Awaiting test results and what they mean

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i am hoping for a bit of advice from others experience. I have had oesophageal cancer and finished treatment March last year. On my annual check up nodules in my lungs were found and enlarged lymph nodes. I have had a pet scan which showed hot lymph nodes in my chest and shoulder. I had a meeting with the consultant who told me the cancer had returned and was not curable so we would be looking at containment, he has written the referral to the oncologist on this basis. He did however refer me for a biopsy. Last week I went for a lung ultrasound and biopsy. The doctor who did the scan said he couldn’t see anything abnormal and didn’t do a biopsy he did do a flush test.
My question is has anyone else had this? I don’t know if this means I may not have cancer now and the original assumption of cancer was wrong or if it’s just early stages and not showing to the specialists carrying out the lung scan. It’s hard not knowing if I should be optimistic or not.
thank you

latchbrook 10 months ago

Hi JacPop

I can't help with your questions, not having had this type of cancer, but I noticed that your post hadn't had any replies yet. Responding to you will 'bump' it back to the top of the discussion list and hopefully it'll be seen by forum members who have had a similar experience.

You might also want to post this in the oesophageal forum group, which I can see you're a member of, in order to connect with others who've got the same primary cancer as you.

I hope that the lymph nodes don't show cancer after your recent scan.

"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"

Maninbath 9 months ago

Hi JacPop,

All I can do is tell you my experience of PET scans and ‘hot’ lymph nodes. I am a bowel cancer sufferer and was told in June last year that the scan showed the cancer had spread to my para-aortic lymph nodes and was now incurable. These lymph nodes are associated with the renal artery and lay between the back of the stomach and front of the spine. My last PET scan was in January this year and whilst it shows no further spread the affected ‘bunch’ of lymph nodes is 11cm long, with largest of them having grow from 9mm to 22mm in six months. Associated blood tests show my cancer markers have also increased from 10 to 25 in the same period (a result of 20 or more is an indicator the disease is progressing).

I do not feel it is appropriate to directly answer your questions but hope by sharing this information it might help you answer them.

All the best.

Maninbath

JacPop 9 months ago in reply to Maninbath

Thank you for your reply, I am sorry to hear this has happened to you. I am hoping to find out this week as I am being discussed at the MDT on Wednesday. It is hard when you think you may have cancer beaten is bites you again.

Poppop 7 months ago in reply to JacPop

Hi Jacpop

I was wondering how you were getting on as my husband has been told that followers his oesophageal and tumour removal it had spread to his lymph glands and was now incurable, however his upper GI surgeon does not agree so we are waiting and watching which as you are well aware is very stressful. How can drs disagree on such important diagnosis.

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Awaiting test results and what they mean