1st Post Treatment PET Scan

ozymandible
ozymandible Member Posts: 324 Member
edited October 2021 in Head and Neck Cancer #1

Chemo doc called with results. Nothing mentioned about thyroid.  Two small lung nodules.  Mass under jaw which they don't know if it's cancer or infection or necrotic tissue.  Something on my kidney which will be put on back burner.

I am due to see my ENT surgeon soon.  I had them burn copies of my discs and I will have him review them.  Chemo doc is saying it may not be cancer.  She will be scheduling a lung biopsy for me and says the ENT surgeon should be able to biopsy under my jaw in the office.

I hope they turn out to be false alarms like you sometimes get with early PET scans.

Comments

  • motorcycleguy
    motorcycleguy Member Posts: 483 Member
    edited October 2021 #2
    Ozy,

    Well, I'm not a Dr. - but I have noticed that first scans tend to turn up false indicators. I hope that's the case, here!

    MG

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,465 Member
    edited October 2021 #3
    ozy A Follow Up Scan

    Sometimes raises more questions than answers.
    As in your case now a biopsy or two.
    I also have a nodule as they call it on my lung and liver although small they keep watch on them by comparing new scans to the old.
    Hopefully, this is a lot of nothing.
    I can't imagine there is any cancer around your H&N area after the treatments you went through.
    I know this creates a lot more stress and more waiting for biopsy and results but hang in there.
    But that is what these follow-up scans are for to finalize and make sure of what's going on and if something doesn't look just right to deal with it and get you the rest of the way to a clean bill of health.
    ozy I will certainly be praying for you.
    Take Care-God Bless-Russ

     

  • BeagleDad
    BeagleDad Member Posts: 108 Member
    edited October 2021 #4
    I get mine on the 10th

    Woah ... glad to have these "veterans" here to help keep us calm.  I am due for my first PET scan on the 10th and results ont he 11th.  I'll be following your biopsy results closely and keep you all informed as to mine.  Here's hoping for ALL CLEAR for us both, Ozy!

    Don

  • ozymandible
    ozymandible Member Posts: 324 Member
    edited October 2021 #5
    Thank you Russ and Don. I was

    Thank you Russ and Don. I was thinking about it and whatever is on my kidney could be related to something benign(adrenal tumor)that has been there for years or maybe even the diuretic I take. Wouldn't that cause more activity in my kidney?

    And I have extensive scarring in my lungs from chickenpox I had in my 20's.  She said whatever is under my jaw could be infectious or necrotic.  I didn't see any indication that it has gone into my bones.  That's good news.

    Haha!  Egypt is lovely this time of year, isn't it? Rollin' on the river!

    At any rate,  not going to panic.  It still has to be reviewed by my surgeon.

  • ozymandible
    ozymandible Member Posts: 324 Member
    edited October 2021 #6
    Thank you MG.

    Thank you MG.

  • ozymandible
    ozymandible Member Posts: 324 Member
    edited October 2021 #7
    Thank you very much Logan!

    Thank you very much Logan!

    No, I'm not going to freak out unless I get positive biopsies.

    If the ENT/surgeon does a biopsy maybe it will unleash all of this lymph fluid that's stuck under my jaw!  (just kidding, but it would be nice)

    From what I read of the report, if I understand correctly, it hasn't gone into the bone.  I think that's a very good sign.

  • Logan51
    Logan51 Member Posts: 468 Member
    edited October 2021 #8
    first PET

    The matter of the first PET came up years ago with a couple people going through unnecessary Ops. due to false positives. At 3 months there are a number of possibilities for something to show, as it did with mine. ENT said he wasn't worried about it- 13 years and 4 more PETs ago. If something does show- make sure your ENT does a biopsy from the area that it showed, rather than have all your lymphs removed like the one person did years ago and all came back negative.

    The 3-month PET is typically to only establish a baseline to compare future scans to. 

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,465 Member
    #9
    Many People On Here Over The Years I Have Read This Forum

    Have had problems with the 3 month PET Scan showing false positives and questionable areas.
    Logan's explanation of using it as a baseline scan makes sense except when it can be that misleading that unnecessary operations are done as he stated.
    But is it good to even have a baseline scan if it has false readings, false positives etc?
    Maybe it would be better to do a CT Scan with contrast at 3 months and a PET at 5-6 months.
    I don't know maybe others who have talked to their docs or have more info can weigh in on this,
    Here is an article I found that talks about this topic and tissue change because of radiation treatment, false positives, etc.
    It has a medical leaning but can be easily understood.
    It is from 2014 the Society of Nuclear Medicine, India.
    Seems to address exactly what we are talking about here.

    Post-treatment appearances, pitfalls, and patterns of failure in head and neck cancer on FDG PET/CT imaging

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4157188/

    On the right side of the page with the article at the top under FORMATS you can choose other ways to read it such as PubReader, Pdf. etc. which gives you a bigger print or the ability to make it bigger.
    PubReader is sorta neat as it opens it on a large page and at the bottom is an option to choose one page at a time.
    Most people are familiar with Pdf. also.
    If I find more info I will post it.

    Take care-God Bless-Russ

     

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,465 Member
    edited October 2021 #10
    Here Is Another Article

    And below it, I will post a link to my search as there is too much info available to post it all here so you can search as you want.

    Follow-Up in Head and Neck Cancer: A Management Dilemma

    https://www.hindawi.com/journals/aoto/2015/703450/#abstract

    Web search link for "with H&N cancer follow up why is a pet done at 3 months post"

    https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=with+H%26N+cancer+follow+up+why+is+a+pet+done+at+3+months+post

    Take care-God Bless-Russ

  • ozymandible
    ozymandible Member Posts: 324 Member
    #11
    Oh my gosh thank you for the

    Oh my gosh thank you for the links!  I am starting the second article now and will search for more information with the link you provided.

  • wbcgaruss
    wbcgaruss Member Posts: 2,465 Member
    #12
    Great ozy

    Hope it helps.

    Take care-God Bless-Russ

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