CT scan shows ground glass one year post treatment and scared

Hello Mamajules. The report clearly states there is no metastatic disease. There is howevery a bit of a mystery here -- how did ground glass get into your lungs? It would certainly explain the breathlessness, but does need addressing. You may well be referred to a team that would deal with that, but thankfully this appears to have absolutely nothing to do with cancer. 

I realise this can be de-stabilisng, especially at a time when you do not yet have all the information you need, but from what you are saying the current issues are not related to your past breast cancer. If you are willing to share once you know how the glass got in there, and what the results of the colonoscopy are, I would be interested to know. 

It is worth asking, perhaps, if the diahorrea could be a symptom of any late effect from any treatment you may have had for the cancer. This would be best answered by your oncologist, so if you decide to ask this question it may be worth getting in touch with your breast cancer nurse. By the way, how soon is your next oncology follow-up?

I’m sorry to hear you’ve been left feeling anxious. When I started my treatment one of the tests I had was a CT scan (March 2021) and a 6mm ground glass module was found in my lung then. From what I understand this isn’t a cause for concern unless it doubles in size rapidly, so I was re-scanned again in May and am now waiting for the results of my January scan. If nothing much changes over a couple of years it can just be left alone, I think. Hoping you get the answers you need in your phone call.

Hi there GreyCats,

I should have been s bit clearer to say ground glass is a term radiographers use to describe a hazy grey area which can be caused by a few things.  I've never smoked and never had a chest infection so I'm so anxious about what it might be? 

I am impressed with how quickly I am going to have a colonoscopy to see why I have diarrhea  I don't yet have an appointment but I know it will be within 2 weeks.  I don't think it's related to my treatment as that finished last May. 

I will let you know what the breast consultant says when I speak to her on 27th.

Thanks

Mamajules

Hi Handbag lover,

Thanks for your reply, that's reassuring to know.  I know everyone hates the time between being told they can see something on a test and you get a proper explanation.  I am trying not to be anxious but finding it difficult I must say.  

Thanks again,

Mamajules

Three tiny nodules were found on my ct scan....described as Indeterminate nodules. Halfway through chemotherapy I had a chest ct scan to check them They were unchanged so not linked to my cancer....according to my breast care nurse....could be dust from gardening!

Thanks for explaining about the term, "glass," you did me a good service here. I have never come across this term. I guess that when they scanned my lungs and thought they founds mets they were convinced it was a brick wall in there, haha. As for fuzzy areas, I have had that in the liver and bladder, they called them, "shadows," although that may be a name for something that looks a little different. In both cases there was no cancer in those areas in the end. I want your lungs to come back clear too.

Yeah, non-cancerous things would not respond to chemo, would they. My lungs had a few things in them that made the team say I had mets, but when they were taken out it turned out two were just slightly over-active lymph nodes with no cancer in them, one was some form of a very benign tumour, one was a bit of fibrosis, and the only one that did contain anything potentially troublesome had nothing to do with breast cancer and was indeed the only one that had responded in any way to the chemo.

Hi Cosmossy,

That's reassuring thank you.  I haven't been told the size, subtype or whereabouts in my lungs they are which, on googling it, says can tell you more.  Hopefully just a couple more weeks of uncertainty before I'll know for sure.

Mamajules

Thank you GreyCats,

I think when you first hear a medical term it throws you - I did a spell as a medical secretary and I'd never heard of the ground glass term.

Thanks for your support, I'll let you know what it turns out to be, hopefully nothing serious

Yeah, it can do. I grew up in that world and work in it too, so I was surprised to hear this new terms but very pleased to now have it in my vocabulary. 

I will be keeping an eye on this thread, and since we have appointments on the same day this will be very easy to remember.   I get the feeling I will be coming home that evening and heading straight here to see if you said anything.