Well, I got the results of my second scan. The good news is that the original tumor site looks pretty good. The bad news is that there was some "infiltrate" in my upper lung. My docs told me that this is probably be aspirational Pneumonia, but could be mets to the lung.

They gave me Azitromycin to treat the potential infection. I also have a swallow eval on Thursday and a PT scan of the lung in 3 weeks.

I felt fine when I went in, but now I have chills, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea. I guess this could be due to the antibiotics.

Anyway, I don't really know how worried to be. I guess I'll just wait until I find out...

Clint

Clint,

I'll pray that it's not a met to your lung and the anitbiotic clears it up.

Stay Strong
Tim

Thanks Tim. I appreciate it!

Hi Clint,

There have been many posters on this board over the years that have had a report such as yours and it turned out to be a pneumonia or some damage from radiation, etc. Other things then cancer. I'm betting on the pneumonia and won't uncross my fingers until you get the confirmation!
Take a deep breath and expect a positive outcome, you deserve it.
Minnie

The chances are pretty high that it is just inflammation or infection -- aspiration of food post-treatment (including "silent aspiration" when you don't know you're doing it) is not uncommon. That sent my husband Barry into the hospital for 3 days a week after his treatment ended, with an aspiration pneumonia.

When he had his first PET/CT scan two months later, the radiologist saw uptake in the right lung (where he had the pneumonia) and rightly ID'd it as residual infection, although Barry had pretty heavy-duty IV antibiotics while in hospital. The doctors said it can take 3-4 months for this to resolve. They gave him a chest Xray after the PET/CT as a baseline and then a course of another (oral) antibiotic, then a month later another chest Xray. No sign of anything on that. The second PET/CT (3 months after teh first) was also clear.

It is actually rather rare (per our MO and ENT) for chest mets to show up so soon after treatment -- far more likely to be infection.

An experienced radiologist who sees and reads lots and lots of head/neck cancer scans is going to be more certain about what is infection, inflammation or healing (all of which will show up as a "hot spot" ) and what is cancer -- one reason for trying to get to a center that treats a lot of oral cancer, when at all possible. An inexperienced radiologist is going to be super-conservative and thus there is an increased risk of "false positive" diagnoses.

Gail

Hi Clint,

I am almost 3 years out and last June a spot showed up on one of my lungs during a routine CT scan. The doctor repeated the scan in October and again last month and the spot has not changed at all which tells them it is not cancer but rather radiation damage, scar tissue, etc. So try not to worry too much (although I know that is easy to say and hard to do) and we'll all be thinking good thoughts till you know the outcome.

Pam

Sounds like you ae having an adverse reaction to the Azitromycin. I have the same symptoms to that, amoxcilian, penicilin, etc. etc. Sometimes it takes several days before the reaction shows up, some I'm in the bathroom within a half hour. The two I have been taking with success for upper respiratory infection are Cipro and Levaquin. I would call the doctor and tell him about your symptoms and get a scipt change.

There was an interesting article in January Discovery Magazine about how these antibiotics destroy all the good bacteria in our systems leading to problems which can cause C. Diff. Cipro and Levaquin are in a different class and until recently hadn't been that category.

My CT scans also showed 'stuff' in my lungs and it was scarring from radiation and other junk from pneumonia. Here's hoping yours is the same. Hope you feel better soon.

Take care,
Eileen

Clint,

I'm reading these posts with agreat deal of interest.

I had my 1st post Tx CAT appx 8 weeks after Tx. My RO told me I was all clear except a little spot on my lung but not to worry, he said. As I thought to myself, then why did he mention it?, I asked him why I shouldn't worry and was told spots are common in the lungs this close to the end of Rad Tx. Well that didn't satisfy me at all and we agreed to wait 3 more months and get another CAT which was just done last Friday. Now I have to wait until the 19th to find out my results. Waiting sucks the big one IMO.

Clint, I just went through the exact thing you are going through. In Nov. had ct/pet scan done, and it showed a spot on my upper lung. Went to a thoracic doc who put me on antibiotics for 10 days, also told me to take Mucinex to help break up anything in there. I just had my ct scan done on the second of this month and the spot is gone. What a relief!! So I'm praying that you will have the same result. Take care.

David, Also keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Let us know what's going on with you when you find out. Linda