your thoughts on Doctors Comment

liverpoolgirl
liverpoolgirl Member Posts: 44 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
hello to all
i have not posted for quite a while..... but i do check in at least 3-4 times a week.
Husband (Hayes) originally diagnosed 09/03
Pre-surgury chemo radiation nov/dec 03
surgery 02/04 - permanent colostomy
post op chemo 03/04-09/04
them WHAM 05/05 reoccurrance, multiple pulmnoary nodules in lungs (inoperable) I think hearing that was worse than the original diagnosis
chemo FOLFOX. Had 5 treatments could not handle oxipl. changed to Camptosar still on chemo
Started in Nov 05 to have 5 daily shots forgot which medication in between chemo, this is to boost his blood count so he can take the chemo (YUK)
well his last CT Scan remained the same as the one he had in 09/05 which is a good thing, no growth no new disease.
PET/CT is being scheduled for mid April. The Doctor made the comment that maybe it is dead tissue showing up...... wouldn't that be the best news ever, but as always i am apprehensive about it. Any thoughts on that comment......
My thoughts and prayers are with each and every one of you.
Keep up the fight

Debbie
aka "The English Chick"

Comments

  • shmurciakova
    shmurciakova Member Posts: 906 Member
    #2
    Hi! I would think that since the CT scans showed the exact same thing as back in September and the nodules stayed the same size, right? That is what is leading him to think that it might not be cancer. My advice is to try, as hard as it may be, to just wait until the final results come back. Of course you are apprehensive. Anyway, if nothing else it sounds like he is stable and I really hope that the PET scan comes back clean. April is a long time to wait - is there a way they can schedule it sooner?
    Will he be all done w/ the chemo by then?
    I wish you both the best of luck,
    Susan.
  • liverpoolgirl
    liverpoolgirl Member Posts: 44 Member
    #3
    shmurciakova said:

    Hi! I would think that since the CT scans showed the exact same thing as back in September and the nodules stayed the same size, right? That is what is leading him to think that it might not be cancer. My advice is to try, as hard as it may be, to just wait until the final results come back. Of course you are apprehensive. Anyway, if nothing else it sounds like he is stable and I really hope that the PET scan comes back clean. April is a long time to wait - is there a way they can schedule it sooner?
    Will he be all done w/ the chemo by then?
    I wish you both the best of luck,
    Susan.

    we knew it was a reoccurance back in 05/05 as he had a routine PET/CT Scan follow up to initial diagnosis 09/03, which showed the nodules and then a lung biopsy which confirmed the PET Scan resutls.

    Since the reoccurance he has has 3 CT Scans, the first one 07/05 showed some shrinkage, then the following two (2)09/05 and 01/06 showed no change, no new disease and no new growth, so now its the PET/CT Scan in April....and remaining on chemo until them
  • alihamilton
    alihamilton Member Posts: 347 Member
    #4
    Hi, Debbie, the doctor could be right...it might be something quite harmless. When my husband had a scan one year after surgery, it showed some lesions on the liver which were read as possible mets. However the pet scan showed they were not malignant. Another scan 6 months later showed they had not changed.

    Now he has a scan this week, one year after last scan and we are hoping that there is nothing more there. CEA was up a little last time so that too will be tested. Oh, how scary these times are!!

    Hope your husband's pet scan goes well in April.

    Ali
  • jana11
    jana11 Member Posts: 705
    #5
    Debbie,

    any hope is welcome!! I am getting my lungs hacked to pieces later this month and then again in March. BUT - I am grateful they can still hack.

    I must tell you. My surgeon told me about 1/3 of the time, lung tissue doesn't reveal tumor necrosis (death). He said 1/3 of the time he goes in to resect nodules to find dead tumor when growth stopped.

    Keep in mind, this is my recurrance interpretation - ie, may have a more positive spin than what the surgeon meant.... but, it is what I retained and wanted to share with you. If its not growing, it may be pulvarized by the chemo.

    Keep your head up. jana
  • spongebob
    spongebob Member Posts: 2,565 Member
    #6
    G'day there, English Chick!

    I agree with Jana - she should know - CT scan will see tissue but cannot discerne active tissue from dead tissue. The PET scan should reveal whether it's dead or not. Either way static disease is not a bad Dx! Hang tough (I know, easier said than done) until the PET scan in April and just enjoy yourselves!

    Keeping you in my prayers.

    - SpongeBob

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