So Michael has been doing well post radiation treatment which ended 12/05/06 � mainly just more tired than pre-cancer (but also older), somewhat dry mouth, but he has gained weight and generally doing well. His CT/ PET scans had all been good. He had the last 05/14/09. The oncologist looked at his disc on 05/14/09 and said he was perfectly normal. (Michael says he was never �perfectly normal�)
Today the oncology nurse called and the radiologist or whoever officially reads the scans saw a tiny cyst / abscess on the base of his tongue near where his original lesion was. It did not however, �light up� so they are pretty sure it is not cancer. They want to re-do another set of scans CT/ PET in 6 months rather than the year we had planned on. We are trying not to worry. The oncologist who has been great with Michael after he started with treatment elsewhere originally, told his nurse to tell us not to worry. We see the oncologist again in July. So should we worry? Are these cysts / abscesses common after radiation? Thank you.

so, he and I are is really scared, anything positive???? His oncologist who we trust pretty much was not really negative.

If it were myself, I would go with what they tell me. THere are such things as false positives and false negatives. I think I woulg go with the Oncologist and ignore it or push very hard for another scan.

Ifs and maybes are of no benefit with this disease.if a radiologist has spotted something then you need definates.What is it and why is it there.,and i certainly wouldn't want to be waiting six months to find out if it is nothing to worry about.

I did find this study (http://www.springerlink.com/content/a837q7484515041t/) that the combination CT/PET scan is pretty accurate with few false positive / false negatives so the fact that it did not show up/ light up as cancer is good. The oncologist did not seem concerned and he is pretty cautious. Michael�s ENT had already said that he didn�t think he should have any further scans at all since he was two years post treatment with no symptoms. We trust the oncologist�s opinion at this point. The ENT did the initial biopsy and diagnosis, but he sent us the first oncologist who wanted to delay starting Michael�s treatment. I found the current oncologist and his cancer center is an affiliate of MD Anderson. (Interestingly the current oncologist was a student of the first oncologist who wanted to delay things.)
I hate waiting too, but I since he just had a scan I don�t think another immediate one would show anything different and I don�t think he needs and he doesn't want a biopsy at this point. So I guess we have to wait a little while, but 6 months does seem like a long time to worry, but I guess post-cancer worry is pretty permanent.

So has anyone heard of post radiation non-cancerous cysts at or near the site of the first lesion? Would scar tissue show up as a cyst? Is this something common / semi common post treatment? We just can�t stop worrying and there doesn�t seem to be anything else we can actually do now since his last CT/ PET scan was just done on 5/14/09 and this cyst did not light up as cancer. Is it likely to become another cancer? Just so frightening. Thank you.

Having masses of scar or inflamed tissue is not unusual.

Thank you. I needed to hear something positive. We have company coming next week, I have lots to do at work before being off for a week, and a house to clean and I have been pretty much obsessing about this.

I have many scar tissues and believe me it hurts so bad at times, you feel sure something drastic is going on. It feels at times like it is my tongue coming out of my mouth so therefore OI go find something strenuous to do until it lets up some.