Seem confusing. One spot is there then gone but another shows below it similar in size. These possibly could be one and the same. I know others have had scan discrepancies on here but that is usually due to getting a scan too soon after treatment and hot spots will give off false positives. I would think your doc would have a better explanation but it sounds like he has seen this before. I would say the 6-week wait is to make sure whatever is causing the anomalies gets settled out. If your treatment was considered a success I wouldn't worry much over this yet as your doc seems to be on top of it and also after my last episode they have discovered a small spot on my liver and lung. In all my treatments and scans this was never mentioned. These are small so I wonder if sometimes it depends on who's reading the scans. Also, I forget BUT how long has it been since you finished treatment?

wbcgaruss said:

You Are

Actually not that long out of treatment give it time and take comfort that your Oncologist is right on top of it and is watching closely and ordering scans. And I think Crystal had some great input to this and she is very knowledgeable and unfortunately has had some first-hand experience but as she says over 90% of lung nodules usually clear up on their own. Hope these inputs are helping you. If you had a PET scan before treatment which you should have had to make sure cancer was nowhere else in the body and it didn't show anything and they treated your cancer area then it's gone don't worry when you are fresh out of treatment at least that's the way I looked at it. If any cancer worries were in my mind it was the what if's a couple of years out but I never dwelled on it and we can't, just enjoy the day, every day and savor them and enjoy the gift of life cancer treatment today gives us and like we say on here NEGU (Never Ever Give up) Take Care-God Bless-Russ

Thank you, Russ  As is usual, you know quality and experience when you see it. LOL!!

Yes, it's unfortunately true that with 6, count 'em, 6 Pneuminias.... Pneumoniae with a Collapsed lung twice, Pneumonia with Sepsis secondary to the pneumonia, Double pneumonia.  ... Etc.

Now, I have irreversible Permanent damage= Bronchiectasis .  You may have to look it up. It's not common.  It's actually worse than COPD. Add to it my Primary ( genetic) Immunodeficiency, and it's a recipe for early death from respiratory failure.  My doctors have a massive challenge with me. The Immunodeficiency complicates everything else.  My head & Neck oncology surgeon told me that it enables my SqCC tumors to act more aggressively and to keep recurring.

he said he has Organ Transplant recipients who acquire this cancer, and he said because they take immunosuppressive drugs to maintain their transplanted irgan, he said they are in the same boat I am. That the compromised immune system enables this  cancer to run rampant .

Yes, I realize I'm way off topic, for this question. But just trying to illustrate that I know lung problems and that I had the same experience, wondering about several lung nodules they found in me.

Heck, I also have 2 masses/ lesions on my Spleen. We have never biopsied then and they are plenty large enough. However, in 3 years they've not grown. Hmmmm, it couldn't be My cancer then, because my 6 tumors this far, showed definite Growth!!  

So, whatever is on my Spleen... It's okay for now.

What about the large one beside my right vocal cords?? It's in Moderate Dysplasia meaning it's Pre Malignant.  Well, he has zapped it with laser surgery, and it comes back...

Russ, it is 100% Accurate that it's best not to dwell on things we cannot affect, at the moment.  Just let those things float on by.  I mean, you know they are there, but just observe... Don't dwell on it.  Free up your mind for other things you can more immediately change and work toward.

I spent all day in the Cancer Center hospital getting an infusion. ( my poor veins have taken a beating this month)  All I could think of was Randal. And how I wish I could talk to him and see him once more.  His 60 th birthday was February 11th.  He left much too soon, but with 2 different Stage IV cancers,  he fought for 9 long years.  He was all about The Fight.  

he's finally in peace.

Crystal

armana said:

Similar Experience

I finished radiation treatment for stage 3 tonsil cancer 6 1/2 years ago.  The first pet scan post-treatment showed residual cancer at the same spot in my neck and a small spot on my long. My oncologist suspected residual scar tissue due to treatment and recommended a follow-up scan in 6 months.  I have had clear scans ever since.

 

 

 

That's great news, Amana and a great example too.  It seems like our lungs can get " dirtied up" with stuff at times when out illness is at its height and then it might resolve and clear up, as other issues clear as well....

Good to hear! 

Crystal

ratface said:

I have four of them

Lung nodules are fairly commom. Dont fret over them. I forget the math but if you randomly screened people off a bus a bunch would have lung nodules for various reasons. In the midwest it's caused by infection from bird droppings. My nodules have been there now for over ten years and I wasted a bunch of time worring about them. Never changed much, although they can change a little bit and even that is no cause for worry because it depends how the scan beam is cutting accross them, they tend to be peanut shape, so if the beam cuts the peanut in the center they will be smaller and if in your next scan they cut across the edge, a little bigger, hang in there, chances are you just got off the bus in probability mode.

Hello R F,

In reference to the lung problem connected to hire droppings, I will bet its MAC you are describing . Mycobacterium Avium Complex. I

Correct me if I am wrong.

At any rate, that specific infection causes way more damage than just lung nodules. It's an infection they evaluated me for in May through June because of my DR and x ray results.  Usually, it's treated with 4 different antibiotics at once over a period of 6 months to a year...!!  It's not good at all!  It can be caused by other sources too, not just from birds.

Let's hope any lung nodules are the more common, transient and benign types..

LitlCJdoll

Hello Windmill,

Yes, I experienced the same experience -- May 13th was my Broncos copy with BAL (the saline Lung Lavage " washing". 

To clarify, right now, my lungs have infections.  No malignancy found.

What they found in mine was " diffusely erythematous" tissue (the entire lung was red and inflamed) and thick Mucoid secretions throughout.  The saline mixture is sent to the Lab for Multiple tests and yes, some of them take 6 weeks, like the MAC infection I described here in this thread. They also check for all Viral infections, and Tuberculosis, etc.

Because my CT was so abnormal, they were fearful for MAC, in me.  Or COVID.  THE CT was  really bad.  My CT was done without contrast, ...

Anyway, what they found in mine was permanent, irreversible damage from Bronchiectasis, and like adult onset Cystic Fibrosis.

And the Washing solution cultured out E. Coli, and its a Drug Resistant form, which explains why the antibiotics taken at home did nothing.

By June 4 I was admitted to the Cancer Center Hospital with my 5 th pneumonia. Bilateral bacterial pneumonia. It was in both lungs.

I'm still not clear and awaiting results of a Pulmonary Lung Function test which I took Wednesday this week.

Now, I realize you are talking about potentially Malignant nodules.

The measurement you gave of the nodule is quite small and I guess too small for biopsy.

When my Nodules were 5 millimeters they were too small, 

They Do Not Know if its a met, or from something completely different. Something that small has no effect.  Is it just that one?

Most every time something is that small, even if cancer---+++ they just Watch it.

Its another case of Risk versus Benefit. In other words, why risk a lung biopsy, where something can go wrong like collapsed lung ( I have had 2 instances of that, in right lung), when the lesion is too small to take that chance on..  No benefit to taking it out, at that size. 

I know its hard not knowing but you have had Scans, and you've had a direct Bronchoscopy .  They have checked it out very well.

So, just try to be patient and wait for the Bronch tests to come back.

And on that note, its time for me to do another breathing treatment through my Jet Nebulizer. 

HNSCC created in me this whole scenario, in which I Aspirate my oral intake ( all liquids),  and my Anesthesiologist told me last week that even if I go NPO, and quit all oral intake, that I will still aspirate my saliva, and reflux. She said I will aspirate no matter what.  So, do I keep drowning myself by drinking liquids, or stop?  Does not matter because its gonna keep happening. 5 pneumonia so far, all admissions. 

I am really sorry you are faced with this possibility of another site being involved, but take a Deep Breath, and try to keep occupied with other more pleasant thoughts and activities.  I have tried to do that because I am still going through admissions ( admitted twice, In June and in August ) and never ending appointments and procedures.

Wishing you some enjoyment in our long weekend.!

Crystal 

Windmill said:

Update

It will be 3 months on the 8th September that the pet/ct scan identified a spot on my lung that was 5.9 mil. After a few more scans and as from the 4th August it has grown by 1.1 mil. My oncologist discussed this at a MDT meeting and it was decided to refer this to the lung MDT meeting. The general consensus at the lung meeting was that it was a met but seeing it is too small to biopsy referred me to have a bronchoscopy to see if it's an infection. That was 2 weeks ago and the respiratory doctor called me yesterday. The scope couldn't get to where to spot was on the ct scan so they performed a wash. The wash was collected and this showed that there was no infection however it will take another 6 weeks for other results to be known.

I called my medical oncologist yesterday and he advised that it's too small to biopsy, they have to wait for these other results in 6 weeks and really can't treat it yet as it may not be cancer but they think that it is. He reassured me that if they thought it needed treatment that would have been done and that at the moment it's safe to wait the 6 weeks. So I suppose it will be another scan if these results aren't conclusive or not. This waiting and not knowing is a concern but I'm taking it one day at a time.

 

As they call it on my lung that is small and just watched during my regular scans.
The spot on your lung must be small if they can't biopsy it.
I converted it at an online converter to inches am I right that the spot is 9/32 of an inch.
Many on here have nodules or unusual things that the docs are watching for growth.
This may help.

My sister had a spot on her lung and it was cancer.
They watched it for a number of years and it stayed the same.
She had an X-ray or cat scan-not sure which to monitor it every year.
Finally, it started growing so they set her up with the Cyber-knife and it has eradicated the cancer
spot, it is no more and she is clear of cancer.

So make sure and ask them about the cyber-knife.
If it turns out to be cancer it is more of a concern for sure.
And better yet if it needs something done the Proton therapy I think is even better
as it causes much less damage to surrounding tissue if there is one near you.
They are very expensive machines and there are only so many in the United States.

This article states-

While there are currently only 22 proton therapy centers in the United States, the growing interest in advanced cancer therapy is causing more hospitals to weigh the benefits against the high cost of opening their own centers.

At one time a proton center once cost between $120 and $200 million, new refinements in the existing technology are lowering costs at a time when more cancer patients are looking for this treatment option.
"The cost has come down substantially from what it was a decade ago," said Metz. "It used to be at least $100 million for an entry point. Now it's $30, $40 million. A lot of players didn't have the financial ability to get into the game at the time."
Article  https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/proton-therapy-tech-become-cheaper-more-hospitals-look-add-centers

Is Proton Therapy Safer than Traditional Radiation?

National Cancer Institute

https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/cancer-currents-blog/2020/proton-therapy-safety-versus-traditional-radiation

Wishing You The Best-Take Care-God Bless-Russ