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Anyone have cancer with unknown primary?

Posted by rita8898 @rita8898, May 20, 2019

Anyone suffering from cancer with unknown primary?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Cancer Support Group.

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mpuap | @mpuap | Aug 1, 2023

Food suggestions. Blueberries for pterostilbene, watermelon and tomatoes for Lycopene, broccoli sprouts or lightly steamed broccoli for sulfurophane, apples with peal for Ursolic acid, fermented or cultured food like yogurt, kombucha etc for good gut microbes. Look into these online. Research is often tumor specific and academic only.

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mattydlb | @mattydlb | Aug 1, 2023
In reply to @gisellef "Hi: You could try grating fresh turmeric root into food. It helped a family member with..." + (show)
Profile picture for gisellef @gisellef

Hi:
You could try grating fresh turmeric root into food. It helped a family member with ovarian recurrence for a couple of weeks, enough to get her through the time between diagnosis and treatment.

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Thanks I will put it on the shopping list. Anything else you can think of would be great too.

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mattydlb | @mattydlb | Aug 1, 2023
In reply to @mpuap "Food suggestions. Blueberries for pterostilbene, watermelon and tomatoes for Lycopene, broccoli sprouts or lightly steamed broccoli..." + (show)
Profile picture for mpuap @mpuap

Food suggestions. Blueberries for pterostilbene, watermelon and tomatoes for Lycopene, broccoli sprouts or lightly steamed broccoli for sulfurophane, apples with peal for Ursolic acid, fermented or cultured food like yogurt, kombucha etc for good gut microbes. Look into these online. Research is often tumor specific and academic only.

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Thanks will add them to my list too. I read walnuts and almonds are good options too. Next up is to find good recipes.

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mattydlb | @mattydlb | Aug 1, 2023
In reply to @dkoontz "I had my scan that detected the enlarged lymph nodes beginning of October 2022. I had..." + (show)
Profile picture for dkoontz @dkoontz

I had my scan that detected the enlarged lymph nodes beginning of October 2022. I had over a dozen biopsies, along with many scan and scopes for several months. they didn't start my treatments until January 23, 2023, (almost 4 months). They also surgically removed a lymph node and sent it to a company call Tempus labs with the hope that they would help identify. it came back as 70% cervical. Everyone thought it was strong enough result to just treat for that.
I have finished my treatments and had my first scan with was clear. Do you know what the cell type is. In my case this help them go down paths of where that cell type can only be. Mine again was Squamous and would only be found in throat, cervix and anal/rectal. that provided areas to look and direction. To me that would be the biggest question.

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I don’t know but hoping to find out more information at his next specialist appointment.
I’m so happy that your results came back all clear that’s fantastic.

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mattydlb | @mattydlb | Aug 3, 2023
In reply to @gisellef "Hi: You could try grating fresh turmeric root into food. It helped a family member with..." + (show)
Profile picture for gisellef @gisellef

Hi:
You could try grating fresh turmeric root into food. It helped a family member with ovarian recurrence for a couple of weeks, enough to get her through the time between diagnosis and treatment.

Jump to this post

Thanks I will definitely buy some and get my parents to put it with their stir fry’s

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Aug 12, 2023
In reply to @mattydlb "Are there any cancer fighting foods to possibly help slow the development that any of you..." + (show)
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Are there any cancer fighting foods to possibly help slow the development that any of you recommend to add to his diet that may have helped any of you?

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@mattydlb @gisellef @mpuap, with regards to food and cancer, you may be interested in these Mayo Clinic recorded webinars, expert blogs, and related discussions:

Webinars
- Cancer-Fighting Foods https://connect.mayoclinic.org/event/cancer-fighting-foods/
- Disease Fighting Foods https://connect.mayoclinic.org/event/disease-fighting-foods/

Blogs
- Choosing Whole Foods for a Healthier You
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/weight-management-1/newsfeed-post/choosing-whole-foods-for-a-healthier-you/
- Cancer and nutrition
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/podcasts/newsfeed-post/cancer-and-nutrition/
Discussion
Healthy diets for cancer patients
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/healthy-diets-for-cancer-patients/

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mikeh35 | @mikeh35 | Aug 16, 2023

Yes, I have an adenocarsonoma in my liver - Currently still looking.
Hx of melonoma - 6 years ago - shoulder /sentinal lymph node (super small and removed via biopsey - medical supervision since. All scans clear untill ...
a spot showed up 5 months ago in my liver.
Multiple MTI -PET -Endoscopy sigmoid oscopy

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1 reply
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Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Aug 16, 2023
In reply to @mikeh35 "Yes, I have an adenocarsonoma in my liver - Currently still looking. Hx of melonoma -..." + (show)
Profile picture for mikeh35 @mikeh35

Yes, I have an adenocarsonoma in my liver - Currently still looking.
Hx of melonoma - 6 years ago - shoulder /sentinal lymph node (super small and removed via biopsey - medical supervision since. All scans clear untill ...
a spot showed up 5 months ago in my liver.
Multiple MTI -PET -Endoscopy sigmoid oscopy

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Hello @mikeh35 and welcome to Mayo Connect.

It sounds like you have an unknown primary as well. Were you having any symptoms prior to the spot showing up on your liver? Has a biopsy been suggested or has your medical team decided to wait and watch?

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mikeh35 | @mikeh35 | Aug 17, 2023

Hi Teresa,
I will briefly run through my history
I have been a career firefighter for 45 years. I retired 3 years ago and I am still involved with the fire dept as a certified fire and explosion investigator. I recognize this automatically puts me at a high rick for cancer.
In 2016 I had a mishapen mole on my left shoulder. PCP took a sample that came back + for melonoma. Sent to local "cancer" doc. Sentinal lymph node biopsy - took extended time for pathology to return -small spot, + melonoma. Believed to have been removed during LNB. The local doc wanter to remove lymph nodeds left side.
At that time I wanted a second opinion, I am familiar with the lasting effects of lymph node removal.
I am fortunate that I live an hour away from Fred Hutch and UW Medical Ctr
I meet with Dr. David Byrd and was told of large study of the simular type issue. Half had lymph nodes removed and half chose medical surveillance. He also indicated that lymph node removal was method of choice 5 years ago.
I chose Fred Hutch as my new provider and also chose medical surveillance.
For 5 and a half years I had multiple CT, ultra sounds and skin monitoring per year with decreasing frequency as time went on. Nothing ever showed up as out of the ordinary untill, on what was to be my last scan, something showed up on the CT scan in my liver. This was followed up with MRI, Biopsy. Biopsy came back as adenocarsonoma.
My oncologist believed this was not melonoma and also not the primary site of the cancer. Followed up with PET scan, endoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and additional MRI of left thigh(indicated on PET scan) I am awaiting results. From what I can read from the MRI is that nothing stands out. Strangely, it is seems counter intuotive to "want" something to show up. But I do.
I am waiting consult from last MRI. Prior the oncologist kind of charted a path toward chemo / raditaion. I will know more in a week.
As to your question, I have had no symptoms of anykind during this journey.
Not shuch a "brief" hx

Mike
Also, I am willing to share any/all of my reports.

REPLY
2 replies
Profile picture for Teresa, Volunteer Mentor
Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Aug 17, 2023
In reply to @mikeh35 "Hi Teresa, I will briefly run through my history I have been a career firefighter for..." + (show)
Profile picture for mikeh35 @mikeh35

Hi Teresa,
I will briefly run through my history
I have been a career firefighter for 45 years. I retired 3 years ago and I am still involved with the fire dept as a certified fire and explosion investigator. I recognize this automatically puts me at a high rick for cancer.
In 2016 I had a mishapen mole on my left shoulder. PCP took a sample that came back + for melonoma. Sent to local "cancer" doc. Sentinal lymph node biopsy - took extended time for pathology to return -small spot, + melonoma. Believed to have been removed during LNB. The local doc wanter to remove lymph nodeds left side.
At that time I wanted a second opinion, I am familiar with the lasting effects of lymph node removal.
I am fortunate that I live an hour away from Fred Hutch and UW Medical Ctr
I meet with Dr. David Byrd and was told of large study of the simular type issue. Half had lymph nodes removed and half chose medical surveillance. He also indicated that lymph node removal was method of choice 5 years ago.
I chose Fred Hutch as my new provider and also chose medical surveillance.
For 5 and a half years I had multiple CT, ultra sounds and skin monitoring per year with decreasing frequency as time went on. Nothing ever showed up as out of the ordinary untill, on what was to be my last scan, something showed up on the CT scan in my liver. This was followed up with MRI, Biopsy. Biopsy came back as adenocarsonoma.
My oncologist believed this was not melonoma and also not the primary site of the cancer. Followed up with PET scan, endoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and additional MRI of left thigh(indicated on PET scan) I am awaiting results. From what I can read from the MRI is that nothing stands out. Strangely, it is seems counter intuotive to "want" something to show up. But I do.
I am waiting consult from last MRI. Prior the oncologist kind of charted a path toward chemo / raditaion. I will know more in a week.
As to your question, I have had no symptoms of anykind during this journey.
Not shuch a "brief" hx

Mike
Also, I am willing to share any/all of my reports.

Jump to this post

@mikeh35

I appreciate the additional information you shared about your cancer journey. You have very thoughtfully chosen doctors and have looked at treatments that are best suited for you. Being an advocate for your health care is so important and you are doing that.

It sounds like you need to get some more information about this spot on your liver. I'm guessing that blood tests have been done to determine liver functioning.

Keep posting as you have questions. Will you post again when you have more information from your oncologist?

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