| | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) |  Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Called a Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA). Just inserts a needle into a suspected node and withdrawns cells. Not always accurate as the cells withdrawn may not contain the cancer cells but is a quick and easy way to determine if cancer is present if they get the cancer cells.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Member | | OP Member
Joined: Jan 2012 Posts: 14 | Thank you. At least maybe we'll find something out tomorrow. That's good news. Thanks.
Secondary caregive to dad (70 years old). BOT cancer & lymph nodes diagnosed 12/11. 35 rad treatments & 4 erbitux. PEG tube. Non-smoker. Casual drinker.
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Well not tomorrow as the withdrawn fluid is sent to a pathologist which usually takes anywhere from 1 to 2 weeks to get their report.
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2011 Posts: 805 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2011 Posts: 805 | Kevin had a punch biopsy in the lymph node on a Friday and we knew on Monday. I actually knew right away from what the pathologist said and how she looked when she came in to let the doctor know she had what she needed. They let me stay in the room while they did it. They did that using Ultrasound though, so it was not in the office, it was at the hospital. Good luck tomorrow. Let us know.
Kathy
Kathy wife/caregiver to:
Kevin age:53
Dx 7/15/11
HPV16+ SCC Stage IV BOT/R
Non smoker, casual drinker
7/27/11 Cistplatin, taxotere,5FU 2/3week sessions, followed by IMRT 125cgy x 60 (2x daily) w/Erbitux weekly. Last rad 10/26/11. Last Erbitux 10/27/11
PEG placed 9/1/11 Removed 11/8/11
Clear PET 10/12 and 10/13 and ct in 6/14
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Senior Patient Advocate Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 8,311 | Kathy,
How do they do a punch bio on a node?
David
Age 58 at Dx, HPV16+ SCC, Stage IV BOT+2 nodes, non smoker, casual drinker, exercise nut, Cisplatin x 3 & concurrent IMRT x 35,(70 Gy), no surgery, no Peg, Tx at Moffitt over Aug 06. Jun 07, back to riding my bike 100 miles a wk. Now doing 12 Spin classes and 60 outdoor miles per wk. Nov 13 completed Hilly Century ride for Cancer, 104 miles, 1st Place in my age group. Apr 2014 & 15, Spun for 9 straight hrs to raise $$ for YMCA's Livestrong Program. Certified Spin Instructor Jun 2014.
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,264 Likes: 5 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,264 Likes: 5 | They can do a FNA - fine needle aspiration in the office, but these are hit or miss... since it's only as good as the area hit. A proper biopsy in a surgical clinic should be done. It will likely take the usual time frame though you can ask up front if they will send it for a quick look.
best of luck and I sincerely hope it's nothing.
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2012 Posts: 14 Member | | OP Member
Joined: Jan 2012 Posts: 14 | Well, it sounds like the news isn't too bad right now. They're not super worried about the activity on the Pet Scan now. He goes back to the ENT in 4 weeks and then he'll decide if he wants to do a biopsy. He said he's hesitant to do one because it "won't be a walk in the park" for dad. He said it's not something you want to do all the time. I wasn't really sure what he meant by that. Is that because it's risky to put him under due to all the swelling and irration in his throat or is it because of the biopsy itself? The next day we got some bad news. He went to get his throat stretched again to help him eat and the doctor said he can't stretch it anymore because his throat is so brittle from the treatments. They're afraid of rupturing it so he was told he'll be on the Peg tube the rest of his life. This was really disappointing and depressing. Not eating has been the hardest part of this for him. Thanks for listening.
Secondary caregive to dad (70 years old). BOT cancer & lymph nodes diagnosed 12/11. 35 rad treatments & 4 erbitux. PEG tube. Non-smoker. Casual drinker.
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2011 Posts: 805 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Oct 2011 Posts: 805 | Oh no....not good. I think this is one of Kevin's biggest fears. While there are MANY on these forums who are living/thriving like this, it doesn't mean everyone likes it. So sorry for the news. I hope in time your dad will be able to accept this and get on with things. Food is such a social thing.
Will be thinking of you guys,
Kathy
Kathy wife/caregiver to:
Kevin age:53
Dx 7/15/11
HPV16+ SCC Stage IV BOT/R
Non smoker, casual drinker
7/27/11 Cistplatin, taxotere,5FU 2/3week sessions, followed by IMRT 125cgy x 60 (2x daily) w/Erbitux weekly. Last rad 10/26/11. Last Erbitux 10/27/11
PEG placed 9/1/11 Removed 11/8/11
Clear PET 10/12 and 10/13 and ct in 6/14
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,082 | I'm turning 65 and I certainly do not like never being able to eat or taste anything or even have a sip of water, but I have over a half century of memories of delicious meals, foods and drinks to remember. It's difficult but doable.
Of course, if I did not have my wife and my son to live for, it would be a different story as I agree wholeheartedly that this is "disappointing and depressing". No way to sugarcoat it.
Charm
65 yr Old Frack
Stage IV BOT T3N2M0 HPV 16+
2007:72GY IMRT(40) 8 ERBITUX No PEG
2008:CANCER BACK Salvage Surgery
25GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Apaghia /G button
2012: CANCER BACK -left tonsilar fossa
40GY-CyberKnife(5) 3 Carboplatin
Passed away 4-29-13
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts) | | "Above & Beyond" Member (500+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 618 | I am confined to soft foods, jello, ice cream, cheese cake and such. I can go out to dinner but stick to soup and dessert, so there is a middle ground. I get most nutrition through peg.
Kelly
Male
48, SCC (Soft Palet) Rt.,
Stage 1, T3n0m0,
Dx, 8-09, Start IMRT 35 9-2-09 end 10-21-09
04-20-10 NED
8-11 recurrence, node rt. neck N2b
10-11 33 IMRT w/chemo wkly
3-12-12 PET - residual cancer
4-12 5 treatments with Cyberknife & Erbitux
6-19-12 Pet scan CLEAR
12-3-12 PET - CLEAR
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