It never seems to end. I feel like I've spent the last 1 and 1/2 years with a black cloud over my head. For the last month I've been having problems with what felt like a pain under my rib cage and chronic indigestion, not to mention the usual extreme neuoprathy in my hand and both feet, fatigue wherin I'm sleeping 10 hours a night and the thick saliva coming from the back of my throat with mild pain. I eat everything ok except I find myself eating lots of fatty meats as they are so easy for me to swallow. So for the last month I'm getting stressed about that I may have lung mets due to the chest pain and the knowledge I have a PET Scan sceduled on June 10th. I meet my ENT Surgeon on June 12th and she tells me my scan shows some UPTAKE in my throat but she is not overly concerned about it even though she see's some swelling in my throat when she scopes me. She thinks its probably GERD and that I need to follow all the instructions on the paper she gives me and not only take Prilosec but live the lifestyle suggested. Then says I'll see you in 3 months,.. so I figure all is well. On June 17th, I have an appointment with my Oncologist who actually views the PET scan himself and tells me he is concerned enough that he wants me to have another PET scan in 6 weeks, tells me to take two 20mg of Prilosec twice a day...so now I'm taking 80mg instead of 20mg per day and that he called the ENT surgeon to ask her to see me again in 6 weeks instead of 3 months to scope me again! I ask him if he is concerned and he says "of course I am". I get a copy of my PET Scan and it says: "Interval development of asymmetric mild hypermetabolic activity in the hypopharynx extending to the piriform sinus with maximum SUV of 5.8, new since prior examination."...
Everything else is normal. So I go from feeling all is well to now waiting about 8 weeks to get to the bottom of this. My oncologist said if the next scan was abnormal a biopsy would need to be done. So I wonder why not just do the biopsy now? My ENT Surgeons office said she could not see me for 9 days (like their doing me a favor) after the next PET Scan is performed on July 29th. I'm tempted to get on a airplane and go back to see the ENT surgeon I previously saw at John Hopkins for a second consult and opinion. Any thoughts about all of this would be appreciated. I'm obviously depressed again out of my mind! I also would appreciated any info about this SUV rating of 5.8 as it seems high based upon other things I've read here before? Does GERD cause swelling and uptake in the hypopharynx to the piriform sinus? This is on the left side which is the same side as where I initially had my BOT cancer so that also concerns me as well. I assume this area is in close proximity to the base of tongue?
Thanks, Steven