before about two suspicious nodes which were removed during surgery and were clear.

    Terry, I completely understand not wanting to put it in writing. When the first scan came back with the lung anomaly Erica wrote to me and asked for details since she is in imaging. It was areally nice offer to provide feedback, but I declined because I didn't want to put it in writing. Silly, but after months of feeling tortured by uncertainty I just couldn't deal. Keep up your positive attitude, I am trying very hard to do that over here.

    Niki
  • Janet Runge
    Janet Runge Member Posts: 34
    #7
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    Jeff scan
    Niki,
    I had to reply to you because Charlie just went through this same thng and it was aspiration pneumonia spots seen on last PET done 12/29/11. He was put on antibiotics and then just had a chest ultra sound which showed improvement with one spot gone and the other significantly decreased. Our Oncologists had extensively researched this and is convinced it is aspiration due to coughing and gagging and the fact that his stomach is very close to the junction of the trachea to the lungs. He says this is will probably happen often

    I know how this makes you(me,too) crazy the waiting. Hope this helps

    Janet
  • NikiMo
    NikiMo Member Posts: 342
    #8
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    Janet Runge said:

    Jeff scan
    Niki,
    I had to reply to you because Charlie just went through this same thng and it was aspiration pneumonia spots seen on last PET done 12/29/11. He was put on antibiotics and then just had a chest ultra sound which showed improvement with one spot gone and the other significantly decreased. Our Oncologists had extensively researched this and is convinced it is aspiration due to coughing and gagging and the fact that his stomach is very close to the junction of the trachea to the lungs. He says this is will probably happen often

    I know how this makes you(me,too) crazy the waiting. Hope this helps

    Janet

    Janet
    Hi Janet,

    Did Charlie have a follow up scan, or did he only have one scan? I am just a little alarmed because the oncologist wants to wait until April (4/16) to have a PET scan (he had the CT scan on 2/13). I am just a bit nervous waiting that long, and the radiologist wrote could be early metastisis on the report. Did Charlie's report elude to anything scary like that or did the radiologist think it was aspiration spots? Jeff did have a very bad infection at the end of December (he was septic and in the hospital for 7 days, but that was in his blood) but I do wonder if it could come from that?

    Thanks for responding, and if you wouldn't mind sharing the timeline of Charlie's scan. SOOO glad to hear he is doing well and it is not EC!!!!!!!

    Niki
  • Janet Runge
    Janet Runge Member Posts: 34
    #9
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    NikiMo said:

    Janet
    Hi Janet,

    Did Charlie have a follow up scan, or did he only have one scan? I am just a little alarmed because the oncologist wants to wait until April (4/16) to have a PET scan (he had the CT scan on 2/13). I am just a bit nervous waiting that long, and the radiologist wrote could be early metastisis on the report. Did Charlie's report elude to anything scary like that or did the radiologist think it was aspiration spots? Jeff did have a very bad infection at the end of December (he was septic and in the hospital for 7 days, but that was in his blood) but I do wonder if it could come from that?

    Thanks for responding, and if you wouldn't mind sharing the timeline of Charlie's scan. SOOO glad to hear he is doing well and it is not EC!!!!!!!

    Niki

    Niki
    How you doing?
    Charlie had his 2nd PET scan since surgery in May on 12/29/11. That is when the 2 spots where first noticed. The radilogist described the spots as Inflammatory on the report and our oncologist wanted to wait until the first part of March to rescan. This did not sit well with me and I conviced him to scan again on Feb 6th. Charlie was on a 10day round of antibiotic. Scan on feb6 was a chest Ultrasound and showed clearing.

    Niki, I would not like the waiting myself - any way you could do an earlier scan?

    Hope this helps! I know how hard this is. You just want to keep a normal balance in your life.

    take care Janet

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