Lymph node

[Fight11]

My husband went to the doctor this morning regarding that lymph node on the neck that I mentioned to all of you yesterday. The doctor wants to do a bone scan and a CAT scan of the neck he said it could be cancerous.

[tango65]

Discuss having a biopsy to confirm if it is a cancer . If it were a cancer request a study of the cancer genome.

[Fight11 in reply to tango65]

When they did the genetic testing of his prostate cancer the gene was CDK12 should they do another on the neck

[tango65 in reply to Fight11]

Metastases could have a different genome than the primary tumor.

[Fight11 in reply to tango65]

So what would they have to do a biopsy on the lump on his neck

[GP24 in reply to Fight11]

If the CAT scan does not provide a definite result, you could do a biopsy of the lump to determine if this is cancer - and have a genetic test on that again too see if there are further gene mutations. It depends on the therapy you are planning.

[Danielgreer]

Hi Manohar, I’ve had a little pain/strain in my neck for the last couple of months and my MO is also doing a CT scan of my neck this Thursday. I don’t feel a lump there and I’m hoping it’s just a strain. I golf and lift weights so I’m hoping that’s the cause instead of mets. Up to this point I’ve only had bone mets. I’m hoping that the scans will be negative for my neck so I can do Xofigo in the near future. Does your husband currently have any visceral or lymph node mets? Can he feel a lump in his neck?

[Fight11 in reply to Danielgreer]

Yes he has a lump !!!

[Danielgreer in reply to Fight11]

My understanding is that a lump doesn’t necessarily mean his cancer spread to a lymph node in his neck, but that’s the question my MO asked me when I told her about my neck. Hope the lump is not cancer for your husband.

[Bodysculpture]

Let's hope it's not

If it is let's deal with it

That's what we have to do each time we have a new development

Deal with it

Manohar 11

The good thing is they are gonna diagnose and treat if necessary

I was recently reminded because we have cancer already every little pain or swelling we see we believe its cancerous

Not always the case

I will be praying it's not

[dadzone43]

I have nothing to add except my hopes for a good outcome.

[NecessarilySo]

I dont want to add misinformation to the problem. But I do want to help. In my opinion, a bone mets is an xray which in my case did not show mets to soft tissue like lymph nodes. A CAT scan is also a scan that may show a tumor but cannot distinguish whether it is cancerous or not. So my guess is that both tests will be inconclusive regarding prostate cancer metastisis or not.

In my case, last spring, I was given a skull to thigh MRI with auximin. They injected a radioactive fluid into my bloodstream and then immediately took the MRI. The auximin was attracted to cancerous areas of the body including lymph nodes, and bone metastisis, because the auximin is absorbed first by the most active cells. The radiologist then looked at the scan to see bright spots, where the most cancer cell growth activity was and he assign a degree or absorption level. In my case he identified four lymph nodes in my left neck, which confused me because I had pain in my right neck. I think he is looking at the chart and referring to HIS left, not mine. So anyway, this made a biopsy unnecessary since it is either more or less active than the area around it and the radiologist can judge it. There is some experience required by the radiologist because there are places that the auximin accumulates which are noncancerous, such as the bladder and kidneys. possibly other places I am not that knowledgeable.

A biopsy involves using a needle to puncture the tumor if they know where it is. They use a scan to locate it, then use a hollow needle to grab some of the material in the tumor. They then can look at the material under a microscope and can tell if it is cancerous or not by the shape of the cells. Healthy cells are regular shape and orderly, cancer cells are sprawling and disorderly.

[carbide]

You will work it out.

Best luck & 🙏.

[j-o-h-n]

God (and all of us) are on his/your side....Let's hope and pray it's nothing.....

j-o-h-n Saturday 10/17/2020 6:33 PM DST

[monte1111]

Hi. Hope its not cancerous. You're already dealing with a lot.

[ctarleton]

Anecdotally, I'd had advanced prostate cancer for nearly 6 years when a new and visible "lump" appeared on my neck. Both a CT and Ultrasound scan confirmed, "Yep, that's a lump all right."

I got a definitive diagnosis when a local interventional radiologist did a simple ultrasound-guided biopsy of the lump. The pathology report showed that the lump was not benign, nor was it metastatic prostate cancer, but it was a lymph node containing a recurrent type of melanoma that I had last had treated near my ear some 15 years ago.

My local oncologist ordered genetic testing of the core samples at a specialty testing lab in Chicago, and referred me to a Head & Neck Surgeon at a relatively nearby large institution. A neck surgery with an overnight hospital stay removed the lymph node/lump and several others. Pathology again confirmed metastatic melanoma, and I then got a referral to a Melanoma Specialist at the same large institution for second opinion treatment options. He ordered their own research institution genetic testing of some 500-ish genetic factors, and got results consistent with the earlier genetic test. This helped guide an initial treatment decision for the second type of cancer, on top of my on-going prostate cancer.

If I were in doubt, I'd want a simple easy biopsy. There are lots of things a lump might be besides cancer, for which I could be relieved. At least I would know what not to worry about, and would be able to focus upon whatever might need to be done, if anything.

Good Luck, and Keep us Posted.

[j-o-h-n in reply to ctarleton]

I've mentioned the following several times here. I had a melanoma on my neck (tiny little sob) which was removed at MSKcc. A couple of years later the surgeon felt under my right arm and sent me for a Cat scan. The scan revealed that the melanoma matastasized to my lungs. That's when my melanoma M.O. started me on Keytruda and so far it's working...

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Monday 10/19/2020 7:16 PM DST