Just got a call from the ENT's nurse -- PET scan was negative. I have to follow up with him in 3 weeks to go over what we do from here, but needless to say I am relieved, which is pretty much a drastic understatement. This is a scare that sure reinforces the need to not smoke.

I really appreciate the support and strength I see on these forums. Thanks, all.

Jeff

Hi Jeff,
That's great news about the PET scan. But what about the 1 cm lump on the back of your tongue? Did they diagnose what it is? Are you scheduled for any further testing?

When I got my PET scan last year it only revealed the cancer (which they already knew about). That was a relief too - knowing that was the only cancer I was dealing with.

As I understand the PET scan, a negative result is 99.9% diagnostic of no cancer, including the lump. If the PET scan shows a "hot spot", then it may or may not be cancer, as other tissues and processes can cause a positive result. So, it appears that the lumps on my tongue are not cancerous, at least at this point.

I am seeing the ENT again on the 27th, at which point I expect he will advise me on what we should do with the lump in terms of excision or further testing to see whether it is precancerous or just lymphoid tissue.

Jeff

Good News Jeff!

After a scare like that, I am confident you HAVE stopped tobbacco use.

Make sure you do the follow up.

Take care

Count on it, Mark. As I told the nurse, I will stand on my head and spit quarters if that's what the doc wants me to do.

Jeff

When I was diagnosed in Aug 2002. The pathology report indicated SCC cancer but PET scan was clean. I questioned my ENT surgeon, he said that for head and neck cancer, PET scan could be false negative and he was right. The surgical report indicated 4 positive lymph nodes and 2 cm tumor

I guess my husband was also part of that .1% false negative group. He had a PET scan that was clean and pathology after surgery a week later revealed cancer in the tonsil as well as a lymph node.

We're not trying to scare you, but you might want to queston that figure that your doctor gave you.

Anita

There are limits to the resolution of any of the non-pathology diagnostics. I was told that an MRI was down to pencil eraser size. I don't know the limits of PET or CAT scans. My tonsil cancer did not show up on a MRI two weeks before surgery either. In fact the ENT was not able to see the cancer until the tonsil was out, and yet I had 3 nodes positive.

Jeff, You might think of the medical process as a series of hurdles. You cleared one but you need to keep going until you win!

Thanks for all the input. I have plenty of questions to raise when I get with the ENT on the 27th. I will keep you posted.

Jeff

Hi,

I just wanted to add something to this thread.Joe had 6 MRI's and CT's of various parts of his body.They all came up with inconclusive(sp?)results.They didn't know what the extent of the spread of his melanoma until he had his PET scan.I guess the argument can be made either way.
I wish you good luck.

Patty