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I have had some dull back and abdominal pain for a while. I grew frustrated with my PCP who blowing me off. I paid a lot money to get a full body MRI and they found a .8mm side branch IPMN. Everywhere I look says a tumor of this side would not be symptomatic. I don't know I believe that given I have rule out just about everything else causing mine. I have done a lot of research and I am not impressed. From what I can see, they don't biopsy these unless they have worrisome features. It is a watch and wait game. I am not impressed since I have read elsewhere that pc can go from stage 1 to stage 4 in a year. I have my first appointment with oncology next week. It is unlikely they will do anything more than watch and wait. They do not take into account what this watch and wait does to a patient's anxiety. I had a CT in 2020 that showed nothing. Now, 3 years later, I have 8mm SB-IPMN. I also cannot help but wish I had never gotten a COVID vaccine.
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Hello @fionac and welcome to Mayo Connect. I am glad that you found this forum. It is a great place to receive support and encouragement.
I've had IPMN diagnosed for 10-plus years now and also do the watch and wait. They were first discovered incidentally, when I had a CT scan for something unrelated. As I have a history of cancer of the upper digestive tract, they were first followed yearly by an MRI and now every other year.
There has been little change. You mention COVID vaccine. I have had the original two vaccines and also three boosters. There have not been any changes in my IPMN. Needless to say, because of my cancer history the presence of IPMN was a cause for anxiety for me as well.
I'm glad to see that you will be seeing an oncologist. Were you referred to the oncologist or did you self-refer?
As you have concerns, when you see the oncologist, you might ask for blood work that would check for pancreas functioning. Perhaps that will help put your mind at ease. Have you had any blood work done previously for pancreas functioning?
I look forward to any other questions or concerns you might have. I hope you post again and especially after your appointment with the oncologist.