Getting scan results today, scared
Getting scan results of bone and CT after 3 months of tx. Nothing really to compare them to, since I had PET and MRI for dx. I'm scared, and need reassurance. Thanks.
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Thinking of you, Claire. May you be holding steady or even see some regression.
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Claire,
My fondest hope is that nothing new shows up on your scans. I can’t give you any reassurance, no one can, but if, big IF, anything is not great, you and your mo can come up with a plan. However, my money is on a there being good news 😊
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Know that I am wishing you the best of luck, Claire. Take it one step at a time. We are behind you and support you.
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Claire - I can totally understand your anxiety. If things don't look much better, or heaven forbid you show a new spot or something, don't panic and give it another couple of months. My first scan like this at 3 months actually showed a small amount of progression and my onc at the time wanted to immediately stop the drugs and put me on IV chemo. I told her I had read in several places that it can take 3-6 months to see improvement, and that I would like to keep it going awhile longer. She said 2 months was enough and that she didn't think the drugs were working for me. I reiterated how I wanted to keep trying. Well, she said one more month and no more. Then she went out on maternity leave. I had new scans that month later and the "substitute" onc I was seeing while the regular one was on leave said the new spot had disappeared and everything looked fine. He saw no reason to change drugs at that point. He is now my regular onc and I have been stable since. In April/May it will be a year since I started the fulvestrant and Verzenio. So far, so good. Just don't worry if the results aren't great on the first scan and be sure to advocate for yourself and look for a second opinion if you feel the need. Again I continue to read here and there that it can sometimes take 3-6 months to show improvement. Others here have also needed more than 3 months to see a difference, but I think most see it in those first 3 months, so you may well see it immediately. I hope so!
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Scans showed no progression. Some minor concern about a lymph node in chest. Since this was an apples to oranges comparison to the PET my MO isn’t too worried. Acites in abdomen has nearly resolved. I can tell. Mostly she said she’s pleased. Said because I feel so great it’s the best indicator that it’s not progressing too. Thank you all. Hopefully the lymph node will not fire up in the next series of scans. She’s keeping me on treatment , no changes. Labs all good too. This is a good thing right? Of course we want shrinking but is it too early for that perhaps?
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@claireinaz this sounds great for you, very happy to hear this!
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Excellent! Of course this is a good thing and as my late mother often said, “Don’t borrow trouble!”
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It's a great thing, Claire! No news is good news after all :)
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Claire - Glad to hear the good news! I wouldn't worry about that lymph node much. It might not even be there next time. Wishing you a very long run on these drugs. (Unless of course "the cure" comes along sooner😉 - wouldn't that be nice?!) Again - congratulations!
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Truly excellent news, Claire.
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Claire, I had new lymph node uptake in my second PET that was gone in my third PET. There were a couple comments in the second PET report about it possibly being tumor flare, so I'm assuming that's all it was. Hopefully, your next scans will be even better.
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claire, yes, “no progression” is good indeed. Very happy for you. My last scan showed an enlarged lymph node in the “paratracheal” area which is near the esophagus, and my onc was not concerned. She said we would just monitor it.
Congratulate yourself for getting through the process. I’ve learned to savor these kinds of results and like to treat myself to something, whether it’s a decadent pastry, a little retail therapy or an afternoon of binge-watching a favorite show.0 -
Thank you hermanas.
she was so pleased I am doing well and feel good on the meds. I agreed and I think I jokingly asked her for more. I also thought perhaps tumor flare or who knows what with the lymph node. We will see. If it stays in lymph nodes that’s fine by me.
We do tx, I told her, to buy enough time to die from something else, to wait for better and more effective drugs, or dare I say it, a cure. I’m shooting for the first or second.
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claire, years ago when I was diagnosed, I remember my son saying something about living long enough until the next breakthrough treatments are developed and then doing that over and over. He was 18 at the time and he doesn’t remember saying it. But he had looked online just a little about “parent living with mbc” and it was one of the things he came across. Later, I read a book that basically said the same thing. Not that we have any control whatsoever on the matter, but perhaps it is a message of hope.
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That's my hope - long enough for a new and/or better treatment and preferably "the cure"!
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