P.E.T. Scan May 2016 (P.E.T. Number 6)

As I pointed out the maximum number of scans like this per year is two. 27 months and here is PET Number 6. And more waiting. As I am quite close to my oncologist he decided to call me. My Throat showed up as an alert area again, this time at the base of the tongue.

In reality PET scans are a great roadmap for blood cancers however they are not always what they seem. Yes with active Stage 3 or Stage 4 Lymphoma where the cancer is attacking multiple locations in the body they are fantastic. But as the stages drop to Stage 1 or 2 they are less accurate and some positive reads may be misinterpreted. PET scans light up areas in the body as been cold or hot. Cold areas are clear and Hot areas are cause for concern or further investigation. With Stage 4 Lymphoma my body lit up Hot like a Christmas tree, but my last PET was only Hot about my throat and neck. I had my tonsils removed so that eliminated that. But here we are again with my throat, the base of the tongue is classed as within this throat area so it was not a new site. My Oncologist felt this alert was not a sign of relapse but more a glitch but he wanted to be 100% sure so he sent me off to the ENT surgeon. The ENT surgeon met me and examined the back of my throat. I don’t particularly like this exam – its where they place a tiny lead called an endoscope up one side of your nose and push it all the way to the back of the throat, takes seconds to get in place and you don’t feel much its just a little uncomfortable  (An endoscope is an illuminated optical, typically slender and tubular instrument used to look deep into the body and used in procedures called an endoscopy) He had a look and in front of me he called the Oncologist. He explained that he was not overly concerned but there was a small swelling at the base of my tongue. They decided to investigate further and organised an appointment for admission for yet another biopsy.