Can you sense when a scan shows something?

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pesky904
pesky904 Member Posts: 402
edited February 2019 in Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results

Just would like to get people's experiences. I know all places are different, but just wanting to get a general idea of how things went for you all. When having any kind of scan - CT, bone scan, PET, etc. - can you kind of get an idea of the results based on what happens during the scan? Like do they always need to take additional images if they see something during a bone scan? Do they say anything to you before you leave or do they say nothing at all?

For example, when I was first diagnosed, I had a bone scan to see if there were mets. The tech did the images and then went to talk to the radiologist and then came back and just told me I was all set and could leave, that no additional images were needed. I later found out that there was something seen on my thigh that the radiologist felt was benign. I left there having no idea that anything was seen on my scan. My initial oncologist wanted to have it re-scanned, but I ended up going with my second opinion oncologist, who decided against a re-scan and told me that she wouldn't even have mentioned it to me - meaning if I had seen her from the get-go, I would never even have known something was seen on the scan.

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  • santabarbarian
    santabarbarian Member Posts: 3,085
    edited February 2019

    I don't think you can or should guess. Ask directly. Speak to the radiologist and they ought to be able to give you some answers.

    For example: I went in for mammo after chemo was done.

    I asked mammo tech to have a peek at the mammo. It was clear to the naked eye, side by side w my old mammo, that the "white blob" that was there originally was GONE. I was elated to see it. But then the tech then asked me to wait while she showed the images to the Radiologist before leaving. Then she came back and said, the Radiologist wants an ultrasound before you go. Which, of course, sparked a worry: what was there that needed more investigation??

    In the ultrasound, the tech went over and over a few areas, and radiologist came in to look too. I was scared but had the presence of mind to say, "do you see any new areas of concern?" - "No."

    "What about the lymph nodes?" - "they are smaller"

    I left without asking the question that would have cornered the Radiologist into giving me reassuring info: is what you see consistent with a pCR? So I spent four scary days before I got an actual copy of the report which said that mages were consistent w pCR.

    My point being they cn come in with a fine-toothed-comb ultrasound when the images look EXCELLENT (to confirm it) or when they look bad. So the only way to really know is ask direct questions and keep going until you have a satisfactory answer.



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  • pesky904
    pesky904 Member Posts: 402
    edited February 2019

    Thanks for the reply. Where I live, the techs aren't allowed to answer questions and for some reason, the radiologists stay hidden even if they see something abnormal.

    I had like a million ultrasounds in my life, often with abnormal findings. The ONLY time I ever saw a radiologist in person was at my initial diagnosis, when I had an almost 7cm aggressive tumor that was so obviously cancer, there was no question at all. And then a few weeks ago when there must have been some kind of flu breakout at the cancer center because the radiologist was literally the only one working that day and was having to do all of the ultrasounds herself.

    Every other scan or ultrasound has been just a tech who is not allowed to say anything about what they see or don't see. I always think they must all be great poker players, lol.

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  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 3,761
    edited February 2019

    I made the mistake of asking the tech what she saw and she said I could get dressed and leave in a few. Not. The radiologist came in and said you aren’t going to like what I’m seeing - BC.

    My advice is don’t ask the tech or try to read her face or expressions. They aren’t qualified to say and they shouldn’t say anything anyway. I’m so nervous before a mammogram I look for anything that might be a sign. I learned the hard way. I was already braced for the news because one breast was bigger than the other on the mammogram. Never happened before.

    We all know how difficult the wait is for tests. I wonder if our medical teams have any idea what it’s like to be on this emotional roller coaster. The test results seem to take an eternity when in actuality it’s usually just a few days. Just seems that way.

    Diane

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  • pesky904
    pesky904 Member Posts: 402
    edited February 2019

    I only ask because my bone scan yesterday was...weird. I had a bone scan when I was first diagnosed in June 2017 and another one in September 2018. Both times, I simply had the dye injected and a few hours later they had me lie down on the machine, they took the images and as soon as the machine stopped, they told me I was all set and sent me on my way.

    The scan in September was done at the same place as yesterday. Yesterday after the machine stopped, the tech came in and told me to stay put and said not to panic if they need more images because sometimes they just want to get another look. Fine.

    About 10 minutes later a completely different person came in, another tech, and said, "Don't panic if we need more images. Sometimes we need to take more because we just want to get another look at something and sometimes it's because of what we don't see."

    I was lying there a lot longer than normal and had two different people come in and tell me not to worry if they needed to get more images. Then they ended up not even taking more images. After laying there a little longer, they finally came in and told me I could leave and the radiologist would send the results to my oncologist.

    Of course that left me wondering if there was something they saw, or something they DIDN'T see. No one's ever said that to me before. And I do know that areas of increased uptake are abnormal, but sometimes areas of reduced uptake are of note as well. So when the tech specifically said sometimes they need to review something they see or sometimes they need to review something they don't see, it made me wonder. So maybe in this case, it would have been best if the techs didn't say anything at all, lol.

    Also, on Friday they gave me my X-ray results like 2 hours after I had the X-ray. And when I had an MRI and ultrasound on Jan 10, I got those results the same day. So I tend to figure when results are normal, they give them to me right away and when they require more review, it takes longer.

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  • santabarbarian
    santabarbarian Member Posts: 3,085
    edited February 2019

    Well in my case they DIDN'T see any cancer at all -- so they needed to keep looking in case they might have missed it. They were double-checking a *great* apparent result. But the same behavior could indicate bad news too. Hence, ask directly!!

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  • applejuice
    applejuice Member Posts: 63
    edited February 2019

    pesky904 it is totally ok to ask them what is going on, what they see or if there is anything suspicious that requires more imaging. I would certainly ask, nothing unusual, the worse would be they wont give you any details and you'll need to wait to hear from the radiologist but they might ease your anxiety by giving some details.

    When I had the mammogram with the abnormal findings, the tech asked me if i wanted to see what's suspicious and she shown me the recent image side by side with the last year image without telling me what is seen there (there was a clear white spot standing out).

    To me it was clear at that point, and i just went easy with the subsequent procedures to diagnostic. I chose to just enjoy my "no cancer" time until officially i got the call from radiologist with the diagnostic.

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  • pesky904
    pesky904 Member Posts: 402
    edited February 2019

    They're not allowed to where I live. The standard response from a tech is, "I'm not a medical practitioner but the radiologist will review your images very soon..." They can't give any details. I kind of understand. If I were a tech, I wouldn't want that responsibility of giving that info to a patient who may or may not take the news well. I think the rule here is for the tech's own good, they aren't allowed to say anything.

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  • CaliKelly
    CaliKelly Member Posts: 474
    edited February 2019

    I was kind of lucky, my U.S.technician was a b.c. survivor, so she would give me her opinions as we go along, knowing how torturous it is to wait. She had many years of experience, so she knew what she was seeing. Mammo, Pet, Mri, NADA , not even a facial expression😄

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  • pesky904
    pesky904 Member Posts: 402
    edited February 2019

    Yeah, the tech yesterday for the bone scan was a guy with like over 20 years experience, so he had a great poker face. I couldn't see the ultrasound tech because she had me turned away from her with my arm way over my head due to the position of the lump and the armpit lumpiness.

    I always just wonder if they don't need to take additional images, does that mean everything is good. Or if there are any "tells" that hint that something out of the norm may have been seen.

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  • CaliKelly
    CaliKelly Member Posts: 474
    edited February 2019

    Ive had both situations, no extra scans= good news, extra scans,also= good news . Not sure why, but sometimes they just want a better look at something, that turns out to be nothing.

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  • pesky904
    pesky904 Member Posts: 402
    edited February 2019

    Well, then I just have to hope no extra scans doesn't = bad news.

    But, man, do my ribs hurt. And I have pain under my left rib cage and left shoulder. And my mid-spine and tailbone. But the most persistent pain is the ribs. The rib X-ray on Friday was fine though, "no fractures or bony abnormalities seen."

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  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited February 2019

    Yeah, I don't think they are supposed to say anything. I felt like my ultrasound tech didn't have the best poker face though...

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  • Rosie24
    Rosie24 Member Posts: 1,046
    edited February 2019

    I had a recent ultrasound for my Supra clavicular area that was suspicious at my first oncologist appt. I already have positive nodes and at least one liver met. The tech was unusually chatty and said she thought everything looked fine to her. Well, the radiologist called it birads 4 (suspicious for malignancy).

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  • blah333
    blah333 Member Posts: 270
    edited February 2019

    My first and only mammogram, nothing was too discernable except the tech told me that dandelion tea is good for cancer (wtf ok). At my biopsy I could tell I was probably doomed due to seeing the constellation cluster images in the meeting beforehand and the sadness on the face of the radiologist resident who did my biopsy (we are about the same age).

    Now - post-mastectomy follow up and FNA biopsies, I think they know I've already endured bad news. There is one ultrasound tech I chat a lot with and ask questions. I have a swollen node they are concerned about. I have had to get two biopsies (results pending). The first doctor who accidentally grabbed muscle tissue told me he thinks it's probably reactive nodes because it's very rare to see DCIS come back like this. My second biopsy to redo it earlier this week the main doctor who oversees everything seemed more serious but I am birads 4a on this one vs. 4c/5 and so I don't sense the overall doom/pity from before but who knows......

    To me, the landscape of my axilla does look different each time over Oct Dec Jan Feb ultrasound. Like the nodes fluctuate in size. I like to ask a lot of questions about this. I read about the fatty hilum of nodes and cortical thickening etc... I tried to see on the screen changes in shape to the node, though I forget whether it's oval or circular that make it more likely malignant. At the hospital I go to the ultrasound tech seems more knowledgable than the doctors taking the samples...

    They say you shouldn't read into the demeanor of the doctors but in my experience what I assumed about their reactions ended up being correct...

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  • pesky904
    pesky904 Member Posts: 402
    edited February 2019

    I think that’s why I posted this question, because the demeanor of both of the male techs yesterday seemed almost pitying, like they knew something I didn’t.

    I posted on another thread too that I also think it’s crappy that my oncologist didn’t at least have a nurse call me today with results. I know the results were sent to her. The tech told me the radiologist would definitely read them yesterday and send them to my oncologist. If it’s nothing, she could have easily had anurse give me a quick call just to ease my mind.

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  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 3,761
    edited February 2019

    The techs are knowledgeable but they are not the experts - the radiologists are. I bombarded the tech with questions waiting and hoping her facial expressions would give her away. It didn’t. You were lucky CaliKelly. My fav radiologist moved to Texas.

    Diane

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  • carmstr835
    carmstr835 Member Posts: 388
    edited February 2019

    Well my last CT scan was a "telltale" mostly because they refused to take out the IV. In which case, the results did show something and they will need an MRI, and they did. They wanted to ask my Oncologists, so I had to wait a bit and was told they were just going to leave it in for a little longer, no reason and I was sent on my way to lunch and my next appointment. I thought that was weird at the time, they always take out the IV immediately after the CT scan, then I realized they must have seen something... I had a new liver lesion. It turned out to be another cyst ( that makes 11 now) after they did the MRI. I am glad I didn't have to have another IV for the contrast.

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  • pesky904
    pesky904 Member Posts: 402
    edited February 2019

    At my initial staging CT in June 2017, I had a liver cyst and a 2cm cyst next to my right ovary.

    The scan I had on Wednesday was just a bone scan. It's my understanding that these bone scans will also pick up some things in the organs, but does anyone know for sure? Like will a bone scan identify an issue with the liver or anything?

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  • santabarbarian
    santabarbarian Member Posts: 3,085
    edited February 2019

    pesky, I am thinking of you and hoping that you get some resolution and clarity today-- and may it be good news. It's horrible to be in suspense.

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