Hi, I had a CT scan today. I had a mastectomy just before Christmas and the lump was 75mm and 6/17 positive nodes. I have my first oncology appointment on Monday so I hope that I’ll get the results from the scan then.
Since the scan (4 hrs ago) I’m overthinking and trying to read into every word the radiographer and healthcare assistant said to me. One of them said “we got all the images we needed". In my head that’s “we saw cancer spread, so stopped”.
During the scan there were pauses before it started again, is this normal?
I hate the waiting between ‘big’ results.
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I had a 73mm lump with no nodes on MRI/Ultrasound but he didn’t seem convinced they’d all be clear, one of the first things they did after the initial diagnosis was give me a CT. The wait after was genuinely the absolute worst part of this so far.
There were definitely big pauses when they started and stopped mine, I got confused at various points if they were actually scanning or not.
Had the images done, and as he’s unhooking the IV for the contrast and getting me ready to leave the radiographer asks - so why are you getting the scan?
That single sentence absolutely SPIRALLED me! OBVIOUSLY he couldn’t tell what my original diagnosis was because I must be RIDDLED with cancer everywhere! I read so much into that. Didn’t help that I read too much into the nurses at the breast clinic wishing me ‘good luck’ after I left the first assessment having gone through a battery of tests with no idea that cancer was coming. I was clearly right that the nurse knew I needed good luck, and that this radiographer was stunned by how much lit up on the CT he didn’t know where to start.
Turns out they found nothing on the CT. Biggest relief. I had been so convinced.
I can’t promise what the results will say, I really wish the best on that - but they would not just ‘give up’ halfway through if they saw you had cancer spread I can promise that! If you have spread, then they need to know where. If you don’t, they won’t know without those pictures. The same for everyone, as far as I know.
I really wish the best for you and your results, I can’t say don’t worry because I definitely did - but try not to read into what they said <3
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It’s nerve wracking having scans and waiting results. I have metastatic cancer and have been on surveillance for a few years now - CT scans, PET/CT scans, MRIs - I have had the lot multiple times. Your consultant will have requested a particular scan - for example I regularly have a CT scan of thorax, abdomen, pelvis. These types of CT are quite quick and run through the same cycle twice, once without contrast dye, and once with. They do stop and start, depending on the programme. When the operator says they have all the images required, it just means they have checked the set is complete / not blurred etc. They don’t analyse the content - that’s done by a specialist radiographer at a later point. The radiographer will write a report that goes back to your consultant with their findings.
My very first scan threw up a series of things that were investigated. The initial report was clear on what the radiographer thought was cancer and what he/she thought was benign. Subsequent investigations showed the initial analysis to be accurate.
The nurses and other staff at the scanning units see dozens of people each day. They will see on the paperwork what sort of scan has been requested, but they won’t know why it’s been requested. They may be sympathetic or otherwise - that’s a lot to do with their personality, how their day has gone and how you interact with them - they are not aware of the patient’s cancer extent.