Reoccurance Question

diloreti
diloreti Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin) #1
My wife was diagnosed and beat Hogkins lymphoma that was in her neck, chest, armpits, and groin. She is now 24 and it has been a little more than a year since ending treatments (she did both chemo and radiation). Everything has seemed to be normal except that she has sharp pains in her chest sometimes where the large mass was. The doctors continue to attribute this to scar tissue and the shifting of things because there was such a large mass there (it was a little larger than a softball). Today we got results from her PET scan and it showed a hot spot there (where the large mass was and where she is having occasional pains) with an SUV of 2.34. He said we need to get a CT scan to compare, but that it is most likely just scar tissue. He said there is a chance it could be malignant cancer though. Basically time will tell.

I'm trying to remain positive for my wife and look into things in order to not get her worried about things. Is it possible for scar tissue to show up like this? It seems strange that this is where she is experiencing discomfort sometimes and it is where the large mass was before. I am sure there is scar tissue, but I am wondering if anyone has any words of advice or insight into this. Thanks for your response.

Comments

  • kiren
    kiren Member Posts: 40 Member
    #2
    I am not really sure what to tell you here. Its always like we have a 50/50 chance. I had HD 7yrs before. It is normal to have scar tissue shown on scans as hot spots. Thats why docs do a comparision of scans. Let me tell you though that I had stage 11B (neck and chest). I had surgery in neck area, chemo and rads in chest. I still feel pain in my shoulder if I lift any thing from my left arm or carry a purse on my shoulder. I was really scared at first because this is the pain exactly the same as one I had when diagnosed with HD. So naturally everythime I had that pain I would be scared, till I realized the reason behind it. It wasn't the disease coming back. So wait till the docs evaluate results and take charge from there. Hopefully it won't be bad.
  • lhodnet
    lhodnet Member Posts: 62
    #3
    ((huggs)) to you and your wife. I pray it is nothing, but every pain that we go through makes us all worry.

    I was 28 when I was diagnosed with HL stage IIBX - I too had a softball in my chest. and get pains frequently now that i am pregnant, but i did and still do get chest pains where my biopsy was and they (and I) think it is scar tissue.

    I have had 2 pets and am at chest xrays every 4-6 mos, and they ahve all come out clear.

    Try to stay positive and not worry until there is something to worry about.

    (hugg)
    lisa
  • stepet
    stepet Member Posts: 69
    #4
    Scar tissue can definately show as a hot spot. I had a scan come back with activity in two areas where I didn't have hodgkins. Needless to say I was scared to death it was going to come back, but like your wife I then had a cat-scan done and the spots were arthritis in my hip and a muscle strain under my arm. Good Luck to your wife and know it does happen, and be sure to let us know how her scan turns out. Sandi
  • diloreti
    diloreti Member Posts: 3
    #5
    Thank you all for your input. We are doing well. She had her CAT scan on Monday and will get the results on the 7th. I'll make sure to post what happens. Thanks again
  • diloreti
    diloreti Member Posts: 3
    #6
    Good news! The CAT scan came back clear. Things looked good. Thanks for your comments and your support. We're excited!
  • kiren
    kiren Member Posts: 40 Member
    #7
    diloreti said:

    Good news! The CAT scan came back clear. Things looked good. Thanks for your comments and your support. We're excited!

    Glad to hear that!!!!
  • lhodnet
    lhodnet Member Posts: 62
    #8
    diloreti said:

    Good news! The CAT scan came back clear. Things looked good. Thanks for your comments and your support. We're excited!

    I am so glad to hear this news!!!!
  • sandpiper
    sandpiper Member Posts: 6
    #9
    I had been in remission for 2 years with Stage IIA HD. CT last month indicated a mass in my chest where previous disease was. PET indicated involvement of 6 nodes, however my onc indicated that people with recurrent HD typically have it in the chest because they cannot effectively irradite the nodes due to close proximity of heart, lungs and other critical organs. They are planning to biopsy a node for complete confirmation that it is HD before I begin ESHAP and Cytoxan.

    Best of Luck
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #10
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

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