› Forums › General Melanoma Community › CT scan results question
- This topic has 21 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 2 months ago by
Hriggenbach.
- Post
-
- December 30, 2016 at 8:56 pm
A few subcentimeter hypodensity in the interpolar region of both kidneys
Irregular soft tissue density and the left inguinal Area secondary to recent limp node dissection. No ascites
can anyone explain what this means??
- Replies
-
-
- December 31, 2016 at 2:13 am
Hi,
I haven't received my results yet and I've never had a CT/Pet Scan but I did find this information online. I don't know if it applies to CT Scans looking for cancer or not. I guess I'm not able to paste the link here-it's from the Dept of Radiology-University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. Hopefully someone with experience reading CT's will come along.
-
- December 31, 2016 at 2:13 am
Hi,
I haven't received my results yet and I've never had a CT/Pet Scan but I did find this information online. I don't know if it applies to CT Scans looking for cancer or not. I guess I'm not able to paste the link here-it's from the Dept of Radiology-University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. Hopefully someone with experience reading CT's will come along.
-
- December 31, 2016 at 2:13 am
Hi,
I haven't received my results yet and I've never had a CT/Pet Scan but I did find this information online. I don't know if it applies to CT Scans looking for cancer or not. I guess I'm not able to paste the link here-it's from the Dept of Radiology-University of Wisconsin School of Medicine. Hopefully someone with experience reading CT's will come along.
-
- December 31, 2016 at 12:24 pm
Ok-lets start by saying I have no medical training.Ct scans often show up findings that are out of the expected- but are not abnormal for you as an individual… but are deemed worthy of comment for a couple of reasons… they may represent disease- they may just be part of your make up- but noting and recording allows the medics to recognize changes over time which may indicate the need to take action.
From your report-
Hypodensity in Kidney area.
Small hypodense renal lesions with a round shape are frequently detected on CT scans of the upper abdomen after contrast medium administration. In nearly all cases these round hypodensities are simple small cysts with no clinical significance.
Source https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8008899
Because the CT scanner takes images at say 10mm intervals- details on a slice may not reveal sufficient detail to say exactly what isgoing on. Second guessing- they will compare this image to the next scan and look for changes. Most likely explanation is nothing to bother about for now.
The next bit- they have identified that the tissue around your recent surgery is not uniform with the rest of your groin- Harder or softer- it doesn't say- but that makes sense – they have reported the probable cause and again will track changes.
Ascites is a build up of fluid in the body- usually the abdomen – http://www.nhs.uk/ipgmedia/national/Macmillan%20Cancer%20Support/Assets/Ascites(CB).pdf
You have none of this so that is good.
So- it looks good- nothing found that the medics could say is melanoma…but they think you may have a couple of cysts in the kidney area and will probably monitor over time…
Best wishes
Deb
-
- December 31, 2016 at 12:24 pm
Ok-lets start by saying I have no medical training.Ct scans often show up findings that are out of the expected- but are not abnormal for you as an individual… but are deemed worthy of comment for a couple of reasons… they may represent disease- they may just be part of your make up- but noting and recording allows the medics to recognize changes over time which may indicate the need to take action.
From your report-
Hypodensity in Kidney area.
Small hypodense renal lesions with a round shape are frequently detected on CT scans of the upper abdomen after contrast medium administration. In nearly all cases these round hypodensities are simple small cysts with no clinical significance.
Source https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8008899
Because the CT scanner takes images at say 10mm intervals- details on a slice may not reveal sufficient detail to say exactly what isgoing on. Second guessing- they will compare this image to the next scan and look for changes. Most likely explanation is nothing to bother about for now.
The next bit- they have identified that the tissue around your recent surgery is not uniform with the rest of your groin- Harder or softer- it doesn't say- but that makes sense – they have reported the probable cause and again will track changes.
Ascites is a build up of fluid in the body- usually the abdomen – http://www.nhs.uk/ipgmedia/national/Macmillan%20Cancer%20Support/Assets/Ascites(CB).pdf
You have none of this so that is good.
So- it looks good- nothing found that the medics could say is melanoma…but they think you may have a couple of cysts in the kidney area and will probably monitor over time…
Best wishes
Deb
-
- December 31, 2016 at 1:18 pm
So is it pretty common to have a positive lymph node and no melanoma? Granted I know I haven't taken the MRI yet.
Second question does all melanoma show up in CT scans and if so my tumor site was on my leg why did they only scan my abdomen and lungs?
-
- December 31, 2016 at 1:18 pm
So is it pretty common to have a positive lymph node and no melanoma? Granted I know I haven't taken the MRI yet.
Second question does all melanoma show up in CT scans and if so my tumor site was on my leg why did they only scan my abdomen and lungs?
-
- December 31, 2016 at 2:44 pm
Tumors have to be a certain size to show up. 5mm on PET scans. CT scans, it depends on the size of the slice they are taking but they tend to be better at showing smaller stuff.
Blood and lymph fluid leave your leg and travel upward into the abdomen. Your vital organs are in the abdomen. Scanning your leg isn't looking for the most important area. Your melanoma started on your leg and ended upward in the groin lymph node. The flow is always circulating toward vital organs and melanoma in that area is what advances you to stage 4. Anything on the leg is still stage 3 but most likely already removed.
-
- December 31, 2016 at 2:44 pm
Tumors have to be a certain size to show up. 5mm on PET scans. CT scans, it depends on the size of the slice they are taking but they tend to be better at showing smaller stuff.
Blood and lymph fluid leave your leg and travel upward into the abdomen. Your vital organs are in the abdomen. Scanning your leg isn't looking for the most important area. Your melanoma started on your leg and ended upward in the groin lymph node. The flow is always circulating toward vital organs and melanoma in that area is what advances you to stage 4. Anything on the leg is still stage 3 but most likely already removed.
-
- December 31, 2016 at 2:44 pm
Tumors have to be a certain size to show up. 5mm on PET scans. CT scans, it depends on the size of the slice they are taking but they tend to be better at showing smaller stuff.
Blood and lymph fluid leave your leg and travel upward into the abdomen. Your vital organs are in the abdomen. Scanning your leg isn't looking for the most important area. Your melanoma started on your leg and ended upward in the groin lymph node. The flow is always circulating toward vital organs and melanoma in that area is what advances you to stage 4. Anything on the leg is still stage 3 but most likely already removed.
-
- December 31, 2016 at 8:53 pm
Docs concentrate their energy on the most likely sites melanoma would be likely to travel to next if it was not stopped in its tracks by surgery and your immune system – which is basically the torso from a positive groin lymph node. Lung being a common site- although mine was liver.
Microscopic cells of melanoma can not be detected by CT as they are too small to show up but disease may have been stopped by your lymph system and this is the case for many The risk of progressive disease increases the greater number of nodes involved- the larger the size of the nodes etc. Its pretty bsimple in a way- more melanoma cells in the lymph system- the more likely it is to have travelled and inplanted elsewhere- but individuals will defy the statistical probability to have better than expected outcomes on occasions.
CT and MRI are better at showing different areas… and have differing amounts of exposure to radiation.
It is highly likely that scans will be negative- but you will be monitored in the future so that any changes are picked up early – before symptoms are present so that treatment can commence whilst disease burden is low. So whilst scans do bring anxiety and worry they do also offer the chance of taking early action.
PS the longer you go NED – no evidence of disease after a stage 3 diagnosis the higher the chance of it not progressing becomes…..
best wishes
Deb
-
- December 31, 2016 at 8:53 pm
Docs concentrate their energy on the most likely sites melanoma would be likely to travel to next if it was not stopped in its tracks by surgery and your immune system – which is basically the torso from a positive groin lymph node. Lung being a common site- although mine was liver.
Microscopic cells of melanoma can not be detected by CT as they are too small to show up but disease may have been stopped by your lymph system and this is the case for many The risk of progressive disease increases the greater number of nodes involved- the larger the size of the nodes etc. Its pretty bsimple in a way- more melanoma cells in the lymph system- the more likely it is to have travelled and inplanted elsewhere- but individuals will defy the statistical probability to have better than expected outcomes on occasions.
CT and MRI are better at showing different areas… and have differing amounts of exposure to radiation.
It is highly likely that scans will be negative- but you will be monitored in the future so that any changes are picked up early – before symptoms are present so that treatment can commence whilst disease burden is low. So whilst scans do bring anxiety and worry they do also offer the chance of taking early action.
PS the longer you go NED – no evidence of disease after a stage 3 diagnosis the higher the chance of it not progressing becomes…..
best wishes
Deb
-
- December 31, 2016 at 8:53 pm
Docs concentrate their energy on the most likely sites melanoma would be likely to travel to next if it was not stopped in its tracks by surgery and your immune system – which is basically the torso from a positive groin lymph node. Lung being a common site- although mine was liver.
Microscopic cells of melanoma can not be detected by CT as they are too small to show up but disease may have been stopped by your lymph system and this is the case for many The risk of progressive disease increases the greater number of nodes involved- the larger the size of the nodes etc. Its pretty bsimple in a way- more melanoma cells in the lymph system- the more likely it is to have travelled and inplanted elsewhere- but individuals will defy the statistical probability to have better than expected outcomes on occasions.
CT and MRI are better at showing different areas… and have differing amounts of exposure to radiation.
It is highly likely that scans will be negative- but you will be monitored in the future so that any changes are picked up early – before symptoms are present so that treatment can commence whilst disease burden is low. So whilst scans do bring anxiety and worry they do also offer the chance of taking early action.
PS the longer you go NED – no evidence of disease after a stage 3 diagnosis the higher the chance of it not progressing becomes…..
best wishes
Deb
-
- December 31, 2016 at 1:18 pm
So is it pretty common to have a positive lymph node and no melanoma? Granted I know I haven't taken the MRI yet.
Second question does all melanoma show up in CT scans and if so my tumor site was on my leg why did they only scan my abdomen and lungs?
-
- December 31, 2016 at 12:24 pm
Ok-lets start by saying I have no medical training.Ct scans often show up findings that are out of the expected- but are not abnormal for you as an individual… but are deemed worthy of comment for a couple of reasons… they may represent disease- they may just be part of your make up- but noting and recording allows the medics to recognize changes over time which may indicate the need to take action.
From your report-
Hypodensity in Kidney area.
Small hypodense renal lesions with a round shape are frequently detected on CT scans of the upper abdomen after contrast medium administration. In nearly all cases these round hypodensities are simple small cysts with no clinical significance.
Source https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8008899
Because the CT scanner takes images at say 10mm intervals- details on a slice may not reveal sufficient detail to say exactly what isgoing on. Second guessing- they will compare this image to the next scan and look for changes. Most likely explanation is nothing to bother about for now.
The next bit- they have identified that the tissue around your recent surgery is not uniform with the rest of your groin- Harder or softer- it doesn't say- but that makes sense – they have reported the probable cause and again will track changes.
Ascites is a build up of fluid in the body- usually the abdomen – http://www.nhs.uk/ipgmedia/national/Macmillan%20Cancer%20Support/Assets/Ascites(CB).pdf
You have none of this so that is good.
So- it looks good- nothing found that the medics could say is melanoma…but they think you may have a couple of cysts in the kidney area and will probably monitor over time…
Best wishes
Deb
-
- December 31, 2016 at 3:33 pm
On my scan reports the most important section is at the end. It is labeled Impressions or Summary or something similar. If it says "concerning for … melanoma", then there is something going on to have caught the radiologist's eye. But I have had many scans with all manner of hypodensities, cysts, etc. that had nothing to do with mel.
– Paul
-
- December 31, 2016 at 3:33 pm
On my scan reports the most important section is at the end. It is labeled Impressions or Summary or something similar. If it says "concerning for … melanoma", then there is something going on to have caught the radiologist's eye. But I have had many scans with all manner of hypodensities, cysts, etc. that had nothing to do with mel.
– Paul
-
- January 1, 2017 at 2:52 am
Wow thank you so much you guy are a wealth of information, even though I'm probably asking really stupid questions I'm so thankful you're taking the time to explain things to me in Laymans terms. Again thank you!!!
-
- January 1, 2017 at 2:52 am
Wow thank you so much you guy are a wealth of information, even though I'm probably asking really stupid questions I'm so thankful you're taking the time to explain things to me in Laymans terms. Again thank you!!!
-
- January 1, 2017 at 2:52 am
Wow thank you so much you guy are a wealth of information, even though I'm probably asking really stupid questions I'm so thankful you're taking the time to explain things to me in Laymans terms. Again thank you!!!
-
- December 31, 2016 at 3:33 pm
On my scan reports the most important section is at the end. It is labeled Impressions or Summary or something similar. If it says "concerning for … melanoma", then there is something going on to have caught the radiologist's eye. But I have had many scans with all manner of hypodensities, cysts, etc. that had nothing to do with mel.
– Paul
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.