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Inconclusive Biopsy Results


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Hi,

I am writing to get some help and information for my dad. My father was diagnosed with Stage 3 almost 4 laryngeal cancer in July of 2002 and had a complete laryngectomy and radical neck dissection in August of 2002. His surgeon at Hopkins felt that he got everything and my dad has been having regular check-ups ever since. He asked his doctor down here for a chest x-ray just to make sure everything was still ok and they found a spot on his left lung. He had a needle biopsy this past Thursday (not fun, apparently the spot is in a difficult area and they had a hard time getting to it). The inital results before leaving the hospital were that it was non-malignant. After getting the official results today we were told that the biopsy results were inconclusive. So I guess we are back at square one. He was told that the spot is about 1.5cm to 2cm. Has anyone else had this happen? We are really confused and overwhelmed! Of course this all happened late Friday afternoon so we have to sit on this until next week! His surgeon at Hopkins told my mother that he does not believe that this is a metastis (sp?) from the first cancer. He feels that if this is cancer it is a second primary cancer and that this could also just be an infection. They are now talking about doing an open lung biopsy with a pathologist present so if it comes back positive they can go ahead and do surgery and remove that part of his lung. Any suggestions? Any information would be very helpful! Thank You!

Tammy

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Tammy,

Welcome. I am so sorry about your Dad. They tried 2 needle biopsies on my husband and did not get to the tumor. My husband stills jokes that he wants to hunt down the guy that did it, since it hurt so much.

Your Dad wants to find out what it is for sure. It never hurts to get a second opinion.

Again, welcome to the best board no one wants to join. Keep us posted on your Dad.

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Hi Tammy, and WELCOME! There has been so much activity on the board the past day or so, that I think your post got knocked out of sight - at least it escaped me. I'm really sorry to hear about your dad and I don't have answers to your questions. It's a tough waiting game, isn't it? We are all here to support you, answer your questions, and even make you laugh, so please write often and keep us posted about your dad.

God bless you,

Peggy

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Welcome Tammy,

I have no information for you I'm afraid. I would like to add my Welcome to you though, and I hope that things will not turn out to be as bad as they may seem at the moment. Positive thoughts coming your way.

Paddy

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That's exactly why my surgeon said no way was he going to do a biopsy with my case. Inconclusive results, pain, bad side effects when the tumor has to come out anyway.

I think your dad's situation is different, but I don't think an inconclusive biopsy is all that unusual.....I don't know what the next plan will be, but they will have one, and I wish all the best to you and your dad.

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My oncologist sent me for a needle biopsy, which was no picnic, and the results were inconclusive anyway. When I went to the surgeon, he said the bipsy never should have been done, and that the nodule had to come out anyway. It did, and it was malignant.

Don't wait

gail

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Guest Phyllis

Hi, I had the same thing. Throat cancer and had a radical surgery removing my voice box, thyroid, lymph nodes, etc. When I insisted on a chest x-ray and they found spots in my lungs, they said this was mets to the lungs. Apparently, multiple spots are an indication of that. Once it spreads to the lungs the treatment is still for head and neck cancer, but so far as I can see the treatment is still the same. I should have done carbo/taxol and other traditional treatment to begin with. It doesn't sound right that they are treating this as a new primary. My throat surgeon said he was not surprised that my cancer had spread to my lungs. Good luck.

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Thank you so much for all of your comments, support, etc. It means so much that others with life altering situations can take the time for us. Unfortunately we are still in the same place. Waiting on more information from the doctors. I think at this point, we might just go back to Hopkins and have everything done there. THe doctors down here can't seem to get their acts together where we are. Lots of unanswered questions. Today the said that the results are inconclusive because there weren't enough cells for a particular test. They did mention that there was blood in the sample but we don't know what that means. Thanks again and we'll keep you updated.

Tammy

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