If you are not Stage IV but have questions, you may post here

Scared - I am so sorry you are going through this roller coaster. I could tell you my own story about my roller coaster, but basically CT scans pick up a lot of stuff that may or may not be cancer. If you don't have cancer or you hadn't had cancer, these things would generally be assumed to be benign. They are far more cautious with those who have had cancer, but these things are more than likely benign.

I am no expert in pulminary nodules, but I think these non-calcified nodules may fall into that ambiguous but likely benign group. Here's an article that may give you some perspective while you wait to talk to your oncologist. You may find the nurse gave you the main story, if not the whole story.

I don't like getting only part of the story, but the story is really complex. I always read the full report BEFORE I talk to the doctor for this reason. It's not something I can process in real time while talking to someone. It sometimes takes days or weeks, and conversations with 3-4 professionals before I full grasp what the report means with all of its uncertainties and judgements.

>Z<

Scared - non calcified lesions in the lung can be cancerous, but how often?.... from the article

The malignancy rate of small nodules detected in smokers is likely less than 1 to 2%, and predictors of malignancy include semisolid appearance, diameter greater than or equal to 10 mm or persistent growth on greater than or equal to two CT scans.

It takes a while to process these reports. And we all get to do this 3-4 times a year! Welcome to the club. Whether or not this turns out to be cancer, you will be getting more scans. Nothing super unusual in the scan, the communication, the process or how you are feeling. We all do learn to manage how we receive the learn results in a way that works for us. Because it is so hard. Keep breathing.

Scared - I had the "ground glass" verbiage on one of my CT reports. And yes I freaked out. My MO talked me off the shelf & the CT 6 months later showed it had resolved. (read 'gone'). It's very hard for people who have had BC not to jump to conclusions with every test result. Hope your tests don't follow "dr. google's" notes. I make sure I'm always looking at info only from sites like Mayo Clinic or Sloan Kettering.

Hi All, Just want you all to know how much I appreciate your replies...

You are like a lifeline to me....

The onc. called today and he told me that he is not at all concerned about my CT results...so it felt good hearing it from him...

I still have to have my bone scan on Monday...but for now...will try not to think about it...but. I know I will be back here all worried all over again!!!

Super tired because I didn't get enough sleep last night, so going to my 9 yr off to bed soon - so I can try to relax and sleep...

Hi Scared-

I would have done the exact same thing as you re: googling. But why is a nurse giving you a scan result instead of a doctor? Is that what happens at some places? Only my doctors have given me results. So glad for that no evidence of mets! Hope your bone scan goes well

Hi All,

I am in the totally freaking out stage. I have had very bad back pain for just over a week (that's what I get for dancing the night away). My Onc ordered a bone scan as I have a history of crazy SI joint stuff. The results came in over the weekend. Seems my SI stuff hasn't changed and is probably the cause of my back pain but there are 2 spots on my ribs. One is on a rib and one is near or at my sternum. The radiologist has reported them as not suspicious looking (or something like that) but my Onc says "I can't be sure" so it is off for a PET now.

I don't have a very good feeling about this. I am almost exactly 3 years from initial diagnosis.

Any prayers or supportive thoughts would be appreciated. The waiting game is the worst.

Thanks,

Andrea

Seachain - I'm sorry you're having to deal with those new pains...and the all the anxiety that goes with it.... I had my first bone scan today and it was done the way you described - scan done - three hours after the injection (no scan right immediately after). I hope that helps....

Georgia - thanks for the good thoughts... Yeah - I asked my RN - because my MD had not gotten back to me. All she said was "it was fine". But - what freaked me out - was when I read the posted results in my health portal...

Andrea - my thoughts and prayers are with you....

Z - your support on here is amazing....

Question - for the group - so - I had my first bone scan today - after the 20 min general body scan - the tech came back and said he had to "take 3 more pictures".

For one of these - he had me turn my head all the way to the left - while still laying on my back.

But - he didn't ask me to do that - for the opposite side.

So - I'm wondering - if maybe he saw something suspicious in the initial pictures that prompted him - to take another picture - with my body in that weird position (with my head turned all the way to the left).

Then - he took 2 more pictures - of my trunk area (this time he did both sides).

So - I'm freaking out because I'm not sure why he specifically wanted that view with my head turned to the left. I'm thinking maybe he saw something suspicious and needed another picture taken - with that specific view??? I'm so tired of being so scared (like my user name).

Z - that's exactly what I'm afraid of - that they saw something that they think the radiologist will want to look at more clearly.....so that's why the extra pic of my head turned all the way to the left....

scared67 - during my last bone scan the tech did the same thing. She had me turn my head for an additional picture. When she finished I expected her to have me turn my head the other way and when she didn't I asked her why she wasn't doing the other side and she said that the machine is scanning from underneath so the other side was captured from the first picture. I have also had techs come back to take additional pics of other areas as well. they may need a different angle or depending on what facility I'm at for the scan they just follow different protocols. I always fret when I notice any variation in a procedure and then I ask questions. they are usually very nice and answer the best they can. Sometimes they say they don't know why - just that the direction was in the order. I then follow up with my MO.

YaY for your good news, Scared!!! Many, many times something like a nodule is noted on a scan and never seen again! Hoping that will be your situation! Enjoy the holiday weekend -- celebrate the clear bone scan, and try to stop worrying!

Great news on the bone scan results, Scared! Yay!

Houston, didn't your supervisors wife want to try the mushrooms? Personally, I trust proven medicine but supplement with minerals like Magnesium and vitamins like B12. When my oral chemo stops working and I get progression, I will move on to an IV chemo until those no longer work for me. It depends where the mets are in your body as to how you can live "normally". If brain mets, you'd have different issues than with say, bone mets.

We are surviving longer with current meds, but even diseases like diabetes and heart disease cause death still. The body can only take so much of a treatment before it begins to break down and you have new issues. Some chemos cause heart disease for example. Starting new unproven treatments is difficult to accept unless it's a last resort. Doing so is like going back 40 years when it was all experimental. There are now proven treatments but remember, there is no cure for stage IV.

For those who didn't start out at stage IV, did your MO ask you to have periodic body scans? Like every 3-6 months, or only if you are having pain somewhere?

Thanks Barbe, makes sense.

FYI from the American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines:

http://www.choosingwisely.org/societies/american-s...

4. Don't perform surveillance testing (biomarkers) or imaging (PET, CT, and radionuclide bone scans) for asymptomatic individuals who have been treated for breast cancer with curative intent.

• Surveillance testing with serum tumor markers or imaging has been shown to have clinical value for certain cancers (e.g., colorectal). However for breast cancer that has been treated with curative intent, several studies have shown there is no benefit from routine imaging or serial measurement of serum tumor markers in asymptomatic patients.
• False-positive tests can lead to harm through unnecessary invasive procedures, over-treatment, unnecessary radiation exposure, and misdiagnosis.