So they scanned my cat...

chynabear
chynabear Member Posts: 481 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Due to the insurance difficulties I have had in getting my previous PET/CT covered I am now two months behind of my scheduled scans and so we decided to just have a CT done on Friday afternoon.

I am still waiting for the results of my bloodwork, but I got the CT results. I think they continue to be good. There is no sign of cancer (thank God!) but there has been some changes around my "surgical site" and I have a "swollen lymph node". The nurse said that my doctor is very pleased with the results and is not concerned about the swollen node but that we are going to keep an eye on it. It has me a little worried.

Has anybody else ever had this? Is a swollen lymph node something to be concerned about? The nurse said that it could be swollen just because of the surgery (which as 1 year and 2 months ago) or because of scar tissue around the area.

Anyway, YAY NED!

Tricia

Comments

  • rthornton
    rthornton Member Posts: 346 Member
    #2
    Congratulations on finding no cancer! That's always a great relief. I don't know anything about swollen lymph nodes, but I hope that it's nothing serious.

    Rodney
  • Kanort
    Kanort Member Posts: 1,272 Member
    #3
    Hi Tricia,

    Congratulations on your recent NED CT scan. I don't know about swollen lymph nodes either, but I know I have adhesions around my surgical site. I don't know if they show up on a CT scan or not, but they sure bother me if I don't eat enought fiber.

    Try not to worry. I bet it's just scar tissue.

    Hugs,

    Kay
  • HowardJ
    HowardJ Member Posts: 474
    #4
    Hi Tricia,

    At my surgery one swollen lymph node was found. The surgeon thought it might have indicated the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes. The pathology, however, showed it was an enlarged lymph node with focal necrosis but no cancer. I asked my oncologist about this afterwards thinking the enlarged node and focal necrosis were somehow related to cancer spread. He said people get enlarged lymph nodes for a variety of reasons, not always cancer, and was not concerned about it.

    Howard
  • scouty
    scouty Member Posts: 1,965 Member
    #5
    Tricia,

    The lymphatic system (including the hundreds of lymph nodes we all have)is resposible for releasing bad stuff from our bods. They swell when they are full of crap that needs to get out of us. If you eat right and drink plenty of water, the enlargement will take care of itself with no problems. You did not tell us how close the node is to the surgical site. If the doc isn't that worried, you shouldn't be either. Just drink pleaty fo water to flush out all the nasty stuff.

    Lisa P.
  • glimmerofhope
    glimmerofhope Member Posts: 53 Member
    #6
    Tricia, I'm sorry your cat had to be scanned, but....I'm glad to find someone else who keeps a sense of humor about our ridiculously aggravating plight.

    I told a friend of mine once that I have had approx. 18 CAT scans and they haven't found a cat yet!

    With surgery to my colon, liver, and both lungs and many complications from chemo and surgery, I have had just about everything but my lymph nodes swollen.

    I do believe the statistics I've read that say PET scans are 90% accurate in finding cancer, and CAT scans are only about 40% accurate. This has held true for me.

    One of my Duke oncologists told me that my cancer had returned in my liver and I had a 9 centimeter diameter lesion there. I was floored but then began to think about what he said. I then asked him "The liver scan I had about 2 months ago didn't show any indications and now you tell me that I have a lesion almost 4 inches in diameter? I thought this cancer couldn't grow that fast." It was like a light bulb came on in his head and he agreed. (It turned out to be an abcess, not good, but....not cancer) I believe he just herded his patients through too fast that day and hadn't thorougly reviewed my previous scan(s).

    That was one of many "indications" that have showed up on my CAT scans that didn't turn out to be anything of concern.

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