PET Scan results-HELP

carolinagirl67
carolinagirl67 Member Posts: 153
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Happy New Year Everyone! My husband got the results from his first PET scan yesterday and they said he has something on his Lung that they need to biopsy. My sister is an RN and said it could be anything but of course we are scared and worried. I am praying that it is just scar tissue from his pneumonia back in '05. Has anyone else had anything simular that was not cancer. Please pray for us. Thanks, Donna

Comments

  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #2
    Hi Donna

    I have a friend who after his cancer treatment had some stuff show up on his lungs in the PET scan, after the doctors took a biopsy it was nothing.
    Also every PET I take there is an area in my nasal passage that lights there scanner and the doctors don’t know why. When they did a biopsy of it, appears as NPC but it does not grow, so my doctors now think it is nothing more then scar tissue left over from the radiation and chemo treatments.

    Take care and I will keep your husband in my prayers
  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #3
    Hondo said:

    Hi Donna

    I have a friend who after his cancer treatment had some stuff show up on his lungs in the PET scan, after the doctors took a biopsy it was nothing.
    Also every PET I take there is an area in my nasal passage that lights there scanner and the doctors don’t know why. When they did a biopsy of it, appears as NPC but it does not grow, so my doctors now think it is nothing more then scar tissue left over from the radiation and chemo treatments.

    Take care and I will keep your husband in my prayers

    I have two lung spots
    Donna I have two lung spots which have been uncovered by CT scans after my treatment. One is 9mm and the other is tiny around the size of a pencil point. I do know these are common and can be caused by things such as infections or TB in past years. My doctors don't seem too concerned as long as they don't change in size. Do you know the size of the abnormality and has it changed in size from the last scan?
  • carolinagirl67
    carolinagirl67 Member Posts: 153
    #4
    ratface said:

    I have two lung spots
    Donna I have two lung spots which have been uncovered by CT scans after my treatment. One is 9mm and the other is tiny around the size of a pencil point. I do know these are common and can be caused by things such as infections or TB in past years. My doctors don't seem too concerned as long as they don't change in size. Do you know the size of the abnormality and has it changed in size from the last scan?

    lung spots
    Okay, after talking with my husband a little more this morning he said that the DR told him the PET showed something in the lymph node area on both sides near the lungs. He had a tumor (originally) on his tonsil and that area is all clean. So I am just hoping it has not spread to other lymph nodes but if it has I guess it can be treated. Thank you all for your prayers. Donna
  • pk
    pk Member Posts: 192
    #5
    carolinagirl67 said:

    lung spots
    Okay, after talking with my husband a little more this morning he said that the DR told him the PET showed something in the lymph node area on both sides near the lungs. He had a tumor (originally) on his tonsil and that area is all clean. So I am just hoping it has not spread to other lymph nodes but if it has I guess it can be treated. Thank you all for your prayers. Donna

    carolinagirl
    Praying that all will turn out well. My husband has his first PET scan on Tuesday and of course we are nervous. It's one thing to make it thru the treatment and be able to eat again, but then it's these damn tests all the time. After making it thru the hell of rads and chemo to the throat, the thought of more is not too inviting. Keep us posted.
    PK
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #6
    pk said:

    carolinagirl
    Praying that all will turn out well. My husband has his first PET scan on Tuesday and of course we are nervous. It's one thing to make it thru the treatment and be able to eat again, but then it's these damn tests all the time. After making it thru the hell of rads and chemo to the throat, the thought of more is not too inviting. Keep us posted.
    PK

    PK

    Please let me know the results of the PET, I too am praying that is it good.

    God bless you both
  • soccerfreaks
    soccerfreaks Member Posts: 2,788 Member
    #7
    Another view
    The truth is that squamous cell carcinoma, likes to migrate to the lungs and the brain, not to worry you more than you already are.

    That is the bad news, Donna, along with my personal experience, which includes an original diagnosis of head/neck cancer (SCC) followed a couple of years later by a new diagnosis of lung cancer that was inoperable and left me with as little as 10 months to live.

    That is the bad news.

    The good news is that your sister is right, and all of the other posters are right: PET scans can indeed be misinterpreted, by their very nature. They can show hot spots that are conveyed to the radiologist as cancer but which are really 'only' infections or tooth decay (not in the lungs, of course), or something of the sort.

    The good news is that the same holds true for CT scans, which will pick up scar tissue from pneumonia, bronchitis, a previous smoking habit, and so on, although, given comparisons between two over time, I would advise that these are probably more reliable.

    The good news is that my diagnosis was almost completely erroneous, largely for the reasons cited above. I DID have one node in my lower right lung lobe, but the cancer was not pervasive and now, two years later, I am free of cancer.

    There you have it, carolinagirl: much to worry about, to be honest, but much to hang on to in terms of hope.

    There is this too, carolinagirl: while others indicate that SCC is aggressive (and it is), I have been told that if you are going to get cancer in the lungs, SCC is probably the way to go. I do not mean that lightly, and you will want to check with your hub's docs, but I was advised that my odds were MUCH better with non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) than I would have been with small cell.

    I wish your husband and his family the very best (I don't believe in god but I believe in you).

    Be sure to take care of yourself as you care for your husband.

    Take care,

    Joe
  • carolinagirl67
    carolinagirl67 Member Posts: 153
    #8
    soccerfreaks said:

    Another view
    The truth is that squamous cell carcinoma, likes to migrate to the lungs and the brain, not to worry you more than you already are.

    That is the bad news, Donna, along with my personal experience, which includes an original diagnosis of head/neck cancer (SCC) followed a couple of years later by a new diagnosis of lung cancer that was inoperable and left me with as little as 10 months to live.

    That is the bad news.

    The good news is that your sister is right, and all of the other posters are right: PET scans can indeed be misinterpreted, by their very nature. They can show hot spots that are conveyed to the radiologist as cancer but which are really 'only' infections or tooth decay (not in the lungs, of course), or something of the sort.

    The good news is that the same holds true for CT scans, which will pick up scar tissue from pneumonia, bronchitis, a previous smoking habit, and so on, although, given comparisons between two over time, I would advise that these are probably more reliable.

    The good news is that my diagnosis was almost completely erroneous, largely for the reasons cited above. I DID have one node in my lower right lung lobe, but the cancer was not pervasive and now, two years later, I am free of cancer.

    There you have it, carolinagirl: much to worry about, to be honest, but much to hang on to in terms of hope.

    There is this too, carolinagirl: while others indicate that SCC is aggressive (and it is), I have been told that if you are going to get cancer in the lungs, SCC is probably the way to go. I do not mean that lightly, and you will want to check with your hub's docs, but I was advised that my odds were MUCH better with non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) than I would have been with small cell.

    I wish your husband and his family the very best (I don't believe in god but I believe in you).

    Be sure to take care of yourself as you care for your husband.

    Take care,

    Joe

    Waiting
    Thank you Joe for your point of view and I believe that we will be fine. All the cancer in his neck was gone and the tumor was totally gone as well. My husband is a fighter and I don't believe we have come this far to lose. We have too much life ahead of us and we will do whatever it takes to win. You have no idea how much your postive attitude means to me. It means a lot to know we have folks like you pulling for us. Donna
  • carolinagirl67
    carolinagirl67 Member Posts: 153
    #9
    Hondo said:

    Hi Donna

    I have a friend who after his cancer treatment had some stuff show up on his lungs in the PET scan, after the doctors took a biopsy it was nothing.
    Also every PET I take there is an area in my nasal passage that lights there scanner and the doctors don’t know why. When they did a biopsy of it, appears as NPC but it does not grow, so my doctors now think it is nothing more then scar tissue left over from the radiation and chemo treatments.

    Take care and I will keep your husband in my prayers

    Hondo
    Thank you so much for your prayers. I believe God has gotten us this far and will take us where we need to be. After all, he is in control anyway and I trust him! I will keep you all posted as soon as I know something. Donna

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