CT and Lung Nodules
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Maggie15 I'm glad to hear your RIPF is stable. That would be worrisome to me too. All that driving. Ugh! But yes worth it. I'm pretty satisfied with mine at this point. Faslodex tomorrow. 8 miles to go.
The mets confuse me. How does the drugs control some yet allow some other mets to grow?.
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Maggie glad that every thing is ok. I seen my MO NP yeasterday. My CT said the nodule went down from 1.5 to 1.1 and they didn’t see any thing else and that my liver ultrasound was just that I had a fatty liver and should loss weight. I don’t think they compared it to my pet scan. That was my last image not my CT scan. Should I ask them to compare it to my pet scan?
The liver thing kinda makes my feel bad because I just lost 70 pounds and they do t take that into consideration. Almost seem pointless. Ugh!!Maggie hope your pet scan is good. I am sure you are ready to have that done. Hope for good results.
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Gailmary, The treatments for mets seem to work until the cancer cells mutate to avoid whatever is toxic to them. As far as they are concerned their job is to prosper and grow. I think the microenvironment around the lesion also affects things so while a drug might work for bone mets, liver mets might start to grow. It's so complex; scientists are still searching for answers. From what I have read the focus now is on finding dormant cancer cells and killing them off before they have a chance to wake up. I hope the Faslodex continues to do its job for you even though it is a pain in the butt (literally!)
Marge, I'm glad your CT showed the big nodule decreasing. Your 70 pound weight loss is impressive. I'm sure it will help your liver long term but it takes much more time for organs like the liver to readjust and begin to clear the fat. Usually they only compare the same type of scan since things look quite different depending on the type of imaging.
Cindy is up next with her CT. Bookworm, I hope your PET goes well. Let the good scans continue!
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maggie15,
I’m glad the pulmonologist was happy with the results. I hope your next scan goes well!
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Marge,
be proud of that weight loss! And as Maggie said, it does take some time for the organs to show improvement. Congrats on that area getting smaller. I know that is a big relief!
I was under the impression they were sending me for a PET, but my pulmonologist said she was going to get with my oncologist and get back with me. She never did, but my oncologist office called and set an appointment for me to come in on the 21st. I had to do the normal blood work and tumor markers. My CA15-3 while in normal range has gone up to 15. It has always been less than 8 for over four years so I don’t know about that. The pulmonologist said she did not worry much about the area because I had a biopsy around the same spot in July and it did not show cancer. Guess just a little more waiting to see.Hope all the scans come back well for this still waiting!
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Marge, you can do the woo hoo dance! 70 pounds is amazing. And I’ve heard too it takes a while for organs to adjust to that great of loss.
I saw my MO yesterday, and I’ve got moved out to yearly visits - no more every 6 months. But I noted they didn’t do any bloodwork. They told me they’re not doing them at Sloan Kettering anymore either, no bloodwork, even with stage 4 patients. I used to pour over the results , comparing over previous ones - this is higher, this is lower. It felt like a relief not to have them; let go of another anxiety.
Tomorrow is Chest CT at 12:30. I should know by 3pm if all has remained the same.
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CT of my chest results are in: stable 6mm, 5mm, 5mm, 3mm nodules, no new or enlarging nodules.
I see the Thorasic surgeon next Thursday. I should be good for another 6 months if he want to repeat the CT.
I did note hardening of thoracic aorta. I have to look back to see if it was noted 6 months ago. And I’ll ask the dr should I be concerned.1 -
Cindy, Great scan news! About half of my chest CTs mention aortic calcifications (it seems to depend on the reading radiologist) but my doctor told me it was consistent with normal aging. Congratulations on being moved to yearly MO visits. I have never had bloodwork done by oncology except for a pre-surgical CMP and CBC. They referred me to my PCP to manage the anemia and sky high WBC count that showed up (I was on IV antibiotics for mandible osteomyelitis at the time.) They don't do tumor markers for anyone since they are among the group of well-known cancer centers that feel they are not sensitive or specific enough.
Bookworm, I'm glad your lung biopsy was benign. The watching and waiting always seem to continue, however.
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Cindy,
great news for stable nodules! That is always a relief.
Maggie15,
I had heard that some doctors like markers and others don’t. I hope that infection is clearing up or cleared up. The biopsy was last July and waiting to see what they want to do about the new larger area.
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Cindy - yay so glad to hear that. Glad all is well. My MO do tumor marker. They do it every 6 weeks. I do t know they been below worry mark but is 15 points higher since I was diagnose so I don’t know.
Maggie- Hopi g everything goes well next week.0 -
My oncologist loves tumor markers. Mine are very consistent with what’s going on with my cancer. She’s now ordering them monthly for awhile.
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Maggie- good luck tomorrow. Thinking of you.
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Marge, Thank you for thinking of me. They only do this type of scan one day a week in the evening. It’s a good thing I am a night owl!
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Maggie- interesting that they only do it once a week. Is a newer scan?
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Marge, It is a newer scan that uses a contrast (FES) that looks for estrogen receptors. They have to bring the contrast from NYC to Boston on the day it is used. My MO figured the usual FDG would light up all over since it shows areas of the body with higher metabolic activity including infection, inflammation and arthritis as well as cancer. They know from the MRI I have plenty of that in the hip as well as the bone tumor. The down side is that if the receptors flipped or it was bone cancer (which it doesn’t look like to the specialty radiologist) it wouldn’t light up. If that happens they will monitor the tumor for growth by MRI since even a benign acetabular one can cause hip fracture. They are also finding this useful for ILC since that isn’t very metabolically active but tends to be very E+. The contrast is expensive ($2200 vs $600 for the hospital) but it is cheaper than the cost of fracturing my hip!
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bookworm,
It’s not a matter of some doctors liking or not liking tumor markers. They are simply not accurate for many people which renders them useless. However, some doctors do find that in some patients, tumor markers do provide useful info.
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Hi all, Just as I was heading over to the hospital I got a call from the PET scan department telling me that something had happened to the contrast on its courier journey from NYC. They had to cancel and are trying again on May 30. I’m not thrilled since my one way journey is three to four hours but there’s not much anyone can do. Maybe the 90* temp was the reason? I guess I’ll be shipping up to Boston again next week.
Bookworm, I hope your oncologist came up with a plan for the new area of concern.
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Maggie- that’s a bummer. So sorry to hear that.
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Maggie, UGH. It’s stressful enough getting all the plans in order to get your scan, to have it postponed only adds more stress.
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I met with the thorasic surgeon this morning. He was pleased, no change on the lung nodules. He’s letting me go out a year for the next CT and follow-up with him.
As for the vessels, atherosclerotic disease, he said it’s insignificant it’s so small. He went back to the previous 2 CT scans and it was in both. I’m not sure, but I think one of you ladies mentioned it all depends on who is reviewing the CT. He’s sending a note to my cardiologist but also knows I’ve had the heart calcium text with a score of zero. I see the cardiologist in July.
All in all, good news. Thank you for your support.
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Cindy, Great news! It will be nice to have a year off before your next CT. It's comforting to know that your heart calcium score was 0. I sometimes get the same comment. I haven't had that test but my PCP didn't think I was in any imminent danger.
The 29th will be a fun day of driving. I have to take DH for his day after cataract surgery checkup (across the state one and a half hours each way) and then head to Boston where I'll stay overnight. I can't drive down on the day of the scan since I would never get a parking space unless I left my house at 3:00 AM. That week is MIT graduation; this week was Harvard. It's strange to be checking the many college graduation dates but it definitely impacts getting to medical appointments on time. The major hospital construction means that ambulances have difficulty getting there so I leave the car in a garage (also under construction) and take the T.
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Well that just sucks having to move the appointment again. Hopefully the next trip with run smoothly for you and the medicine they need! I hope the trip is easy for you.
Great news on the move to only needing to get scans once per year! I hope the visit to your cardiologist in July also sends positive news your way
The Pulmonologist and Oncologist decided that I need to have another biopsy so they were able to schedule me for May 30th. Keeping fingers crossed for a benign test result and call.
Hope you ladies have a great Memorial Day!
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Bookworm, Those lung biopsies are not fun but it is better to have it done than to worry about what it might be. Here's hoping it's benign. My rescheduled scan is on the 30th so we can be virtual test buddies.
Enjoy the long weekend, everyone!
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Maggie - hope you’re able to do your scan today.
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Marge, Thank you for the good wishes. The third time was the charm. I had to wait for the courier to make it through the traffic but at least I knew the tracer was about to arrive. The tech took one look at my tiny veins and decided to use pediatric IV equipment rather than poke me repeatedly or wait for an IV nurse to come. That and the slower injection time required worked really well. I even got a wrap bandage with smiling bees on it which came with the kit. The next time someone complains about how hard it is to find a vein I now have good suggestion other than to use my feet (which is no longer allowed.) Now I get to wait for the results.
Bookworm, I hope your biopsy today went well.
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Maggie - I am glad that it’s over with and you found a good blood drawal solution. I have bad veins so I left my port in for my blood work every 6 weeks. I have to use the ped drawal on my head if my port can’t be used.
bookworm- yes hope your lung byopsy goes well.1 -
Maggie15,
Glad your scan worked out this time. I have been lucky on the veins…my best one is the right arm thankfully since the left has lymphedema.is the pediatric the butterfly style?
Margecandoit,
That is good they were able to keep the port in. I hope they continue to be able to use the port for you rather than the other option
My doctor was sick so they moved the biopsy to Monday June 3rd hoping for an easy biopsy
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Bookworm, They always use butterfly needles on me but they are adult size. The pediatric needle was tiny but not butterfly style.. An IV nurse once told me that going deep for small veins never works so I guess that’s why it was successful. The tech said the wrap bandage which comes with the needle could have been toy trucks or teddy bears rather than bees and is included to prevent the toddlers from ripping the needle out. Monday is not too far away. I hope the biopsy target is easy to get to.
Marge, Hang on to that port for as long as they’ll let you.
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Maggie, good thinking on the pediatric needle, and glad it all worked out with the scan.
Marge, I’m glad keeping the port worked out for you with blood draws.I saw my endocrinologist on Wednesday and they did bloodwork in the office. I offer up both arms and let them pick. She chose my right arm and I didn’t feel the needle go in, she was good. Tiny mark left behind. Knock on wood, I haven’t had problems with blood draws. But some of the techs over the years should be in another line of work.
Bookworm, good luck with now Mondays biopsy. Unfortunate it got pushed out.
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Home from the attempted biopsy. The doctor said the same branch/tube they needed to go through has shrunk due to radiation treatments I had to do in 2019. The scope was almost as big as what it needed to go through and would either push back out or make me bleed if they tried to force it. She said she tried for two hours trying to get a sample, but she could not make it work
She is getting with another doctor and my Onco to see if they want to try to attempt another bronchoscopy, do a needle biopsy, or PET scan.
Hope all you ladies are doing well!0
