Question about change in wording on CT Scan

MMondi1
MMondi1 Member Posts: 19
in Kidney Cancer #1

I recently had my 2 year ct scan and on the 6 previous scans involving the lungs it would say No significant abnormality and under impressions it would say no evidence of disease and now its been changed to say- no dominant lung lesions- stable.  

  The doctor assures me it means the same thing but I find it strange.

Has anyone else had changes in their wording that make you wonder? 

 

 

Comments

  • twinthings
    twinthings Member Posts: 409
    #2
    Hi MM, I have had changes in

    Hi MM, I have had changes in wording between ct's that's caused me concern.  When I asked my oncologist for an explaination, what he said made perfect sense and put my mind at ease.  According to what he told me, the verbage or wording on a ct can vary from one radiologist to another.  Chances are, this last scan was read by a different radiologist than previous reports and they all have their own way of saying basically the same thing.

    I hope this is the case, but , I can certainly understand your worries. 

    Have a good weekend!!

    Sindy

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #3
    twinthings said:

    Hi MM, I have had changes in

    Hi MM, I have had changes in wording between ct's that's caused me concern.  When I asked my oncologist for an explaination, what he said made perfect sense and put my mind at ease.  According to what he told me, the verbage or wording on a ct can vary from one radiologist to another.  Chances are, this last scan was read by a different radiologist than previous reports and they all have their own way of saying basically the same thing.

    I hope this is the case, but , I can certainly understand your worries. 

    Have a good weekend!!

    Sindy

    Not to worry

    MM,

     

    Sounds the same to me. At least your radiologist did not describe the dimensions of the left kidney like mine did after the left kidney was removed 12 years earlier.

     

    Icemantoo

  • MMondi1
    MMondi1 Member Posts: 19
    #4
    Thank You

    Thanks for the responses. I guess we become creatures of habit and any change can make us worry.  The exciting news is now I have 4 weeks until our baby arrives.   

     

     

     

  • GSRon
    GSRon Member Posts: 1,303 Member
    #5
    MMondi1 said:

    Thank You

    Thanks for the responses. I guess we become creatures of habit and any change can make us worry.  The exciting news is now I have 4 weeks until our baby arrives.   

     

     

     

    Kind of like.. some people

    Kind of like.. some people say tomotoes and some say tomatas...   Speaking of which we got a lot of tomato's in here...  Tongue Out  

    Ron

  • cubsfan9
    cubsfan9 Member Posts: 69 Member
    #6
    I agree!

    Good Morning!

    I agree...changes in wording on scan reports drive me crazy!!  Also, some radiologists are very complete and give good info. while others are very general.  We had one that kept saying, "similar to last time".  I guess that was good, but not terribly informative.  I probably tend to over-react at times when a new organ is mentioned that hasn't been referenced before.  I always wonder WHY something was suddenly reported or commented on.  The doctor assures us that it is, indeed, just the different "styles" of different radiologists.  He also says that as long as they are looking at previous scans and making comparisons that we shouldn't be concerned. 

    As the patients/caregivers...wouldn't it be nice if there was a consistent way to report??

  • a_oaklee
    a_oaklee Member Posts: 566 Member
    #7
    cubsfan9 said:

    I agree!

    Good Morning!

    I agree...changes in wording on scan reports drive me crazy!!  Also, some radiologists are very complete and give good info. while others are very general.  We had one that kept saying, "similar to last time".  I guess that was good, but not terribly informative.  I probably tend to over-react at times when a new organ is mentioned that hasn't been referenced before.  I always wonder WHY something was suddenly reported or commented on.  The doctor assures us that it is, indeed, just the different "styles" of different radiologists.  He also says that as long as they are looking at previous scans and making comparisons that we shouldn't be concerned. 

    As the patients/caregivers...wouldn't it be nice if there was a consistent way to report??

    truly annoying

    We have had that same experience.  I generally compare the technical writing about an area against the summary of the impression.  There have been things reported in the technical section that has not been mentioned in the summary impression.  That truly drives me crazy. 

  • brea588
    brea588 Member Posts: 240
    #8
    it does concern you

    It does concern you when they dont use the same words.  The pathologist report from kidney cancer said clear margins.  Then last year path report said appears to be completely excised of cancerous polyp in colon.  So i have been jjust a little concerned about that report for a year.  Will have colonoscopy done next month again for check up and I will be glad to get it done.

  • Galrim
    Galrim Member Posts: 315 Member
    #9

    Initially I would say its the same thing. If they found anything suspicious there would be a specific description of what they found.

    The only thing I wonder about is if they found something they deemed benign and therefore didnt bother with describing in your journal. Stating that, ask your doc if what you got was the full description, sometimes the radiologists description is boiled down to the esssentials when recapped in the actual journal. But that varies from from one hospital to the other...

    /G

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