upset caregiver: what do these results mean?

Hello @scared2 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can certainly understand your concern regarding your husband's results. As you may know, Mayo Connect is a patient support network. We are not medical professionals and therefore cannot give medical opinions or advice. You will have to talk with your doctor in order to understand these results.

Cancer recurrence is always frightening. I can understand that seeing a nodule on the lung would be cause for concern. Often, nodules do not actually represent cancer.

I would encourage you, as much as is possible, to try and relax until you can talk with the doctor and get some more information.

We do have other members on Connect who have dealt with lung nodules. I would like to invite @merpreb to this discussion. She can undoubtedly put you in contact with others who have lung nodules.

I am so sorry that you even have to think about scary results and have to wait. That is a hard place to be in.

not a problem. please do.

I am so sorry you are having to wait so long for more information. The waiting game is so stressful. Hang in there and don't expect the worst.

My spouse had a CT and MRI on the 2nd and her renal cell carcinoma mets to the lungs has increased, so she will be starting a targeted therapy. Not chemo, but some of the side effects sound almost as bad. She has rheumatoid arthritis and lots of pain and fatigue, the latter of which will undoubtably increase with the medication.

Thanks to all of you for this outlet for us caregivers. I'm still learning the ropes on Connect, but so far it is helping - just to have impartial listening ears feels good.

Hi! I am a patient with stage iv lung cancer and have been through 7 years with scans every 12 weeks. The wait is awful and I am sorry your wait is so long. In my opinion, the PET scan is secondary to a CT scan. It will show response in places that are just inflammation. It also depends on how much sugar was circulating at that time. Did your husband eat mostly protein the day before the scan? Many places forget to mention that. There is a large group on Inspire.com that has caretakers and patients all with throat cancer that has metastasized. You may want to check that out. You can also send any of us personal messages by clicking on our names.

Thank you @hopeful33250 for my invitation to this discussion.

@scared2- I would also like to welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can't imagine how difficult this is after going through throat cancer. I am truly sorry.

When a first cancer appears it feels like a tsunami. I felt this way with my first cancer. Just like your husband, I was a good doobie and did everything that I was supposed to. I literally changed my life around. On my tenth anniversary, after having a celebratory lunch with my surgeon and my husband, my new CT, which arrived the day after, revealed another lesion. It showed a different type of cancer in a different part of my lung. I was horrified and shocked. How could this be?

But when we get cancer for the first time it opens up an entire world of possibilities that can happen in our bodies and metastasis is, unfortunately, one of them.

First off it looks like your husband has a possible infection in his throat. There doesn't seem to be any cancer there but there is swelling. The nodules that have shown up do indicate cancer.

Have you and your husband spoken to the doctor since this test result to see what treatment he suggests now? Both of his nodules are small at ,59" and .0968". But, it's more important what is going inside a nodule than its size.

Please check this site out to actually see photos of the terms that are used in his scan results. I found that knowledge is very powerful in gaining some control over our feelings of fear.
https://www.radiologymasterclass.co.uk/tutorials/chest/chest_home_anatomy/chest_anatomy_page5
Have you been in contact with your husband's doctor to see what he wants to do?

Thanks for joining a confused and hurt mind.
After having cancer and beat it, to get it again. My question is is anyone ever free from it? I thought after my husband had beat it, that it was totally gone from his body. It could only matetize while he was being treated, not afterwards.
No, we haven't talked to the. dr. yet, thats almost a week away yet. ( I'm actually scared to find out the results, sorta like a love hate thing, I do but I dont) I'm hoping since I'm not a dr. I misread everything I read. Hes also diabetic and has copd.
Thank you once again, for your help.

Scared2

Oh, dear, I'm afraid that cancer is never free in a person who has had it. How did my brother-in-law put it when I learned about my cancer? The code has broken, my immunity has been compromised. It's a tough, long rollercoaster that you are familiar with after your husband's throat cancer. That must have been awful!

One thing that you can do is look up every single word that you aren't familiar with and write them down with the definitions. If they are too complicated or scientific ask your doctor to explain how they influence your husband's outcome.

Is your doctor good at explaining things?

Hello again @scared2

I understand your wish to be "free from cancer" but it is important to treat a cancer diagnosis as if it is a chronic illness that needs to be monitored and dealt with on a regular schedule. Your husband might not have metastasis but perhaps a new or different cancer. You need, as best as possible, to wait until you talk with the doctor to get a clearer understanding of these results.

What day is your follow up appointment?

@scared2- Good morning. I'm checking in to see how you are and how your husband is.