I suppose I should give an update on how my latest scans went. I had and MRI on the 17th of October and a follow-up CT scan on the 20th. The MRI came up crystal clear. Absolutly wonderful news. The CT scan came up as stable. Still good news, but not the news I wanted to hear.
Here is the CT results from my scan back in Sept:
IMPRESSION:
1. Slight interval enlargement of a hypermetabolic right level IIb lymph node --
concerning for residual nodal metastasis.
2. Other subcentimeter lymph nodes within the right level 2A, 2B, and 5A nodal
stations (as detailed in the report) are indeterminate but given contacts also
potentially concerning for additional areas of residual nodal disease.
3. Status post surgical removal of the previously identified right preauricular
metastatic implant, without evidence of local residual disease.
4. Persistent asymmetric prominence and hypermetabolic uptake of the sublingual
glands and palatine tonsils, currently favored represent reactive inflammatory
changes.
And here are the results from the scan last week:
IMPRESSION:
1. Extensive postsurgical/posttreatment changes in the right upper neck
reflecting multiple prior surgical resections and subsequent radiation therapy
as well as more recent preauricular nodule resection. No evidence for local
recurrent disease.
2. No change to multiple relatively prominent level 2, 3, and 5 lymph nodes
including a right level 2B node which previously demonstrated interval
enlargement on comparison CT 9/14/2017.
So as you can see, the nodes are still enlarged, but no change from the previous scan, so we are back to waiting an additional 6 weeks for the next scan. I'll be able to relax when that scan also comes back as stable or better yet, reduced in size.