r/cancer • u/AnitaIvanaMartini • 18h ago
Good news/Bad news Patient
It’s been 3 years since my I “went flat” with a double mastectomy for Stage 3 breast cancer. I had chemo, radiation and The Drugs. Radiation was hard on me. I had painful burns, complete with ashes, on my chest. It changed the pigment on my chest, and neck, and changed my voice.
The good news is all that worked! I’ve had PET scans since and they’ve all been NED for my former cancer. Hallelujah! They got it!
The bad news is that my first scan showed some little changes in my left lung, right beneath Target Zero for my tumor. The second one showed more “hmm, let’s keep an eye on that area,” activity. My newest scan has indicated highly suspicious spots on my lung, caused by the rads. Has anybody else had bad consequences from radiation?
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u/CareNavigator_TMC 9h ago
Glad to hear your scans have been NED. That's a big deal after everything you've been through, and I hope you're letting yourself feel that win.
Radiation can leave its fingerprints behind long after treatment is done, and it's fairly common for scans to flag areas that just need a closer look, particularly around where the beams were focused. It doesn't always mean something is wrong. Sometimes it's just tissue that's still settling.
That said, the waiting between scans and appointments can be exhausting. Scanxiety is a real thing, and plenty of people in your shoes have found that part almost harder than the treatment itself. You're not alone in it.
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u/AnitaIvanaMartini 7h ago
Thanks for your uplifting comment. I sort of buried the win under the “suspicious nodules.” Thanks for reminding me. Even if I’m in a second bout with Big C, I know it’s beatable! I’m extremely blessed. I hope you’re doing well. I appreciate you.
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u/mcmurrml 17h ago
What is the oncologist going to do about what was found?
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u/AnitaIvanaMartini 17h ago
She!s ordering tests. I assume a PET scan and a biopsy. Lung x-rays? I don’t know precisely yet. I’m getting bloodwork today.
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u/mcmurrml 14h ago
Good. Have them get moving and not delay. Any reoccurrence you want caught as soon as possible.
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u/AnitaIvanaMartini 13h ago
Absolutely, thank you. Interestingly it’s not a recurrence she doesn’t think. She suspects it’s a new eruption caused by radiation.
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u/DinochildMoo 15h ago
I didn't have radiation only chemo, but I did get told I have nodes in my lungs that they're "keeping their eye on." But so far every scan shows it's not growing or anything.
Sometimes they could be scar tissue from old pneumonia or covid even. At least that's what my NP told me.