MRF-Logo2019-Horizontal-RGB
Scans & my lesson learned!
REGISTER
The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Content within the patient forum is user-generated and has not been reviewed by medical professionals. Other sections of the Melanoma Research Foundation website include information that has been reviewed by medical professionals as appropriate. All medical decisions should be made in consultation with your doctor or other qualified medical professional.

Scans & my lesson learned!

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Scans & my lesson learned!

  • Post
    • March 18, 2011 at 11:49 pm
    killmel
    Participant

      Hi Everyone,

      I do not post much but I visit everyday to learn from you all.

      I am posting today to be able to give back to all of you who have helped me learn so much.

      Hi Everyone,

      I do not post much but I visit everyday to learn from you all.

      I am posting today to be able to give back to all of you who have helped me learn so much.

      I am  stage 3 and have scans regularly going back to January 2009. I always have my scans done at the same place so that the radiologist have copies of older scans for comparison.This week I had my scans and was scared out of my wits after reading the reports. To make a long story short, I have my very lucky to keep my recurrences in my leg. The radiologist who read my scans this week identied "new" areas in my lung & liver that  were suspicious & needed follow-up.

      Frantic, I called  another radilogist who had read my scans in the past & ask his opinion of these 2 "NEW" area in my lung & liver. To my relief, this radiologist took the time & went back to my old scans in 2009 & was able to identify that these 2 areas of concern were on my scans back in 2009. The areas of concern in my lung & liver were the same & stable, and more than likely benign.

      My lesson learned is not to panic . The radiologist who read my scans this week did not even bother to go back to look at older scans and compare. I would recommend everyone to try to get a second opinion before believing the worst. Also, it is a good idea to get the CD discs of your scans so that you can get a second opinion & have a record of your history ofscans.

      Thanks for reading my post.Wishing you all a lifetime of NED!

      Wendy

       

       

    Viewing 3 reply threads
    • Replies
        • March 19, 2011 at 12:52 am
        lhaley
        Participant

          Wendy,

          So glad that everything turned out fine, however, I would be very upset that this happened!  The report should have definitely read stable concerning the two spots.  I've watched my oncologist go back and review old scans and he is able to pull up similar views in seconds. The radiologist had no excuse not to have compared once he/she noticed something!  Everytime I've had something new show on a report my oncologist has shown me the slide, it definitely helps with communication. Since 06 the nodules on my thyroid have been commented on in each report including the size and the SUV levels. When it grews significantly they biopsied again.

          Were you told in 09 that they had seen these two spots ?

          Linda

          Stage IV  stable

          • March 19, 2011 at 12:52 am
          lhaley
          Participant

            Wendy,

            So glad that everything turned out fine, however, I would be very upset that this happened!  The report should have definitely read stable concerning the two spots.  I've watched my oncologist go back and review old scans and he is able to pull up similar views in seconds. The radiologist had no excuse not to have compared once he/she noticed something!  Everytime I've had something new show on a report my oncologist has shown me the slide, it definitely helps with communication. Since 06 the nodules on my thyroid have been commented on in each report including the size and the SUV levels. When it grews significantly they biopsied again.

            Were you told in 09 that they had seen these two spots ?

            Linda

            Stage IV  stable

            • March 19, 2011 at 5:26 am
            MaryD
            Participant

              The same thing happened to me once when the radiologist noted that a spot on my left lung was a "probable metastasis".    I knew that there was a small, apparently benign nodule that had been noted  for some time.  I asked my onc what he thought and he told me not to panic and good thing, because sure enough, he hadn't compared it to a previous scan.!

              It's easier said than done but sometimes one has to take a deep breath and get those second opionions.

              Glad all is well for you!!

               

              Mary

              • March 19, 2011 at 5:26 am
              MaryD
              Participant

                The same thing happened to me once when the radiologist noted that a spot on my left lung was a "probable metastasis".    I knew that there was a small, apparently benign nodule that had been noted  for some time.  I asked my onc what he thought and he told me not to panic and good thing, because sure enough, he hadn't compared it to a previous scan.!

                It's easier said than done but sometimes one has to take a deep breath and get those second opionions.

                Glad all is well for you!!

                 

                Mary

            Viewing 3 reply threads
            • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
            About the MRF Patient Forum

            The MRF Patient Forum is the oldest and largest online community of people affected by melanoma. It is designed to provide peer support and information to caregivers, patients, family and friends. There is no better place to discuss different parts of your journey with this cancer and find the friends and support resources to make that journey more bearable.

            The information on the forum is open and accessible to everyone. To add a new topic or to post a reply, you must be a registered user. Please note that you will be able to post both topics and replies anonymously even though you are logged in. All posts must abide by MRF posting policies.

            Popular Topics