Hi all and hope are all as well as can be expected.
I am a tad concerned and need advice please.
I had a CT scan ( for various reasons ) of my neck/chest/abdo/pelvis a couple of weeks ago and got the results on Thursday.
Doc said everything was fine. There were no mets although i do have some calcification in the 4th lobe of my liver and that becuase of my history and my age ( 28 ) they would not overlook this. I mentioned the fact that I have been completely off food for about the last 6 - 8 weeks and that I had been getting terrible lower back ache for about the same time.
He had a good feel of my abdomen ( i’m guessing the liver area ) and it was so painful. He also examined my back and found a very very tender area where i have been aching.
He seemed a tad concerned, said he needed to check with the consultant and then left the room.
The consultant came into the room to see me and promptly said
" why are you panicking, the CT results were clear, you had a good tumour ( no lymph nodes involved but a grade 3 ) and everything is going to be fine ".
I was a tad upset after his comment as I don’t think any tumour is a good one and of course anyone who has had cancer tends to panic slightly. I was then to upset to question the back ache and the abdo pain anymore and it has been on my mind ever since.
From the first Doc telling me they won’t over look it to be then kicked out of the room by another is very confusing.
Is bone mets picked up on CT scans, I thought CT scans were for organs and things not really bones ???
Does anyone else have liver calcification and what does it mean ???
I’m going to see my GP today in the hope that she can shed some light on the situation.
Would be very grateful for any advice on this as I am once again getting worried.
Thanks all,
Mandy xxx
Mandy
I am sorry that you are in pain and worrying. I hope your GP visit is helpful but I think you need to go back to the Consultant with your worries. Ring his secretary at the hospital and say that you would like him to call you at home to discuss your recent appointment. If you can, prepare some of the questions that you need answering and let the secretary have them (eg what investigation is to be done to find out the reason for the pain?)- so that the Onc realises what you want from him, in advance and it also lets him know that you are serious and expect a reply. If you don’t fancy calling the Oncologist (or feel that you have insufficient information for a meaningful discussion) you could ring your Breast Cancer Nurse and ask her to help you make sense of the diagnosis so far and to help you formulate your questions to find out more.
Best of luck with this - it is certainly worth you pursuing this, you are worried and that is reason enough in itself. Had you been visiting a garage and been confused by what they told you about your car repair you would have gone back and asked them to explain; in fact you would probably have stayed there and refused to pay until you were satisfied - this is no different just much, much more important!!
Blondie
Hi Mandy
Really sorry to hear you had such an upsetting experience at the hospital and that you are in pain. Hopefully your GP will listen to your concerns and come up with a plan of action that you feel happy with. If that doesn’t happen, I think I would enlist the help of your Breast Care Nurse as Blondie suggests and see what she feels about it. You really mustn’t feel that you are being a nuisance at all or doing anything different from what any of the rest of us would do - you are understandably concerned and worried and you need your onc to understand that and act accordingly.
Do hope your GP or BCN can give you some advice and support and if need be, help you with asking the questions of the onc.
Kay
Hi Mandy
I had a ct scan which showed my vertebrae had collapsed so yes it is possible for bone mets to show on a ct scan.
I am sorry you have had an upsetting time but you must insist on getting an answer to you queries - it seems to make it less scary if you understand what you are dealing with.
Best of luck
Hi Mandy,
I had both bone scan and ct scan and my bone mets showed up on both scans
Denio
Hi Mandy,
the good news is that the CT scan looks good and they are telling you this…bad news is they have left you confused and unsure!
Bne mets definitely shown on CT scans, my onc said bone scans give better resolution, but the real reason they do them is they are the whole body-not just chest and abs etc, everyone has given you really good advice here and statring with your GP is a good point, but you may well have to go back your onc.
It could well be nothing…I have liver mets and someone could prod my tummy for hours- it wouldn’t hurt at all, but you are going to need to get some answers…
take Care
Cathy