Life with Lymphoma

Happy Friday!

Just got back from the Oncologist and it’s great news.   The treatment has been successful and will hopefully keep things in remission.   There is some fibrosis (scar tissue) from where the tumors were (see below) but that may or may not be absorbed by the body over time.   The next step will be to have the port removed from my chest.   The doctor will call me next week with the schedule for ongoing treatment ( which will be every 2 months for a month (once per week).   This is the new standard and has kept this type of cancer (Follicular Lymphoma) at bay longer for those who participate.    Full report is below for those who are interested.   

The best part about this news is  I dont have to go through another round of chemo this Monday - yay!   Hopefully things will start to improve with the fatigue and I can have my life back 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Love, Chris 

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PET SCAN (PET/CT):

CLINICAL HISTORY:   Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  Subsequent treatment strategy.

TECHNIQUE:  The patient has undergone at least a four-hour fast.  Fasting blood glucose value is 105 mg/dl.  The patient is not known to be a diabetic.  Oral contrast (thin barium) was used.  The patient was injected with 19.5 mCi of F-18 FDG.  Approximately 71 minutes later the patient was placed supine on the GE discovery ST PET/CT scanner.  Images were obtained from the neck through the pelvis.  Images were processed with and without attenuation correction based on the CT generated attenuation maps.   In addtion, anatomical-functional image fusion was then performed in the standard fashion overlying the PET emission data with the CT transmission data.  The was done for precise atatomic localization of areas of hypermetabolic uptake.  Images were reconstructed in axial, sagittal and coronal planes.

COMPARISON:  PET/CT dated 10/20/2010

FINDINGS:

Reference SUV (normal liver):  maximum SUV 3.5, previously 3.4

NECK:

- There has been interval resolution of previously noted adenopathy and uptake within the neck.

-  No abnormal uptake or any significant findings on the non-contrast CT localizer images

CHEST:

- There is a low grade uptake within new patchy opacities in the dependent portions of the lower lobes bilaterally.  This likely represents some inflammatory change.  Otherwise there is no abnormal uptake within the chest.

- Note:  CT images of the lungs during a PET/CT exam are obtained during quiet respiration.  Therefore, small nodules or other small focal pulmonary abnormalities may not be adequately imaged and/or may be obscured by atelectasis.

ABDOMEN/PELVIS:

- There has been interval decrease in size of soft tissue in the retroperitoneum, superior and anterior to the left renal vein.  This measures 29×15 mm on series 1 image 182, previously measuring 38×30 mm.  FDG uptake has resolved, with residual soft tissue abnormality representing posttreatment fibrosis.

- There has been a decrease in the size of mesenteric adenopathy, with mesenteric soft tissue mass now measuring 29×15 mm on series 1, image 194, previously measuring 47×41 mm.  There has been interval resolution of uptake, with residual soft tissue consistent with post-treatment fibrosis.

- There has also been a decrease in the size of supraceliac adenopathy, with soft tissue mass now measuring 25×15 mm on series 1 image 170, previously measuring 35×24 mm.  There has been interval resolution of uptake, with residual soft tissue consistent with post-treatment fibrosis.

Again noted focal FDG uptake within the proximal stomach has resolved.

No new areas of uptake are demonstrated.

MUSCULOSKELETAL:

- No significant abnormal uptake

- No significant findings on the non-contrast CT localizer images.

MISCELLANEOUS:

- No significant abnormal uptake elsewhere.

- No significant findings elsewhere on the non-contrast CT localizer images.

IMPRESSIONS:

Interval complete response to therapy.  No abnormal FDG uptake demonstrated to suggest residual/recurrent lymphoma.   Residual soft tissue masses within the retroperitoneum and mesentery show no abnormal uptake and are consistent with post-treatment fibrosis.