post treatment - how long till you noticed cancerous swollen lymph nodes totally disappear

dclear14
dclear14 Member Posts: 36
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Hello,

My husband finished his chemo/rads on April 2nd, 2012. Doctors seem happy when they clinically feel his lymph nodes, but he won't get the pet scan until July. The node we can physically feel is the one they took the biopsy from and where the cancer was initially found. Did anyone else notice their lymph nodes "hanging around" awhile post treatment?

Comments

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #2
    Disappeared...
    I had a secondary tumor (lymhnode) that completely disappeared during chemo...

    Out of curiosity, it seems they would have performed a dissection to remove the affected lymhnodes, especially with them being visible swollen.

    Not sure, and I'm definitely not a professional concerning.

    Thoughts and Prayers for success on your upcoming scans.

    Best,
    John
  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #3
    I don't think lymph nodes
    I don't think lymph nodes disappear after chem/rt. They may decrease in size to the point you can no longer feel them but that is about it.
    John
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #4
    jtl said:

    I don't think lymph nodes
    I don't think lymph nodes disappear after chem/rt. They may decrease in size to the point you can no longer feel them but that is about it.
    John

    OK...
    To be more specific, LOL...the tumor was gone and hasn't shown on any scan in the past three years.

    You're probably correct, I'm sure the lymphnode is still there as I had no neck dissection....then it would have disappeard.

    I'm pretty sure the original question was mainly referring to the tumor being gone, and "disappearing" as in not being noticeable. Not necessarily actually disappearing or vanishing.

    JG
  • dclear14
    dclear14 Member Posts: 36
    #5
    Skiffin16 said:

    OK...
    To be more specific, LOL...the tumor was gone and hasn't shown on any scan in the past three years.

    You're probably correct, I'm sure the lymphnode is still there as I had no neck dissection....then it would have disappeard.

    I'm pretty sure the original question was mainly referring to the tumor being gone, and "disappearing" as in not being noticeable. Not necessarily actually disappearing or vanishing.

    JG

    lymph node
    The doctors determined that it is best to do chemo/rads and that usually takes care of the cancer. They feel that it is better to save surgery after only if anything is left behind that they don't like. There is too much risk of damaging the area in the neck with surgery.
  • Tim6003
    Tim6003 Member Posts: 1,514 Member
    #6
    dclear14 said:

    lymph node
    The doctors determined that it is best to do chemo/rads and that usually takes care of the cancer. They feel that it is better to save surgery after only if anything is left behind that they don't like. There is too much risk of damaging the area in the neck with surgery.

    My experience
    ...my experience...

    My Base of Tongue cancer Stage III 2 cm large ....left lymph node involved (3cmm large) ...I had radiation and Erbitux treatments (not traditional chemo as in plantinum and no surgery) ...EVERY NIGHT I would feel my lymph node and say "why is it not shrinking" ....then just at the very end it began to shrink .....mine is just a TINY little lump now ....my PET / CT scan May 7th came back all clear and my scopt from my ENT May 10th same ....docs say it's not uncommon for the lympn node to have some scar tissue as well....

    Every person is different ...so don't dwell on it too much (I know, easy to say)...I think you said yours was HPV + and my oncs said that type cancer just melts under the radiation :)

    Whispered a prayer for you as I posted this that all goes well..... :)

    Chin up!

    Tim / Idaho
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #7
    dclear
    I also only had C&R w/biopsy on the top of the two enlarged nodes. As Tim noted, we are all different. I'm NPC w/unknown Primary, and watched the swelling of my two nodes become less and less over the last 6 weeks of treatment. The nodes are still there, and can feel the top one if I really try, I think, but it doesn't stick out like they did when I had C. Your husband still has the node- the question is: is there still swelling to the node? All my swelling was visably gone before treatment ended; however, it is possible to the touch it was still a little swollen, compared to how it is now. I wouldn't be too concerned if it is barely distinguishable. Do monitor it, though.

    kcass
  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #8
    Skiffin16 said:

    OK...
    To be more specific, LOL...the tumor was gone and hasn't shown on any scan in the past three years.

    You're probably correct, I'm sure the lymphnode is still there as I had no neck dissection....then it would have disappeard.

    I'm pretty sure the original question was mainly referring to the tumor being gone, and "disappearing" as in not being noticeable. Not necessarily actually disappearing or vanishing.

    JG

    I understod your post but
    I understood your post but some of us had cancer in a lymph node but not a tumor. In my case the node was removed for biopsy. I just wanted to clarify to the OP that just because they can feel a node does not mean they still have cancer. Perhaps like yourself.
    John
  • phrannie51
    phrannie51 Member Posts: 4,716
    #9
    Kent Cass said:

    dclear
    I also only had C&R w/biopsy on the top of the two enlarged nodes. As Tim noted, we are all different. I'm NPC w/unknown Primary, and watched the swelling of my two nodes become less and less over the last 6 weeks of treatment. The nodes are still there, and can feel the top one if I really try, I think, but it doesn't stick out like they did when I had C. Your husband still has the node- the question is: is there still swelling to the node? All my swelling was visably gone before treatment ended; however, it is possible to the touch it was still a little swollen, compared to how it is now. I wouldn't be too concerned if it is barely distinguishable. Do monitor it, though.

    kcass

    My big node on the side of my neck....
    about the size of the ball inside a gold ball, has shrunk down to barely able to feel in the 3 1/2 weeks of rads....it's my only viable, visible sign that my cancer is being kicked in the butt.

    p
  • Greend
    Greend Member Posts: 678
    #10
    last week of treatment
    My lymph node did ot go down until the last week of treatment. I wonder why this is typing in red?

    Denny
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #11
    Greend said:

    last week of treatment
    My lymph node did ot go down until the last week of treatment. I wonder why this is typing in red?

    Denny

    Couldn't Resist
    You know I couldn't resist Denny.....

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