anyone with similar experience...

littlejulie
littlejulie Member Posts: 311
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
hi there,
im sure you're all familiar with my situation of my mom having stage 3 rectal cancer. she's completed 5 weeks of chemo/rad and now awaiting surgery on july 8th. through all her screening it was confirmed the cancer is contained. we had a HUGE scare when 2 spots were found on her lungs. They confirmed it wasn't cancer and it might be from a previous infection. She's scheduled for a couple more lung scans and this really worries me. Are they looking for something?!

My questions are...

Did anyone go through this many lung scans before surgery?

AND

if they thought it was cancer in the lungs, would it treated now?! im just worried that I will soon be hearing those spots are cancer.

julie

Comments

  • Kanort
    Kanort Member Posts: 1,272 Member
    #2
    Dear Julie,

    Your mom is so lucky to have such a caring, loving, and concerned advocate!

    Yes, I had a similar experience with lung spots. My proved to be calcium deposits from infections when I was young.

    However, I really got a scare when a spot turned up on my lung that had to be bioposied. It, too, proved to be non-cancerous. When I had an infection in February, my oncologist ordered another X-Ray, and the doctor who read it said that one of the "calcium deposits" had grown. Another scare, that sent me for another CAT scan and a PET scan which both proved to be negative. So, I think that X rays are not as precise as the scans.

    So, continue to be there for your mom and try not to worry too much. Your family will be in our thoughts and prayers!

    Hugs,

    Kay
  • littlejulie
    littlejulie Member Posts: 311
    #3
    Kanort said:

    Dear Julie,

    Your mom is so lucky to have such a caring, loving, and concerned advocate!

    Yes, I had a similar experience with lung spots. My proved to be calcium deposits from infections when I was young.

    However, I really got a scare when a spot turned up on my lung that had to be bioposied. It, too, proved to be non-cancerous. When I had an infection in February, my oncologist ordered another X-Ray, and the doctor who read it said that one of the "calcium deposits" had grown. Another scare, that sent me for another CAT scan and a PET scan which both proved to be negative. So, I think that X rays are not as precise as the scans.

    So, continue to be there for your mom and try not to worry too much. Your family will be in our thoughts and prayers!

    Hugs,

    Kay

    KAY,
    THANK YOU SO MUCH for you're quick response! GEEZ!...How much can we take!! THANK YOU!!!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #4
    Hi Julie:

    No, not in a similar situation but I just wanted to let you know I'm hoping that all goes well. I will say that after six months of chemo, Bert's CT of the lung showed multiple nodules that were not found on previous CT that were mostly inconclusive with the largest identified as a calcification. Bert's onc immediately scheduled at CT/Pet combo which clearly showed that all spots on lungs were indeed calcifications and that there was NED. We were overjoyed when we got this news but had some very anxious days.

    I pray that all will be fine and please take care of yourself too.

    Hugs,
    Monika
  • littlejulie
    littlejulie Member Posts: 311
    #5
    unknown said:

    Hi Julie:

    No, not in a similar situation but I just wanted to let you know I'm hoping that all goes well. I will say that after six months of chemo, Bert's CT of the lung showed multiple nodules that were not found on previous CT that were mostly inconclusive with the largest identified as a calcification. Bert's onc immediately scheduled at CT/Pet combo which clearly showed that all spots on lungs were indeed calcifications and that there was NED. We were overjoyed when we got this news but had some very anxious days.

    I pray that all will be fine and please take care of yourself too.

    Hugs,
    Monika

    thanks monika - your experience tells me that lung spots doesn't mean cancer! i bet we all have lungs spots if we were xrayed!

    thanks again :)
  • kangatoo
    kangatoo Member Posts: 2,105 Member
    #6
    littlejulie said:

    thanks monika - your experience tells me that lung spots doesn't mean cancer! i bet we all have lungs spots if we were xrayed!

    thanks again :)

    Hiya Jules--hey--it is natural to worry girl but we all bin there--done that---wish we had a crystal ball to look into once in a while--would be so much easier, eh!
    I had the scans before surgery--oh--and heaps of others for many organs--some several times.
    As for the lungs--they asked me back again 'cos there were spots and the specialist wanted to be damn sure that it was nothing to be concerned over.They turned out to be calcium scar tissue as well--hey--I am a smoker--tsk! tsk!
    Yeah--I know--"bad boy, bad boy!"
    Turned out my ling capacity test showed 97%--doc. got that test done again--he he--I then registered a 94%--and a smoker to boot!
    Listen Jules--yu have a right to worry--just don't count the chicken eggs yet--
    luv n huggs for "angels that are carers"
    kanga n Jen
  • littlejulie
    littlejulie Member Posts: 311
    #7
    kangatoo said:

    Hiya Jules--hey--it is natural to worry girl but we all bin there--done that---wish we had a crystal ball to look into once in a while--would be so much easier, eh!
    I had the scans before surgery--oh--and heaps of others for many organs--some several times.
    As for the lungs--they asked me back again 'cos there were spots and the specialist wanted to be damn sure that it was nothing to be concerned over.They turned out to be calcium scar tissue as well--hey--I am a smoker--tsk! tsk!
    Yeah--I know--"bad boy, bad boy!"
    Turned out my ling capacity test showed 97%--doc. got that test done again--he he--I then registered a 94%--and a smoker to boot!
    Listen Jules--yu have a right to worry--just don't count the chicken eggs yet--
    luv n huggs for "angels that are carers"
    kanga n Jen

    thank you thank you thank you!!! those stupid lung spots freaked me out for no reason! my mom is only 55 and i need her for at least 35 more years!
  • jsabol
    jsabol Member Posts: 1,145 Member
    #8
    Hi Julie,
    What a roller coaster you and your family must be on! I had a scare with 2 spots on my liver CT scan before surgery, but surgeon said they were also insignificant. Sure hope she is right.
    The repeat scans for your mom prob allow the docs to compare and make sure those spots aren't developing any further. Good that they are on top of it.
    Hope you and mom are managing to relax a bit before mom's surgery.
    Regards, Judy
  • littlejulie
    littlejulie Member Posts: 311
    #9
    jsabol said:

    Hi Julie,
    What a roller coaster you and your family must be on! I had a scare with 2 spots on my liver CT scan before surgery, but surgeon said they were also insignificant. Sure hope she is right.
    The repeat scans for your mom prob allow the docs to compare and make sure those spots aren't developing any further. Good that they are on top of it.
    Hope you and mom are managing to relax a bit before mom's surgery.
    Regards, Judy

    Judy,
    Oh my GOD!!! You must have been really freaked out!!! Those are the times it feels like the world freezes and breathing becomes something you have to concentrate on! Thanks so much for sharing your experince! I'm a Canadian who's very thankful for this American Website! And thankful for a fellow Canadian LISA, who told me about it!

    julie :)
  • RMGill
    RMGill Member Posts: 20
    #10
    Best wishes that the tests will show no cancer in the lungs.

    Possibley in a similar situation. While reading this I got very curious... my CAT scans showed a couple suspect spots on my lungs. The colorectal surgeon who was treating me at the time told me I had mets to the lungs and liver, then sent me to the oncologist for the chemo. While the liver spots are very definite, I'm beginning to wonder if I should ask more about the lung spots. The other oncologist I saw for a second opion did not think I had any mets to the lungs. Given the damage to my liver, it may be academic, but wonderring if I should ask for more tests to the lungs??? The liver enzymes are normalizing and my CEA level was down to 9 at the last visit, so my oncologist wants to do more scans in a couple weeks after I finish this round of chemo. Maybe I should request a better look at the lungs. Any ideas what I should ask for?

    Rick
  • littlejulie
    littlejulie Member Posts: 311
    #11
    RMGill said:

    Best wishes that the tests will show no cancer in the lungs.

    Possibley in a similar situation. While reading this I got very curious... my CAT scans showed a couple suspect spots on my lungs. The colorectal surgeon who was treating me at the time told me I had mets to the lungs and liver, then sent me to the oncologist for the chemo. While the liver spots are very definite, I'm beginning to wonder if I should ask more about the lung spots. The other oncologist I saw for a second opion did not think I had any mets to the lungs. Given the damage to my liver, it may be academic, but wonderring if I should ask for more tests to the lungs??? The liver enzymes are normalizing and my CEA level was down to 9 at the last visit, so my oncologist wants to do more scans in a couple weeks after I finish this round of chemo. Maybe I should request a better look at the lungs. Any ideas what I should ask for?

    Rick

    I'm pretty new at this so I don't know what you should ask for. I'm not sure what tests have to be done to have a to find out that its not cancer. My mothers radiation doctor was the person who confirmed the spots were not cancer and he said that the people who read the xrays confirmed this. i guess they could tell just by looking at them.

    good luck to you.
  • cheer3
    cheer3 Member Posts: 105 Member
    #12
    Hi Julie, Your Mother is so blessed to have you at her side.What a blessing that is. I know, I too had my son & daughter. The BEAST did bring us even closer.
    I think your Moms DR has to be sure and rule out caner when he finds spots and etc on Xrays. I have calcium, granduloma, and fluid. But once again I have been told not to worry. The fluid has not increased since first noted.
    Take care and keep us posted.
    Jean
  • nanuk
    nanuk Member Posts: 1,358 Member
    #13
    RMGill said:

    Best wishes that the tests will show no cancer in the lungs.

    Possibley in a similar situation. While reading this I got very curious... my CAT scans showed a couple suspect spots on my lungs. The colorectal surgeon who was treating me at the time told me I had mets to the lungs and liver, then sent me to the oncologist for the chemo. While the liver spots are very definite, I'm beginning to wonder if I should ask more about the lung spots. The other oncologist I saw for a second opion did not think I had any mets to the lungs. Given the damage to my liver, it may be academic, but wonderring if I should ask for more tests to the lungs??? The liver enzymes are normalizing and my CEA level was down to 9 at the last visit, so my oncologist wants to do more scans in a couple weeks after I finish this round of chemo. Maybe I should request a better look at the lungs. Any ideas what I should ask for?

    Rick

    Rick: this is so confusing to me; I have multiple bilateral lung mets, and have read posts from semi-colons here on CSN saying their Onc "knew" thespots were mets, and others who have combo CT/PET scans, and others who (me) had them biopsied..I think PET can't read them unless they
    are a certain size, and CT isn't conclusive, so I'm not sure what the standard is for diagnostics..you might want to talk to the radiologist. Bud

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