PET scan review with oncologist today

phrogger78

So I haven't been on much at all, school has kept me extremely busy, but I finally finished my first year of nursing school so now I have a moment to breathe. I had a PET scan on Tuesday and today I met with my oncologist. The results were great. Basically the nodules in my lungs have completely resolved, my breast has essentially resolved and my lymph nodes have shrunk. The area where they mentioned the lymph nodes however mentioned background activity and SUV Max then numbers. I don't know what background activity is. Just curious if anyone else does.

I am attaching the area where it talked about the lymph nodes.

zarovka

Background activity is the metabolic activity of a normal cell. They look at cells nearby that would behave about the same. I believe they look at the SUV of blood and nearby tissue, but I am still trying to understand that.

The uptake of the radioactive glucose into your lymph nodes is indistinguishable from a normal cell right now. I would be very interested in knowing whether the your oncologist still thinks you have cancer in your lymph nodes. Are they normal cells or cancer cells that have gone dormant? I've been puzzling over this question in my own pet scan results.

Thank you so much for sharing this. And congratulations. Ibrance/letrozol is really working for you. I've also had a fast response to ibrance/letrozol. My pet scan was not as over the top fabulous as this one, but I started with more tumors and bigger tumors and I had my pet scan after two months not three. I am hoping for the best in my next scan.

I am very curious about what happens next for you ... do you continue on the same protocol. I am also curious as to how your oncologist reads this scan. If you feel like talking about these things, you have an audience. Tribe Ibrance hangs out on the ibrance 2015 thread. I am sure that other people would be interested in how this goes.

And I am just so very happy for you. Congratulations on finishing school as well. I am inspired by the lives that people on this thread pursue while following treatment.

>Z<

phrogger78

my oncologist didn't say much about the lymph nodes, but I'll ask him again when I see him next. He was just extremely happy with the over all report, we kind of got excited and didn't discuss it in detail like he normally explains things. It started with he started explaining things to me, then we had to explain it to my husband and it got over looked. But I'll let you all know what he says when I talk to him again.

pajim

Congratulations!!! That's one h--- of a report/response.

Lymph nodes can be reactive in general -- they are the first responders to infection. I would assume "background" is what zarovka says -- namely that they expect a certain level of "background noise", and remark upon anything above that level.

Kandy

Awesome report. Congratulations.

50sgirl

Erin, A big WOOHOO to you for those great results. Actually, here is another one, WOOHOO for finishing your first year of nursing school. That is such a big accomplishment, especially with everything else you have had going on in your life. Didn't you even have surgery recently?I am very happy that you are continuing to really live life, finish your education, and start a brand new career. You have not let cancer take over your life. Oh, that deserves another huge WOOHOO! Keep doing what you are doing, and make sure you check in with us from time to time. We are interested in know how you are doing.

Lynne

zarovka

Woohoo HOOOO!

>Z<

kayrnic

I believe background activity is just the uptake in surrounding tissues .....normal metabolism. So if the background is say 2.3, and then there is an area that jumps up to say 4.0 or higher, that might indicate cancer is present since it has a higher suv uptake. Hope that makes sense!

Beatmon

So wonderful you have made it through this hardest of all years. You will always have a fufulling career...take it from me...I know. Retired RN

phrogger78

Lynne,

Yes, I had my oophorectomy in March, right before spring break started. I was going to wait until this summer, but my OB convinced me to just jump to it and do it over spring break. It was very easy and didn't interfere with school at all.

Thank you all of the responses.