Has anyone had surgery for a distant lymph gland near the aorta with amal cancer I have only beeb offered c a d b chemo to shrink it any one with any experience would be appreciated thank you
Weekend Walker. I’m sorry about your diagnosis. My PET scan showed a periaortic lymph node that lit up a little. This was before any overall treatment ( chemo/ radiation) was started. The radiation oncologist included this LN in the radiation. No biopsy was done. Subsequent PET scans showed no uptake in this one node. Usually surgery is not performed in cases like this. Due to this node I was Stage 4 at diagnosis. I have had 3 follow-up PET scans and the node is gone. I think your oncologist is correct, ie, you need chemo and follow up. At this point I’m considered “cured” and I’m on a 6 month follow up schedule. I still worry about a recurrence, but I think all cancer patients worry about this. So I would do whatever your oncologist suggests as the best course of action. I should add that I live in the US and I understand we do things a bit differently here as compared to the UHS if you are in Britain. regardless keep in touch with this websight if you have any other issues.
I am going to do that.. funnily enough I found something that said different disciplines will say different things about this, but to side with the oncologist! xx
my anal cancer is in the retrorectal lymph nodes , 2 cysts that are malignant but same cancer as the anal .. I was told it is sooo rare that an oncologist may only see this once .. it really upset me as they couldn’t advise me other than the chemoradiotherapy which I’m day 10 post treatment .. I wonder if this is the same experience as yourself ? have good weekend
Mike, I hate to burst your bubble but by the second cut after my hair started growing back all my curls had gone! I had poker straight hair all my life and the family used to laugh and tousle my curls (for a short time!)
Saw my oncologist this morning, and she said that there was no sign of any cancer, so good news there! There was a 50% chance that what they saw on my last scan 3 mths. ago, was either calcification of the lymph nodes, or cancer. Luckily , it was the former , next scan in 4 mths. time.
As these were distant lymph nodes , it is stage 4 cancer. Almost all of the sites I have looked at for stage 4 anal cancer, say that at this stage treatment is just palliative or to slow it's spread, and not a cure. A few suggest other wise, and yet you read of people with anal cancer in the lungs / liver etc. being cured. My oncologist successfully treated the only other two people with this presentation.
So remember, that when this cancer spreads to distant lymph glands , it is very much treatable. Don't panic about sites that suggest other wise!
Hi I'm not too bad thanks ive got my scan today so a bit nervous your oncologist sounds very good I might need contact details but will wait for scan results but you sound encouraging..This site is very good for sharing information and you know your not alone ill keep you informed thanks Take care xx
