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Update on 3b

Forums General Melanoma Community Update on 3b

  • Post
    Toby0987
    Participant

      Just got back from Mayo. I'm previous stage 3b Mel as well as pap thyroid cancer. They killed off the thyroid cancer with ablation earlier and I'm still clear. Had my PET and it showed up that I had appendicitis but I don't feel sick so false positive? They called me at 8pm after PET and quizzed me on any physical symptoms and to go to er if have any pain. Today went in and they said not sure what is going on but if I don't have symptoms that the best course of action is to do nothing. Have any of you had a situation similar with the PET? It also showed a bigger node and sugar pickup in the node. My original Mel was on arm and in armpit. My fat/hot node is near my appendix . I have to go back in 2 months for a follow up PET to see if the node has gotten bigger

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        MoiraM
        Participant

          A PET scan will pick up group of cells that are taking up a lot of glucose. Groups of melanoma cells show up but so do lymph nodes producing lots of cells to fight an infection.

          As I understand it, lots of people have low-level infections that are chronic and do not produce symptoms. The appendix is a common site for this.

          I had the opposite problem. I had lumps on my CT scan that did not show up on my PET scan. I still don't know what the lumps are but everyone agrees they are not melanoma.

          Here's hoping that their 'best guess' is correct and the enlarged lymph node is caused by some low-level infection and not a tumour.

           

          MoiraM
          Participant

            A PET scan will pick up group of cells that are taking up a lot of glucose. Groups of melanoma cells show up but so do lymph nodes producing lots of cells to fight an infection.

            As I understand it, lots of people have low-level infections that are chronic and do not produce symptoms. The appendix is a common site for this.

            I had the opposite problem. I had lumps on my CT scan that did not show up on my PET scan. I still don't know what the lumps are but everyone agrees they are not melanoma.

            Here's hoping that their 'best guess' is correct and the enlarged lymph node is caused by some low-level infection and not a tumour.

             

            MoiraM
            Participant

              A PET scan will pick up group of cells that are taking up a lot of glucose. Groups of melanoma cells show up but so do lymph nodes producing lots of cells to fight an infection.

              As I understand it, lots of people have low-level infections that are chronic and do not produce symptoms. The appendix is a common site for this.

              I had the opposite problem. I had lumps on my CT scan that did not show up on my PET scan. I still don't know what the lumps are but everyone agrees they are not melanoma.

              Here's hoping that their 'best guess' is correct and the enlarged lymph node is caused by some low-level infection and not a tumour.

               

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