Unofficial CT/PET scan results and official CA125

Well, not the news I wanted but it could have been much worse. My CA125 went up from 24.6 to 53.9, and 2 of the 3 lymph nodes that had disappeared on my last CT/PET lit up again. (sigh)

The news on my scan is unofficial, but here's what I learned: The para-aortic lymph node that lit up is really tiny and wasn't even measured. The lymph node under my arm was 1.0 x 1.3 cm and lit up a bright SUV of 7.8. The weird thing is that I can't even feel anything under there with my fingers, and cancerous lymph nodes in the armpit are always hard, I've read. I was told that sometimes when the same nodes light up off and on that they may just be nodes that are easily irritated. I don't know. Maybe I'm just grasping at straws here.

I see my chemo-onc Thursday for my official review of the scan and his recommendations. I see my gyne-onc Monday for his recommendation, although we already talked about the various possible scenarios when I saw him last week. My gyne-onc said if only really little nodes lite up and only 1 or 2, he would still be inclined to have me do nothing and just be monitored for a couple more months. (We'll see if these 2 little lymph nodes meet his definition of 'really little'.)

Earlier we'd talked about doing surgery and removing a node if that was possible this time, and try and get a physical confirmation if this is really a recurrence. I think I'd like him to cut out that node under my arm if it is large enough for him to even FIND it in there, and biopsy it. I figure if it's cancerous, well then I've cut the cancer out of me. And if it's not, I'm not going to worry about that other node in the para-aorta that lights up 6 months ago, doesn't light up 3 months ago, and lights up again now. I looked up the surgery to remove the armpit node and it's just a fast in-and-out surgery with a few days of drainage and discomfort but no biggie. & I want to have live tissue assays done and sent to John Hopkins if I can swing that.

& I'm going to see if I can get some antibiotics or anti-inflammatories before my next scan.

Naturally, I'm bummed. But I'm not stunned and heart-broken or anything like that. I'll let you know what my 2 oncologists say, and I'll be surprised if they agree.