Anxious about diagnosis/help interpreting test results please

[Dotty]

Hi

I've been reading this forum for a couple of weeks now, since being told that it 'appears very likely' I have cancer. Firstly I'd just like to say it's amazing to see people who are already struggling so much with their own condition or a family member's condition STILL go out of their way to help, advise and comfort others when they most need it. It's such a pure and heartwarming thing.

For around a year now (I'm 71) I've been breathing a bit heavier and faster. It's not something I even noticed - my son did. I never feel short of breath, I never cough, no pain... nothing really. I just put it down to getting older and not being very fit. My son was concerned though and finally convinced me to get checked out.

Long story short, a single 3.6cm mass was found in my right lung...which of course came as a major and painful shock. I was told that a single lymph node nearby was 'very mildly enlarged' at 9mm.

That was exactly two weeks ago. Since then I've had a CT scan of my abdomen, pelvis and leg bones (I have rheumatoid arthritis and was having a flare up in my knee, which they wanted to check wasn't related). I also had a lung biopsy via bronchoscopy.

Today I was told that the CT scans were completely clear (!) and that the biopsy had only found 'inflammatory tissue'.

My Doctor said these were both VERY positive results, but because I'm not very good at speaking in person (especially over the phone!) I didn't ask any follow up questions. Doh!

Could this possibly mean it MIGHT not be cancer? Is there any possibility of that? I know nobody can say for sure, but I'm just trying to figure out what this could mean and if it's at all likely. To be honest, I'm just very worried in general and so is my son.

My Doctor said the next step is now to get me a PET scan, but stressed these were very encouraging results.

Thank you so much in advance for any advice or info, or even just for reading this.

All the best to everyone

[Tom Galli]

Dotty,

If your doctor said the CT scan was clear and the biopsy showed only inflammatory tissue, then these results are VERY positive indeed. Lung cancer is easily identified by a pathologist using a microscope and inflammatory tissue is not lung cancer. A follow-up PET scan would be added insurance to the aforementioned result.

Let's hope the PET result is as good as the CT and biopsy result.

Stay the course.

Tom

[LouT]

Dotty,

Tom is absolutely correct.  The cancer would be found if it was there.  Time to count your blessings and move on.  I'm glad your found our forum, but thrilled you won't be needing it for the foreseeable future.

Lou