Need some opinions on CT scan results for my stepfather?!
Question: Need some opinions on CT scan results for my stepfather!?
My stepfather was recently diagnosed as having bladder cancer!. We were told from one hospital that the cancer has invaded his muscle and that the only alternative is to remove the bladder and reconstruct a new one out of intestine!. This same hospital referred him to one of the best hospitals in the US and he went for an total bone scan there!. The doctor at this hospital ordered a MRI of his body and a CT scan of his head!. When my mother inquired about the scan of his head, she was told, "he almost always orders a CT scan along with MRIs", so my mother didn't think anything about it!. Yesterday, my parents get a call from the nurse stating that the mass on his head they found from the CT scan was not cancerous!. My mother was taken back because they were never told that there was anything questionable on his head!. Can they actually tell from a CT scan what is malignant or benign!? We just feel like they have kept information from us!. Thanks for your help!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
I would talk to the docs - go in and sit down if you can!. Perhaps they don't know what you've been told by whom!. Take a list of your questions!. They can only tell whether a tumor is cancerous with a biopsy!. I'm not sure this nurse even has the right patient!.
I have cancer (battling for 2 years now) and the one thing I have learned is you have to be your own advocate!. You have to find out everything that is wrong with you, find out all your options, and go home and do your own research before you make a decision!. And you don't have to just get 2 opinions - you can get 3 or 4 and see what FEELS the best for you!.
I know when you are sick, it is hard to do all this!. I am lucky - my mom has helped me through it all!. There were times when the word cancer made me cry and want to vomit!. But she kept looking stuff up, kept asking doctors she knew quetions, etc!.!.!.
She went to my appointments with me because it's best to have more than one pair of ears - sometimes you don't hear everything or remember every thing, or your brain just shuts off when they say things like "construct a new bladder"!.
Call this cancer center, tell them you want an appointment to go over ALL the tests you did, and go in and sit down with the doc!. Don't leave until you feel like your questions have been answered!.
I will be thinking of you and your family!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I have cancer (battling for 2 years now) and the one thing I have learned is you have to be your own advocate!. You have to find out everything that is wrong with you, find out all your options, and go home and do your own research before you make a decision!. And you don't have to just get 2 opinions - you can get 3 or 4 and see what FEELS the best for you!.
I know when you are sick, it is hard to do all this!. I am lucky - my mom has helped me through it all!. There were times when the word cancer made me cry and want to vomit!. But she kept looking stuff up, kept asking doctors she knew quetions, etc!.!.!.
She went to my appointments with me because it's best to have more than one pair of ears - sometimes you don't hear everything or remember every thing, or your brain just shuts off when they say things like "construct a new bladder"!.
Call this cancer center, tell them you want an appointment to go over ALL the tests you did, and go in and sit down with the doc!. Don't leave until you feel like your questions have been answered!.
I will be thinking of you and your family!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
They can have a good idea from the shape the tumor has and other factors, but the only way to be certain would be to do a biopsy!.
Doing a biopsy on the brain is risky in itself, but they can do them!. This is the ONLY way to diagnose a malignant tumor from a benign one for certain!.
If it wasn't done, I'd make sure someone who had knowlege of oncology looked at it, especially since he has had cancerous tumors!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Doing a biopsy on the brain is risky in itself, but they can do them!. This is the ONLY way to diagnose a malignant tumor from a benign one for certain!.
If it wasn't done, I'd make sure someone who had knowlege of oncology looked at it, especially since he has had cancerous tumors!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
may have spread there!.!.!.!.wow!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
You really have not given enough info to get an accurate answer about the head mass!. Add the exact description of the mass found on his head along with the exact location!.
Yes they can often tell whether or not a lump or mass is potentially cancerous just by looking at the CT scan!. Also, they find lumps, masses and all kinds of various incidental findings when they do full body scans on people!. It is not unusual at all to find things that were unexpected!.
They can not tell if something is benign or malignant without biopsying it for a tissue sample but often they can tell just from looking at a CT scan whether or not there is even any need to biopsy a particular lump or mass!. Lipomas are one example!. These are very common fatty tumors and almost always benign!. Many people have them but almost never do they need to biopsy a lipoma as a potential malignancy!.
good luck to your stepfather and your familyWww@Answer-Health@Com
Yes they can often tell whether or not a lump or mass is potentially cancerous just by looking at the CT scan!. Also, they find lumps, masses and all kinds of various incidental findings when they do full body scans on people!. It is not unusual at all to find things that were unexpected!.
They can not tell if something is benign or malignant without biopsying it for a tissue sample but often they can tell just from looking at a CT scan whether or not there is even any need to biopsy a particular lump or mass!. Lipomas are one example!. These are very common fatty tumors and almost always benign!. Many people have them but almost never do they need to biopsy a lipoma as a potential malignancy!.
good luck to your stepfather and your familyWww@Answer-Health@Com