Not very good news
The awaited phone call from the doctor arrived.
The CAT scan has revealed two tissue growths that don't belong there. They are located in my back, somewhere near the kidneys. He described on as being lemon-sized and the other perhaps a little larger.
They are not the typical spread of prostate cancer, although they could be. It's just not the normal way it moves about.
He also believes they are most likely malignant. There is likely no way of knowing how long they've been there. I suppose they might have been seen back 5-6 years ago when I was scanned prior to prostate treatment, but it's likely nobody was looking for them at the time, and they would have been right at the edge of any images taken at that time.
So...the next step is to biopsy them and see what they are. His best guess was some form of lymphoma. There are, apparently multiple forms of the stuff, some being not too bad and some being worse. He believes the biopsy can be done using a carefully guided needle, otherwise it will be some form of cut and paste. The treatment, assuming there is any, would be determined by what they find. Could be more radiation and/or chemo and it could include some surgical attack too.
So...I don't know too much yet, but what I do know isn't really great. They didn't find any evidence of prostate elsewhere, but that's not saying much at this point.
Life goes on. I hope.
The CAT scan has revealed two tissue growths that don't belong there. They are located in my back, somewhere near the kidneys. He described on as being lemon-sized and the other perhaps a little larger.
They are not the typical spread of prostate cancer, although they could be. It's just not the normal way it moves about.
He also believes they are most likely malignant. There is likely no way of knowing how long they've been there. I suppose they might have been seen back 5-6 years ago when I was scanned prior to prostate treatment, but it's likely nobody was looking for them at the time, and they would have been right at the edge of any images taken at that time.
So...the next step is to biopsy them and see what they are. His best guess was some form of lymphoma. There are, apparently multiple forms of the stuff, some being not too bad and some being worse. He believes the biopsy can be done using a carefully guided needle, otherwise it will be some form of cut and paste. The treatment, assuming there is any, would be determined by what they find. Could be more radiation and/or chemo and it could include some surgical attack too.
So...I don't know too much yet, but what I do know isn't really great. They didn't find any evidence of prostate elsewhere, but that's not saying much at this point.
Life goes on. I hope.