Husband newly diagnosed

Hi Jo B24

Not really sure what to say. I felt fine and was surprised when I was diagnosed, I had a lump for a good year before I went to the gp. I thought it was a cyst so left it, plus it's so hard to get an appointment at my gp. GP told me to go to the chemist, Iuckily for me I went elsewhere amd was immediately referred  back to the gp to get a biopsy. They also gave me some  chemo cream to use in the meantime. Fast forward after biopsy and PET, CT and MRI scans I was diagnosed T2 N1, they also found a tumour on my adrenal gland which they are pretty sure is benign (still waiting on appointment to deal with that). Once I had my diagnosis and I looked up the symptoms, I had had some of them but they were all things in my case I put down to something I had eaten and not getting enough sleep. I'm out the other side of treatment now and just have to wait for scans and fingers crossed the all clear. I hope your husband gets some answers soon. Sending hugs. Xx

Hello Jo B24

What a worrying time for you.  I am not a medical expert and would be guessing and I don't want to do that.  But what is reassuring is that everything is being checked out and double checked and if there is anything wrong they will act quickly.  Having all these tests done is extremely stressful, I know, and I am keeping everything crossed that everything comes back clear.  What I can say is that if the lesions on his bone and liver didn't light up, then they could be benign and that he has had them for a very long time.  On one of my checks with my oncologist she said good news, the spots on your stomach haven't changed at all.  I was horrified, it was the first I had heard of them, but she said they had neither grown nor shrunk since my last scan.  She went on to say that if every single person were scanned, almost 99 percent would have some spots that they have had all their lives but because we are being checked for cancer, they look at everything in minute detail.

I too, hope you get answers quickly.

Sending you both a hug.

Irene xx

Yes, Irene - when I had the results back of my initial scans the oncologist gave me a list of interesting things they had found, which almost made me explode with panic! There was something interesting on my liver, something else showing on my lung and an area in my pancreas they were looking at.

In the end I had the usual (for here!) chemoradiation, which all went well. When I had a more familiar relationship with the onc some months later, I asked him about this, and he said 'oh they were just interesting observations', and like you said Irene, everyone has some spots or marks that show on scans, and these are not necessarily related to your cancer.

If you are in this position and get told you have lesions or marks on scans, try not to fly into a panic, and ask for clarification. I don't think the medics realise how we lay people interpret these words, and that our limited knowledge makes us frantic.

Hi Jo B24 ,

Firstly welcome to the MacMillan Online Community although I’m so sorry to hear of everything your dear husband is going through right now. I don’t have a great deal to add to the replies you’ve already received but sympathise with you both greatly with the wait you have during all the tests & the distress that they’re causing. As you’ll have already read I’m sure, others here have had things flag up on their scans that have often been benign & hopefully this will also be the case with your husband. At the time of my diagnosis I had very few symptoms either, I had an external polyp that had suddenly changed shape & bled a little on a couple of occasions, other than this I had nothing, no pain or anything, I was diagnosed stage 1. I really hope you get some news soon & hope the news is good. Thinking of you both.

Nicola