Scan Results/Lung Nodule Questions

rrob
rrob Member Posts: 158
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hey everyone!

First, a quick recap. Oct 07 dx stage iv cc; two surgeries; six months of FOLFOX w/Avastin; follow-up surgery in Dec. 08. Scans have shown NED since Feb 07. Just had my last set of PET scans on Friday and received my results today. My scans show still NERD (No Evidence of Recurrent Disease - Colon Cancer). However, they did show a 2mm nodule in the left lobe of my lung. There was no uptake (nodule did not light up. The report said that the nodule might have been on the last PET, but because it is in a heavily vascular area it was hard to tell and, according to my oncologist, could very possibly even be the way I was breathing during that part of the scan. He is not concerned enough to order another scan. The nodule is too small to biopsy so we are in a wait and watch mode with my regular scan scheduled in another four months.

Here is my question: has anyone out there had a nodule like this show up in their lung and had it turn out NOT to be a met? Trying to stay hopeful, but I'm riding the roller coaster today. On a more positive note, when I was diagnosed I didn't know if I would live to see my youngest son graduate from high school and I just got back from his college orientation. Life is good!! I don't post much anymore because I finished my masters in May and started my new job the next week. I've been working lots of hours and I can't check the board at work. But hey, I finished school and landed a job--more great things! Thanks for listening and sharing.

Rebecca

Comments

  • shmurciakova
    shmurciakova Member Posts: 906 Member
    #2
    lung thingy
    Hi Rebecca,

    Hopefully someone will respond that has been down this road and had it turn out to be nothing. All you can really do is watch and wait so try to busy yourself w/ work as much as possible and enjoy your new job. You're right, 2mm is too small to tell anything about. and I know, easier said than done, but there is no sense worrying about something when you don't even know if it is anything to worry about.
    On the other hand, I had 2 lung nodules show up back in Oct. 04. We watched and waited for 8 months. If your node is anything it will grow and you will know because your CEA will also rise... I had them out and no problems since...
    I hope that it is nothing. I think the fact that it has been 2 1/2 years for you is a good sign! I know there are no assurances, but I also know that there ARE people out there that have had things show up in the lungs on scans that ended up being nothing. I do have a benign cyst on my kidney that is nothing!

    Best wishes,
    Susan H.
  • rrob
    rrob Member Posts: 158
    #3
    shmurciakova said:

    lung thingy
    Hi Rebecca,

    Hopefully someone will respond that has been down this road and had it turn out to be nothing. All you can really do is watch and wait so try to busy yourself w/ work as much as possible and enjoy your new job. You're right, 2mm is too small to tell anything about. and I know, easier said than done, but there is no sense worrying about something when you don't even know if it is anything to worry about.
    On the other hand, I had 2 lung nodules show up back in Oct. 04. We watched and waited for 8 months. If your node is anything it will grow and you will know because your CEA will also rise... I had them out and no problems since...
    I hope that it is nothing. I think the fact that it has been 2 1/2 years for you is a good sign! I know there are no assurances, but I also know that there ARE people out there that have had things show up in the lungs on scans that ended up being nothing. I do have a benign cyst on my kidney that is nothing!

    Best wishes,
    Susan H.

    Lung Thingy
    Susan,

    Thanks for the words of encouragement. Even if it turns out to be something, it just means a new fight. I'm hoping for nothing, but I'm also focusing on enjoying the moment. After I was diagnosed, I changed my eating, etc., but I've decided to really work on getting my body back in shape and building my strength. It's a win-win decision. If I have to go back through biopsy/surgery/chemo, my body will have the best chance possible, and if it turns out to be nothing, I'm even better prepared to keep enjoying every moment.

    Again, thanks for the words of encouragement. The roller coaster ride can get a little rough and your taking the time to reply helps more than you know.

    Rebecca
  • tootsie1
    tootsie1 Member Posts: 5,044 Member
    #4
    Busy
    Congratulations on the new job and on your son going to college. You DO have a lot going on in your life right now. You're too busy for cancer!!!

    *hugs*
    Gail
  • ldot123
    ldot123 Member Posts: 272
    #5
    tootsie1 said:

    Busy
    Congratulations on the new job and on your son going to college. You DO have a lot going on in your life right now. You're too busy for cancer!!!

    *hugs*
    Gail

    Me too
    Hey Rebecca,

    I had a couple of 2 mm nodules show up on a CT scan. I am considered NED and was a stage 3 guy. The first time they saw the nodules they said the same thing and to see what happens in 3 or 4 months. Had another scan and the nodule had not grown so the assumption is that it is benign. They will continue to monitor every 6 months. Does it bother me - well it did at first and hated the waiting between scans but for the most part I am hanging in there. Mind you whenever I get a cough, I start wondering - but that goes with the territory.

    Cheers, Lance
  • rrob
    rrob Member Posts: 158
    #6
    ldot123 said:

    Me too
    Hey Rebecca,

    I had a couple of 2 mm nodules show up on a CT scan. I am considered NED and was a stage 3 guy. The first time they saw the nodules they said the same thing and to see what happens in 3 or 4 months. Had another scan and the nodule had not grown so the assumption is that it is benign. They will continue to monitor every 6 months. Does it bother me - well it did at first and hated the waiting between scans but for the most part I am hanging in there. Mind you whenever I get a cough, I start wondering - but that goes with the territory.

    Cheers, Lance

    Thanks!
    Gail and Lance,

    Thanks for the input. I talked to my oncologist's office today and we went over each of my scan results for comparisons. We did find that in June 2008, just after I finished chemo, I had a small nodule in the right lobe of my lung, which never showed up again. So hopefully, this will be the same type of thing. We did decide to do a CT scan in 6 weeks for comparison, but I think my doctor agreed to this just to help give me a little peace of mind. Lance, thanks so much for sharing the information. I hope that you continue on the NED path and that I'm right there with you. Thanks again for the encouragement. I feel much better today, so I guess I'm on the upside of the roller coaster! Gail, you're right--I am way too busy to have cancer, so I'm just saying no to cancer. Thanks for being the best support group around!

    Rebecca
  • nudgie
    nudgie Member Posts: 1,478 Member
    #7
    Lung Nodules
    Way before my cancer DX I was seeing my Lung Dr (don't remember reason). I had all the breathing and stress tests performed along with X-rays and CT Scan w/contrast. The CT scan showed several small nodules (mm size), so my doctor indicated this is something to watch since I was a smoker. He also stated that if these do not change within a year, they are considered stable and non-threatening.

    I have had the same nodules for several years now with no change
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #8
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