I was treated for stage IIIA adeno in 2012. Had surgery, chemo and radiation. Was fine until this week. I have been having back/side pain for many months which is increasing in pain (severe, all the time) and going to the chiropractor did not help at all. Both my PCP and oncologist did not think my back/side pain was related to previous lung cancer.
Well, I had a CT scan this with of the chest/abdomen. Only contrast for the abdomen as I am highly allergic to the IV chest CT dye.
This is what was found (everything else fine):
Mediastinum: Within the posterior mediastinum in the left paraspinal region at the T9 level, there is an enlarging soft tissue deposit, measuring 1.8 x 1.3 cm in series 4, image 37. This subtle lesion has demonstrated slow interval growth since 10/1/14.
I was told through my follow up in the last few years that I had a ground glass opacity which my oncologist really thought was scar tissue, as it was right where I had the surgery and radiation.
I am having a PET scan next week. My oncologist said it is 50/50 if it is cancer or not.
Has this ever happened to anyone? To our knowledge, I have no mets or recurrence anywhere, just this deposit.
Thanks much!
Reply # - September 12, 2015, 08:40 AM
Hi tuliptime,
Hi tuliptime,
Welcome to GRACE. It's good to hear how effective your original treatment was, but I'm sorry that the current scan results are concerning. The PET scan should tell you a bit more, although even if it shows activity only a biopsy would confirm a recurrence. The slow growth over a year's time, with no evidence of anything anywhere else, is certainly a positive factor, and I hope you get good results from the scan.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - September 14, 2015, 04:56 AM
Thanks. I had my last CT
Thanks. I had my last CT scan in April and was put on yearly scans. I was told there was something there for a few scans and my oncologist would always say he reviewed the scans and that it looked like scar tissue. But I don't think scar tissue grows. I will be glad to know one way or another.
Reply # - September 14, 2015, 01:17 PM
One thing to keep in mind is
One thing to keep in mind is that while scar tissue doesn't grow scan readings for lung nodules can change without the nodule changing. Studies have shown a nodule can be read as different sizes just because the placement (slice) of that particular picture is slightly different from the previous ct, so the size is seen a different. It can be compared to taking a picture of a sliced baseball at only a mm or 2 apart will change the size. It's possible this is the cause of the change.
We can't say from here if this applies but I did want to warn of the a common reaction to overtreat slow growing cancer. The following is a quote from a blog post from 07 and still as relevant today, it will be useful to read and use to follow up with your oncologist if this is cancer. Dr. West, "However, I’ve seen a few cancers that didn’t have convincing growth until more than two years of follow-up had been completed (although a cancer that takes 3-4 years to double is likely to be much less life-threatening over the next several years than a more typical, faster growing lung cancer). And there’s always a rare very rapidly growing cancer that can grow remarkably during a period of observation. The key is weighing the risk of watching (which usually helps to clarify the risk that a nodule really is cancer or not) vs. the risk of jumping in and overtreating lots of nodules that aren’t cancer after all." http://cancergrace.org/lung/2007/11/12/lung-nodule-doubling-time/
Please keep us posted and I hope for the best.
Janine
Reply # - September 16, 2015, 02:00 PM
I did get bad news today.
I did get bad news today.
The tumor, as he is now calling it, was a SUV of 10.
There is also a lymph node with a SUV of 5.
Turns out it is not the ground glass scar tissue issue. It was there 10/14 and 4/15 but so small it was not "called" on the radiology report.
He is scheduling me for a biopsy later or this week or early next but we are almost certain it is a recurrence of the lung adenocarcinoma.
My stage III tumor was ALK and we are hoping it has not converted.
Reply # - September 16, 2015, 04:33 PM
Dang, I'm so sorry. I know
Dang, I'm so sorry. I know you must be devastated. But I'll still hold out for that odd occurrence that the pet is showing 2 spots of rather high suv of something else. Keep us posted.
Janine