my own scan fear

rachel12yrsuv
rachel12yrsuv Member Posts: 435
in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Hey guys, Sorry for another post, but your all so good at making anxiety go away. Whe I had pnuemonia in December 2012, they did ct-scan and it showed spots on both lungs that they were pretty sure was from the pnuemonia. I have to get a follow up chest ct-scan at 3 months and that is here, will get script on dr appt 3/12, I had chest xray 1 month after to see if phuemonia had cleared and doc called and said chest xray was clear. Question is, I know ct is more extensive a test, but shouldn't an xray show something if still there. I am getting ct scan no mAtter what, but would love to hear yes a shadow would show or something, so I could approach this witout anxiety....HELP Rachel

Comments

  • Ladylacy
    Ladylacy Member Posts: 773 Member
    #2
    Chest X-ray

    When my husband has his PET/CT in September it showed fluid around the bottom half of his right lung (told this was probably from his second round of radiation which was fined on 7/2/12).  The oncologist said we would follow up with another CT scan in 6 weeks and he wanted the fluid drained from the lung, well our other oncologist didn't feel a CT was necessary, that a chest x-ray would be fine.  My husband elected not to have the fluid drain to wait a month and see what happened.    No one said anything about nodules showing up.  My husband had the 2 follow up chest x-rays and we were told everything was good and the fluid was gone.  Then in late January he had his PET/CT scan.  Well he then had to have a needle biopsy of his right lung (spot was in a place that a bronoscope wouldn't reach) and it turns out it is cancer.  It was explained to us that when very small, nothing will pick it up.  And the chest x-rays did not pick up the spot on his lung so I would say CT scan with contrast is what you need.  If we had known about the spot that was very small but had grown over the last few PET/CT scans, we would have had the follow up CT scan in 6 weeks like the first oncologist wanted to do.  Better to be safe than sorry.

    Sharon

  • yensid683
    yensid683 Member Posts: 349
    #3
    CT is much more revealing

    I understand your concern, I too would have thought that a x-ray would show if there were problems.  In 2011 I had a chronic cough problem and saw my primary, who put me on a course of anti biotics that targets pneumonia, and sent me for a chest x-ray.  The x-ray had no findings.

    the cough did not improve so I was sent to a pulmonologist who did a number of tests, only one of which came back with any result, the lung function test showed a deficit.  This triggered the CT that revealed that I had changes in the lungs that ultimately were determined to be from something called cryptogenic organizing pneumonia.  Non-cancerous and it was resolved with a long course of prednisone.

    simple chest x-ray is not always revealing. 

    Good luck with your scan, here's hoping for the best possible results

  • rachel12yrsuv
    rachel12yrsuv Member Posts: 435
    #4
    yensid683 said:

    CT is much more revealing

    I understand your concern, I too would have thought that a x-ray would show if there were problems.  In 2011 I had a chronic cough problem and saw my primary, who put me on a course of anti biotics that targets pneumonia, and sent me for a chest x-ray.  The x-ray had no findings.

    the cough did not improve so I was sent to a pulmonologist who did a number of tests, only one of which came back with any result, the lung function test showed a deficit.  This triggered the CT that revealed that I had changes in the lungs that ultimately were determined to be from something called cryptogenic organizing pneumonia.  Non-cancerous and it was resolved with a long course of prednisone.

    simple chest x-ray is not always revealing. 

    Good luck with your scan, here's hoping for the best possible results

    Thank you Ladylacy and
    Thank you Ladylacy and Yensid683,

    I was always going to go for Ct-Scan this month, I was just hoping that a xray would've pulld a shadow or something, so thinking it was clear I was more relaxed thinking no big deal, especially because I copied same lung doctor from that org. Ct-scan. I was kinda loopy in hospital during pnuemonia from low oxegyn. And severely dehydrated, so I don't remember exact words of doc about it. My boyfriend is not concerned, he said doc said it was probably the pnuemonia and just want to see in 3 months to double check, he said he wasn't concerned just safety. Past history makes me concerned, when going through treatment in 2000, I was less concerned when test were constant, its when they have had time to change that freaked me out! Just have to stop and trust God!

    Rachel
  • donfoo
    donfoo Member Posts: 1,773 Member
    #5
    Ladylacy said:

    Chest X-ray

    When my husband has his PET/CT in September it showed fluid around the bottom half of his right lung (told this was probably from his second round of radiation which was fined on 7/2/12).  The oncologist said we would follow up with another CT scan in 6 weeks and he wanted the fluid drained from the lung, well our other oncologist didn't feel a CT was necessary, that a chest x-ray would be fine.  My husband elected not to have the fluid drain to wait a month and see what happened.    No one said anything about nodules showing up.  My husband had the 2 follow up chest x-rays and we were told everything was good and the fluid was gone.  Then in late January he had his PET/CT scan.  Well he then had to have a needle biopsy of his right lung (spot was in a place that a bronoscope wouldn't reach) and it turns out it is cancer.  It was explained to us that when very small, nothing will pick it up.  And the chest x-rays did not pick up the spot on his lung so I would say CT scan with contrast is what you need.  If we had known about the spot that was very small but had grown over the last few PET/CT scans, we would have had the follow up CT scan in 6 weeks like the first oncologist wanted to do.  Better to be safe than sorry.

    Sharon

    SUV

    What was the SUV for the spots on the lungs? How was it described in the path report?

     

    Thanks

    don

  • katenorwood
    katenorwood Member Posts: 1,912
    #6
    rachel12yrsuv said:

    Thank you Ladylacy and
    Thank you Ladylacy and Yensid683,

    I was always going to go for Ct-Scan this month, I was just hoping that a xray would've pulld a shadow or something, so thinking it was clear I was more relaxed thinking no big deal, especially because I copied same lung doctor from that org. Ct-scan. I was kinda loopy in hospital during pnuemonia from low oxegyn. And severely dehydrated, so I don't remember exact words of doc about it. My boyfriend is not concerned, he said doc said it was probably the pnuemonia and just want to see in 3 months to double check, he said he wasn't concerned just safety. Past history makes me concerned, when going through treatment in 2000, I was less concerned when test were constant, its when they have had time to change that freaked me out! Just have to stop and trust God!

    Rachel

    Try to relax !

    Rachel,

    Hey there !  Understanding the scan anxiety.  X-rays showed my bigger nodes but not as clearly as the CT with contrast.  I'm glad you have had one already to compare results.  Pnuemonia takes awhile to clear out, and with my lungs has left some scarring.  Keep us posted, and good luck with everything !   Katie

  • rachel12yrsuv
    rachel12yrsuv Member Posts: 435
    #7
    donfoo said:

    SUV

    What was the SUV for the spots on the lungs? How was it described in the path report?

     

    Thanks

    don

    Donfoo,
    I didn't see report.
    Donfoo,
    I didn't see report. I was in hospital for pnuemonia(which was dx as apiration pnuemonia) and the lung doc came in and said they saw some spots in each lung that was probably the pnuemonia, so come back in 3months to get scan and they will look once lungs were clear. He said he wasn't really concerned. At time I thought nothing of it, no urgency, but being a survivor with a scan coming up, I am doing my best to trust God, but my nerves are starting to creep up on me. So I don't know if I should be alarmed or not.

    Rachel
  • rachel12yrsuv
    rachel12yrsuv Member Posts: 435
    #8
    donfoo said:

    SUV

    What was the SUV for the spots on the lungs? How was it described in the path report?

     

    Thanks

    don

    Donfoo,
    I didn't see report.
    Donfoo,
    I didn't see report. I was in hospital for pnuemonia(which was dx as apiration pnuemonia) and the lung doc came in and said they saw some spots in each lung that was probably the pnuemonia, so come back in 3months to get scan and they will look once lungs were clear. He said he wasn't really concerned. At time I thought nothing of it, no urgency, but being a survivor with a scan coming up, I am doing my best to trust God, but my nerves are starting to creep up on me. So I don't know if I should be alarmed or not.

    Rachel
  • rachel12yrsuv
    rachel12yrsuv Member Posts: 435
    #9
    katenorwood said:

    Try to relax !

    Rachel,

    Hey there !  Understanding the scan anxiety.  X-rays showed my bigger nodes but not as clearly as the CT with contrast.  I'm glad you have had one already to compare results.  Pnuemonia takes awhile to clear out, and with my lungs has left some scarring.  Keep us posted, and good luck with everything !   Katie

    Katenorwood,
    I am trying,,
    Katenorwood,

    I am trying,, but now that u said that and donfoo just asked me, I think he did mention it could be scars from this pnuemonia or an earlier one. Still ill keep talking myself out of tree! Lol

    Rachel

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