Metastasized?
I had a lumpectomy a few weeks ago and start chemo in a few weeks. My oncologist ordered a few scans in between. I had a CT scan today and I saw my results online before the nurse called. It showed a few lesions (2-3 mm) on my lung and kidney. I was freaking out a bit and assumed I was going to have to have more scans before chemo. But the nurse said everything looked ok and that we will keep an eye on those spots. So do we assume those lesions are cancer and hope that my upcoming chemo will get rid of them? Is it not considered metastasizing until after you go through treatment and there is something found down the line?
Comments
-
trv4764,
Something very small was seen in your lung and kidney. Many things can be seen on scans that are not cancerand it seems as if what was seen was not of immediate concern. You might want to ask your mo why there is no concern over these findings. As I am not a doctor, I wouldn't want to venture a guess but I hope he/she will explain why they aren't concerned at this time. Additionally, mets are often biopsy confirmed with the exception being too small to biopsy or in a location that can't be biopsied. Imaging alone is not the best way to identify mets but a biopsy is. Lastly, kidneys are a very, very uncommon place for bc mets. Off the top of my head, after 11 years on bco, I can't remember anyone who had kidney mets (I'm sure it could happen but it would beextraordinarily rare.
Metastasis can be dx'ed before any treatment is started, so it has nothing to do with that. De novo stage IV is also rare, happening in only about 6% of initial bc diagnoses. Take care
0 -
Ugh, I meant to say spots found on liver, not kidney.
0 -
Hi trv4764 - I don't know about the lung thing, but I had a spot show up on my liver on my initial scans, and I too freaked, until they told me it was just a cyst and that liver cysts are quite common and only rarely are they anything to worry about. They show up on scans all the time. I also then remembered how my dad had been scanned for something and a liver cyst showed up - he too was kind of obsessed with it at the time. I decided that maybe there is even something genetic there, then.
You might have a cyst, but they just haven't identified it as such. It look like just one of those "watch and wait" sort of things, and yes, they can be scary, but I would trust the medical people at this point, that nothing looks immediately concerning or worth biopsying (sp?). I'd just go with the flow, get that chemo, and see where it all goes from there. It is hard for sure. All of this cancer treatment is and there is no getting around it, but as so many say here - almost to the point that it's getting trite, "It's doable"!
So sorry about your anxiety and worry - I've been there many times. I wish you lots and lots of luck!
0 -
Hi trv4764 - threetree addressed the liver, which did not affect me, but I have several small lesions (4 - 9 mm) in my right lung. They think that these are due to inflammation so I am on the "keep an eye on it" protocol for this. What makes them draw this conclusion is that my pulmonary lymph nodes look normal and would probably be enlarged if it were cancer. I would definitely ask your doctor but this is the explanation I received. Best wishes for your further treatment!
0 -
I remember a note about a liver lesion in my CT report, so I had to go back to my portal and read it...
Liver: A 3 mm hypodense lesion in segment 4 is too small to definitively characterize but statistically likely to represent a benign liver cyst (7:26). No other focal hepatic lesion.
I was diagnosed with stage 3a, so my "lesion" was not considered metastatic.
0 -
Hi trv4764 - The lesions and nodes were seen on a chest HRCT (very thin CT slices without contrast) done to check for progression of my late stage radiation pneumonitis. They would have biopsied if they thought they looked suspicious. I'm scheduled to have another one so they will then be able to tell if the lesions are stable, a good sign. I hope this helps.
0 -
I agree with other poster's comments.
Have you read the doctor's report on the scans? It should give you good information about those spots.
0
