Howdy Folks,

Had my first PET/CT last month. Head and neck wise it looks decent, some uptake, but I guess that's common and usually just reactive (infectious / inflammatory) response from oral cavity and all the germs, and radiologist deemed "likely reactive".

The armpit lymph nodes are concerning to me.

Hoping to get scheduled for a fine needle biopsy here soon (would kind of like them excised out, but I guess that's a complicated surgery with significant risks and likely long term effects...).

With my micro invasive and small tumor no neck dissection or sentinel lymph nodes were taken.

Had a CT a year before, but this was my first PET.

Only mention of an actual spread from tongue eventually to armpit lymph nodes here on the forums comes from, Rest in Peace, Cindy721. That was like 4 years after her neck dissection and treatments, after she had a recurrence from much more advanced disease.

My concerns mostly lie with a second primary cancer.

Radiology at the CCC was supposed to be looking at the images to determine if a fine needle biopsy would be a good option. Has been a couple weeks and have not heard, so just "re-pinged" them tonight.

Very few instances of this kind of thing in the literature that I could find too.

Could just be reactive to a Vaccine a month prior, or a stupid yellow jacket sting.

I am itching to just get them biopsied.

Reading from Cindy's (RIP) accounts, it sounds like she had several experiences with false negatives on the fine needle aspirations, and insisted on excisional her last go around with them.

From what I've read on here, some folks are dead set against them, others seems to think when done well they are a reasonable initial step.

Has anyone experiences something similar? Or have any suggestions?

Thank you,

Chris

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HEAD AND NECK: Mild mucosal thickening in bilateral maxillary sinuses. Scattered
subcentimeter bilateral cervical lymph nodes in level IB, II and III with mild FDG
uptake, likely reactive.

CHEST:
Lymph Nodes: Several FDG avid right axillary lymph nodes, for example:
* 10 x 10 mm right axilla level 3 lymph node with SUV max 3.5 on image 133
* 15 x 7 mm right axilla level 2 lymph node with SUV max 5.7 on image 139


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