CT scan report and PARA-AORTIC Lymph Nodes!

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
Daniellabella
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed May 23, 2018 10:32 pm

CT scan report and PARA-AORTIC Lymph Nodes!

Postby Daniellabella » Sun Jul 08, 2018 3:47 am

Hello everyone,

I am sincerely trying to calm my anxiety and not freak out.

My husband has been diagnosed with rectosigmoid-sigmoid cancer. The CT report for “staging” says T3-4a, N2, M0.

However, I’m concerned about a part of the report that mentions, “multiple, prominent para-aortic lymph nodes.”

Is that what makes him N2? Or wouldn’t that make him M1?

So far they told us this is Stage 3 but isn’t this a metastasis?

I’ve done the search engine on Colon Club for PALN and I’m scaring myself.

What does “multiple PROMINENT nodes” really mean?

User avatar
Atoq
Posts: 412
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:31 am

Re: CT scan report and PARA-AORTIC Lymph Nodes!

Postby Atoq » Sun Jul 08, 2018 4:08 am

Hi! Sorry for this new diagnosis. I think M refers to long distance metastasis like lungs or liver. Prominent means that they are enlarged, but they need a histologic test to see if they are cancerous.

Claudia
1972, 2 kids
Dx rectal cancer 10.2017
T3N2aMX (met left lung 8 mm)
Lynch neg
CEA 1.8
Neoadjuvant chemoradio Xeloda + 25x2 Gy
05.12.17 laparotomic surg. for blockage, colostomy
25.01.18 laparotomic lar, hysterectomy, ileostomy
05.03.18 core needle lung biopsy
07.05.18 CAT scan, lung met 11 mm
04.06.18 ileo reversal
26.06.18 wedge VATS
24.08.18, 31.02.19 CAT scan
12.09.18, 06.02.19 scope, CEA 1.6
19.11.18 scope
20.08.19 CAT, eco
13.09.19 scope, CEA 1.2
18.03.20 CAT, eco, scope, NED
29.11.20 CAT, NED
2023 NED

Daniellabella
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed May 23, 2018 10:32 pm

Re: CT scan report and PARA-AORTIC Lymph Nodes!

Postby Daniellabella » Sun Jul 08, 2018 4:18 am

Atoq wrote:Hi! Sorry for this new diagnosis. I think M refers to long distance metastasis like lungs or liver. Prominent means that they are enlarged, but they need a histologic test to see if they are cancerous.

Claudia


Thanks for replying, Claudia.

I’m thinking there’s only one reason they are enlarged...cancer!

So this feels like a death sentence, as the report mentions MULTIPLE prominent nodes.

Basically, the cancer is now traveling all over his body, right?

Brearmstrong
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Mar 26, 2017 3:24 pm
Location: CT

Re: CT scan report and PARA-AORTIC Lymph Nodes!

Postby Brearmstrong » Sun Jul 08, 2018 5:44 am

Hi, try not to panic. I was stage 3C but had a quick recurrence after 12 rounds of folfox. My tumor was on the right side so when it came back to the para aortic lymph nodes I was then stage IV. It does mean that it is now through out his blood stream but don’t give up hope that it can be treated! I had surgery in May and they removed 5 of them that were cancerous. My oncologist said that for a small % it doesn’t come back! He can do this!!
50 F diag 1/17
Muc Adeno 4cm
mod diff G2 T4aN2
nodes 8/50
CEA 4.6 after surgery <.05
KRAS G12D MSS
FOLFOX Apr-sep 17
Nov 17 PET p aortic nodes Stage IV
Folfori w/avastin
May 18 surgery on nodes xeloda 2yr
Aug 18-May 20 NED
July 20 hysterectomy
July 21 vats right lung
Clinical trial- failed liver Mets biopsy shows now poorly differentiated carcinoma.
HAI pump at MSK may 2022
Nov met to pancreas- causing pain
Radiation ablation to pancreas Dec 22
New lung Mets watch and wait

User avatar
Atoq
Posts: 412
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 9:31 am

Re: CT scan report and PARA-AORTIC Lymph Nodes!

Postby Atoq » Sun Jul 08, 2018 8:13 am

Daniellabella wrote:
Thanks for replying, Claudia.

I’m thinking there’s only one reason they are enlarged...cancer!

So this feels like a death sentence, as the report mentions MULTIPLE prominent nodes.

Basically, the cancer is now traveling all over his body, right?


It might sound like it, but now there are better chances to cure cancer even when it is stage 4. The primary tumor sheds metastasis but only a small percentage survive and the immune system takes care of most, for the rest there are chemo, radio, immunoterapy.

Claudia
1972, 2 kids
Dx rectal cancer 10.2017
T3N2aMX (met left lung 8 mm)
Lynch neg
CEA 1.8
Neoadjuvant chemoradio Xeloda + 25x2 Gy
05.12.17 laparotomic surg. for blockage, colostomy
25.01.18 laparotomic lar, hysterectomy, ileostomy
05.03.18 core needle lung biopsy
07.05.18 CAT scan, lung met 11 mm
04.06.18 ileo reversal
26.06.18 wedge VATS
24.08.18, 31.02.19 CAT scan
12.09.18, 06.02.19 scope, CEA 1.6
19.11.18 scope
20.08.19 CAT, eco
13.09.19 scope, CEA 1.2
18.03.20 CAT, eco, scope, NED
29.11.20 CAT, NED
2023 NED

Ksiemonsma
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Aug 27, 2017 11:16 pm

Re: CT scan report and PARA-AORTIC Lymph Nodes!

Postby Ksiemonsma » Sun Jul 08, 2018 8:54 am

I had very high lymph node involvement and feel great today(and hopefully have a lot longer to live). Please trust your doctors and believe in the system as life is better with a positive outlook. I find so much hope on this site and if you read other people’s stories you can too, good luck.
Colon cancer 7/17 age 49
Colectomy 8/17
Stage 3C T4B N2B MO
16/27 lymph nodes
First round of FOLFOX on 9/13/17
3/7/18. 12th round and hopefully last of FOLFOX (9 with oxi)
Clear scans 6/7/18
Clear scans 10/3/18

pantufla
Posts: 148
Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2015 12:44 pm
Facebook Username: kelleykulina

Re: CT scan report and PARA-AORTIC Lymph Nodes!

Postby pantufla » Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:44 am

My DH has some nodes and nodules that have remained stable. My understanding is that they are benign reactive nodes but are not cancerous nodes. Just my 2 cents. Like everyone has been saying, even if it is stage4,it is still treatable.
DH T2 N1b M0. 3/15 positive nodes.
Stage IIIA moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma.
Tumor size 6 cm.
Left hemicolectomy 10/26/15.
FOLFOX 11/30/15 to 5/2/16, full 12 cycles.
10/3/16 CT scan clear.
11/10/17 CT: "Focal opacity along the left lower lung, 7 mm. Two small peripheral opacities along the right lower lobe, 2 to 3 mm. A few small to mildly prominent left-sided central mesenteric nodes, up to 13 mm.
June 2019: NED.
2020: NED 5 years. 4 mm lung nodule on CT

Achilles Torn
Posts: 141
Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2016 2:41 pm

Re: CT scan report and PARA-AORTIC Lymph Nodes!

Postby Achilles Torn » Mon Jul 09, 2018 4:20 pm

All this means is that the nodes are likely reactive. While there is still good reason to think they may be benign my advice is to be vigilant. I had prominent nodes noted on my Stage 3 scan which were later revealed by follow-up PET scans to be cancer (only a biopsy would be certain but the PET numbers and subsequent CT's were good enough for me). I had to push for the PET scan which showed I was Stage 4 and while it was horrible news it was undoubtedly a good thing as it meant I received additional treatments and more frequent surveillance scans. This doesn't mean this will be the same for your husband. A good number of patients with enlarged PALN's on initial CT turn out to be nothing, but they will be under represented here by the nature of who is more likely to post.


AT
Diagnosed as 40 yo Male. BC Canada. Sigmoid Colectomy Dec. 2016
Pathology T3N2bM1 19 of 24 Nodes Positive + tumour deposits
PET scan - Para-Aortic and Iliac Lymph node spread. Stage VI.
Moderately differentiated. MSS. KRAS/BRAF Wild.
Mutations: TP53, ERBB4, MLL3, PDCD1LG2, PRKDC, SMAD3
FOLFOX + Bevacizumab Commenced Jan 9/2017 PET Scan July 2017 - on maintenance 5FU/Bev every 2 weeks.
Progression after Covid19 induced break June 2020. Resume Maintenance chemo of Capecitabine and Bev


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 113 guests