Lymph Nodes

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tea - 11 Sep 2006 17:02 GMT

I posted recently about being newly diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor of
the pancreas that has metastasized to the liver. I am undergoing treatment
of octreotide injections once a month. A recent chest and abdominal CAT
scan showed the tumors unchanged, which is good news. However, the scan
showed lymph node swelling in the center chest area. I'm not sure what this
means and my oncologist didn't explain it very well to me.

Does this mean that there are cancer cells in the lymph nodes?

Any information will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

tea

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J - 12 Sep 2006 00:39 GMT

> I posted recently about being newly diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor of
> the pancreas that has metastasized to the liver. I am undergoing treatment
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Any information will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hello again tea,
I'm sorry to hear the news.
Nothing much can be done about it, if it is (in the lymph nodes).

I had a few other thoughts, like "ouch ! I thought we all agreed that it's a
slower moving cancer" and " I wonder what I would do or change if I thought I
only had a year or less to live". [1]
[1] I don't know if the latter is true.

I think I would "wrap things up" and move household closer to relatives and
where the weather is better, but maybe you're where you want to be. Each person
has their own list of what they would do.

Please tell us your thoughts and/or what the oncologist explained.

I'm sorry I can't be more helpful, at this time.
Hugs
J

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tea - 12 Sep 2006 13:28 GMT

> > I posted recently about being newly diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor of
> > the pancreas that has metastasized to the liver. I am undergoing treatment
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> Hugs
> J

Hi again, J,
Thank you for your reply. I understand that the lymph node involvement is
probably not a good thing. It's not something that my oncologist stressed
in the scan result. She just mentioned that they did appear on a previous
scan two months ago and that they also remained unchanged in size. I just
didn't know if swelling means they contain cancer cells or if they were
enlarged because they were fighting off the cancer. *see also Tracey's
reply below* I guess it can be both?

I think I've always known from the very beginning that I was only buying
time. I have taken care of things like my will, finances, beneficiaries,
health care proxy...all that stuff. It was hard but I feel relieved to have
it done. Now I don't think too much about the future. It's a concept that
seems to no longer apply to me so I try to focus on today. It's all we
really have anyway. :)

tea

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J - 12 Sep 2006 19:46 GMT

> Thank you for your reply. I understand that the lymph node involvement is
> probably not a good thing. It's not something that my oncologist stressed
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> enlarged because they were fighting off the cancer. *see also Tracey's
> reply below* I guess it can be both?

I think the only way to know is biopsy and probably not recommended.
In the center chest area, might be difficult to palliate and/or would assess at
time of problem.

> I think I've always known from the very beginning that I was only buying
> time. I have taken care of things like my will, finances, beneficiaries,
> health care proxy...all that stuff. It was hard but I feel relieved to have
> it done. Now I don't think too much about the future. It's a concept that
> seems to no longer apply to me so I try to focus on today. It's all we
> really have anyway. :)

True. You're a brave lady with a common sense approach.
Life's good (or as good as it gets, given your situation), make the most of it
in case that bus gets you ! (shamelessly stolen from a lady on another newsgroup
& slightly revised).
J

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TRC - 12 Sep 2006 00:53 GMT

> I posted recently about being newly diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor of
> the pancreas that has metastasized to the liver. I am undergoing treatment
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> tea

I had enlarged nodes in my mediastinum on a follow-up CT scan, they were not
reactive on PET scan and my onc told me that they were just reactive nodes,
doing what they are supposed to do - fighting infection. So an enlarged
node does not necessarily mean it is cancerous.

Tracey

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tea - 12 Sep 2006 13:30 GMT

Thank you for your reply. My oncologist didn't say very much about mine
except that they were enlarged but unchanged in size from an earlier scan
from two months ago.

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starfleet - 12 Sep 2006 02:08 GMT

tea schreef:

> Does this mean that there are cancer cells in the lymph nodes?
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
>

Maybe there are cancerous cells, but I would talk with the oncologist
about that. You're glad the tumors didn't grow but now afraid the
treatment might not be doing much since the lymphenodes are affected
during the treatment? Is that your question? I would try to talk with
your doctor about that.

Anne

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tea - 12 Sep 2006 13:33 GMT

> tea schreef:
> >
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Anne

Thank you for your reply. Yes, I think I need to talk more with my
oncologist about this. She seemed not to be too concerned about the lymph
nodes. Sometimes it's hard for me to communicate with this doctor.

tea

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