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Need help deciphering my mom's pathology report.
My mom's PET/CT scan pathology is below. I know she has cancer but I'm trying to figure out how bad it is before we see her oncologist so I can be prepared and be able to ask pertinent questions. I've tried googling the different terms but there's just not much info out there for cervical cancer.. most of it refers to lung cancer.
Thorax: Mediastinal blood pool shows a max SUV of 2.66. No suspicious
focal uptake is seen otherwise. Multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules
are noted, all below PET/CT threshold. The largest of these nodules
is seen within the right upper lobe measuring 7 mm on image 108 of
series 3. Enlarged right lower paratracheal lymph node is noted
measuring 1 cm in short axis on image 89 of series 3 and shows a max
SUV of 2.08. No large axillary lymph nodes.
Abdomen/Pelvis: Hepatic background max SUV measures 3.2. Large
endocervical hypermetabolic mass extending into the left adnexal
region is noted with a max SUV of 6.43 in keeping with known squamous
cell carcinoma. No hypermetabolic lymph nodes are seen in the abdomen
or pelvis. No suspicious uptake is seen in the solid abdominal
organs.
IMPRESSION:
Abnormal examination.
1. Hypermetabolic endocervical mass in keeping with known squamous
cell carcinoma of the cervix.
2. There are multiple pulmonary nodules seen measuring up to 7 mm
that are below PET/CT threshold for evaluation. Short-term follow-up
chest CT in three months is recommended to document stability or
resolution as these may be infectious/inflammatory in etiology.
3. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy that does not show metabolic activity
above that of the mediastinal blood pool favoring reactivity over
metastatic disease. Attention on follow-up chest CT for the pulmonary
nodules is recommended.
Thorax: Mediastinal blood pool shows a max SUV of 2.66. No suspicious
focal uptake is seen otherwise. Multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules
are noted, all below PET/CT threshold. The largest of these nodules
is seen within the right upper lobe measuring 7 mm on image 108 of
series 3. Enlarged right lower paratracheal lymph node is noted
measuring 1 cm in short axis on image 89 of series 3 and shows a max
SUV of 2.08. No large axillary lymph nodes.
Abdomen/Pelvis: Hepatic background max SUV measures 3.2. Large
endocervical hypermetabolic mass extending into the left adnexal
region is noted with a max SUV of 6.43 in keeping with known squamous
cell carcinoma. No hypermetabolic lymph nodes are seen in the abdomen
or pelvis. No suspicious uptake is seen in the solid abdominal
organs.
IMPRESSION:
Abnormal examination.
1. Hypermetabolic endocervical mass in keeping with known squamous
cell carcinoma of the cervix.
2. There are multiple pulmonary nodules seen measuring up to 7 mm
that are below PET/CT threshold for evaluation. Short-term follow-up
chest CT in three months is recommended to document stability or
resolution as these may be infectious/inflammatory in etiology.
3. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy that does not show metabolic activity
above that of the mediastinal blood pool favoring reactivity over
metastatic disease. Attention on follow-up chest CT for the pulmonary
nodules is recommended.
Yes, vagueness is not what you want on a pathology report. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. Has there been any update? Please let me know what is going on.
Oh gosh, I"m sorry you and your mom are going through this. It's always so frightening. These reports being written in language that is so clinical and foreign doesn't help either. I wish they'd give results AT your appointment so you aren't left so worried wondering what all of it means. Her doctor doctor will go over it with you both but I understand wanting to KNOW what all this means.
So, your mom had a PET scan? Is that correct? The looked at her thorax which is a fancy word for the area between neck and abdomen. SUV is standardized uptake value. They often measure that to see how well someone is responding to treatment for their cancer. An elevated SUV by itself can be misleading and doesn't always indicate cancer. Inflammatory things for example can elevate SUV. It sounds like your mom has nodules on her lungs and the words you read before that are medical adjectives. They try to describe them. Now, that could be no big deal. Lung infections from the past or if she was a smoker could lead to nodules. That is pretty standard practice to wait and see but I know that is scary. That they want to wait and see should maybe be reassuring. Lymph node involvement. Well, they'll probably biopsy one of those and check it. But this report actually says that what they believe so far is that they are reactive and not cancer related. Meaning they are swollen due to an immune response (doing what they are supposed to do. That's just my take on what they are saying there but that looks to be dead on.
But she's got a big mass. That is concerning. But they may have been looking for if this has spread. And it would look to be saying that they don't think it has. There is concern about the lung nodules but again, I read all the time here people that have those because they were sick at one point or smoked and nodules are not that uncommon. So, they are going to observe those.
When does she go back for follow up? hugs
So, your mom had a PET scan? Is that correct? The looked at her thorax which is a fancy word for the area between neck and abdomen. SUV is standardized uptake value. They often measure that to see how well someone is responding to treatment for their cancer. An elevated SUV by itself can be misleading and doesn't always indicate cancer. Inflammatory things for example can elevate SUV. It sounds like your mom has nodules on her lungs and the words you read before that are medical adjectives. They try to describe them. Now, that could be no big deal. Lung infections from the past or if she was a smoker could lead to nodules. That is pretty standard practice to wait and see but I know that is scary. That they want to wait and see should maybe be reassuring. Lymph node involvement. Well, they'll probably biopsy one of those and check it. But this report actually says that what they believe so far is that they are reactive and not cancer related. Meaning they are swollen due to an immune response (doing what they are supposed to do. That's just my take on what they are saying there but that looks to be dead on.
But she's got a big mass. That is concerning. But they may have been looking for if this has spread. And it would look to be saying that they don't think it has. There is concern about the lung nodules but again, I read all the time here people that have those because they were sick at one point or smoked and nodules are not that uncommon. So, they are going to observe those.
When does she go back for follow up? hugs
1 Comments
This was her first scan after a cervical biopsy and diagnosis. It was a PET/CT scan. Yes she used to be a smoker for many years. She sees the oncologist in 2 days. I was hoping this report would say the size of the mass other than “large.” That’s such an ambiguous word
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