About those scans...

MandiePandie
MandiePandie Member Posts: 109 Member

Well, the whole body nuclear bone scan can back as " no evidence of osteoblastic metastatic disease", the spine and lumbar MRI just appears to have visualized skeletal structures and found spondylolisthesis of L4 on L5 due to degeneration, and the  CT PET with tumor imaging from the skullbase to the upper thighs said " no residual neoplastic or metastatic disease" but there is a comment about an "unchanged subpleural 4mm indeterminate nodule in the right upper lobe which is likely benign, recommend attention on follow up imaging". So good news I guess? I thought they were gonna look at the liver with the MRI so it's a bit disappointing they didn't but I guess if the PET came back with no comment on the liver that's good. I know benign lung nodules can be common but no other scan has mentioned it before so I'm not sure why they commented that it was "unchanged". Should we ask for a biopsy? Or push to see if they can just remove it? 

I was so happy especially when the PET came back but my dad is in such a low mood from the ileostomy, he doesn't seem to care about good news now. It's making me feel so sad and guilty because I see how some of you struggle and would love to have those results, but I'm trying to be extra patient with him because I suspect he is becoming depressed. :( 

Comments

  • worriedson714
    worriedson714 Member Posts: 333 Member
    edited March 2021 #2
    Congrats on good scans

    Congrats to you and your dad I would consider those great scans my dad's last scan was better showed no spread but still one annoying mass in the pelvis that oncologist says is cancer radiation oncologist says maybe . So comparing it to my dad's I would say there very good scans . Heck I consider my dad's scans good as long as they don't show spread cause to me thats the huge thing . My dad has a ileostomy bag and one for urine to whatever it's called so he has dealt with what your dad is going threw and still struggles . My advice just be there for him love him other then that they just kind of have to find there way threw the depression . My dad has good days seems to be finding his way threw it I know yours will to . 

     

    P.S Also my dad has had a lung nodule for over a year now and it's never been nothing it's just kind of there idk if that makes you worry any lesst or not but just putting it out there

  • Trubrit
    Trubrit Member Posts: 5,796 Member
    edited March 2021 #3
    Leave it be

    Most of us have a nodule or two, lurking in our bodies. Most of us just don't have scans every three months, so we're happily ignorant of it. I have a nodule in my liver. Been there ever since I was first diagnosed.  So, my advice, leave it be. Your dad is going throguh enough, don't add to it by worrying him about somethign the Doctor's are not concerned about. 

    Tru

  • NewHere
    NewHere Member Posts: 1,427 Member
    edited March 2021 #4
    I added this to my blog

    Since I mention it now and again, and figure it may be of use again down the roard:

     

    "One thing that comes up over and over are scans.  The types, the reports.

    As to reading reports in general, each person reading things may see or report different things where they have done studies on this.   They would give someone 50 scans, including duplicates of the same scan, and they would issue two reports.  I have had that with my scans.  Some report some things, some another depending on what the individual reading sees.

    I am pushing close to 50 scans in total now.  Not one report is the same in terms of what is mentioned or not mentioned.  One report said no adenopathy, next one said there was, then it was gone.  It did not change.  It just was not reported."

     

    This part is more specific - on the lung nodules they sound small.  So even if there is a worse case scenario that there is cancer (which may or may not be the case as Tru pointed out) it is probably worthwhile to just watch instead of going through a procedure and the rest.  He is being monitered, so the waiting to see changes (if any) in a few months sounds fine.  Plus you have the PET scan.  So you have two ways of looking at it - so the FDG probably would have flagged something.  I have this issue now.  Two new tumors in spine.  Watching and waiting.  Plus trying to determine if an old one is active (or not) or something else is going on from prior radiation.  So I went from being scheduled for radiation for 4 tumors in my spine, to hold off and let's see if it is needed.

     

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    edited March 2021 #5
    Scans

    Great news on the scan.  Your dad has been through a lot in such a short amount of time, so his moods are going to change.  He is the one going through all this and although you might be happy with a certain aspect of what is going on with your father, he is going through it all, externally and internally.  See if he can talk to someone about the depression.  It's very common to have highs and lows with this rollercoaster, but hopefully he can see the good in all of this news.

    Kim

  • Steelkiwi686
    Steelkiwi686 Member Posts: 73 Member
    edited March 2021 #6
    Scans

    For me personally, getting a therapist that I could really speak to freely has made an incredible difference in my day to day. It's all over Telehealth and can do either phone calls or video calls. I also received a low level of antidepressant. Between the two things it has really helped. I simply mentioned it to my oncologist and he prescribed the antidepressant and referred me to a therapist. 


    Just chirping in due to the positive impact therapy has had on my life. 

    To say the cancer experience is traumatic would be an understatement. 

    1.5 yrs  NED and counting .....

     

     

  • DanNH
    DanNH Member Posts: 185 Member
    edited March 2021 #7
    That Great News

    These victories mean a lot. I am happy for you. Your Dad is depressed by the rest of his life situation. If you are happy for him the good news is not wasted! God bless!

  • SandiaBuddy
    SandiaBuddy Member Posts: 1,381 Member
    edited March 2021 #8
    Sounds good

    The scan results sound good to me, not that I have any qualifications to say that. Scans are written for other doctors, not patients, so they are often hard to interpret.  Life can be very tough, I hope your Dad finds something to cheer him up.  Maybe addressing things directly with him would help?

  • darcher
    darcher Member Posts: 304 Member
    edited March 2021 #9
    Ugg Scans
    I just saw the onocologist a fw days back and even though, supposedly, allegedly, there is nothing wrong with me, they still want me to get a CT scan relatively soon out of sequence of the usual colonoscopy and PET scan routine. Ok, WTH is going on? A precaution or some such nonsense was how it's described. I'm taking it as medicine (above my paygrade) understanding so I just roll with it. As long as I don't here "you've got a tumor", I'm a happy camper. Take it the same way.