The results of the PET scan are back!

Here is the short version:

"There has been mild progression in terms of the extent of the FDG uptake in the right base of the neck, right supraclavicular fossa and in the proximal part of the gastric pull through as described. The uptake in the left upper retrotracheal region also appeared more evident on today's study. In view of the uptake at these sites at this time interval following radiotherapy, recurrent malignancy at these sites cannot be definitely excluded. However since the progression is mild when compared to the previous PET in May 2007, if no further treatment or intervention is considered at this point in time, a further progress study in 3 months to assess any interval change may be of benefit.

Otherwise there is no evidence of metabolically active malignancy demonstrated elsewhere."

I have no idea about anyone else's feelings about this result, but it my initial impression is that it is a continuation of the words of the Harry Belafonte song:

"it's as clear as mud, but it cover de ground and
the confusion she goes round and round."

The view of the oncologist is that it is more likely than not to be either a recurrence or some continuation of the cancer that was not able to be totally removed with the last set of operations in 2006.

The current size of the soft tissue mass appears not to have grown significantly since the last picture and yet there is something there that should not be there. Apparently taking a biopsy given the location is a risk and a really hit and miss option. So we are back where we were in May really - we don't know for sure WHAT it is but we do suspect that it is indeed a recurrence and as such the question is what to DO about it?

It is a fact of life that chemo therapy would actually reduce the size of the mass if it is a tumour, but of course this would use up another 'life-line' as the number of times that chemo therapy can be used effectively is finite and not open to discussion.

After a while the stuff is so toxic that using it actually makes things worse!

Apparently the location makes it unsuitable for further surgical intervention and radiation therapy is out of the question.

So the question still is WHAT to do?

If you let the thing go without intervention then at present it's very slow and appears not to be impacting on anything else so - do you wait for it to grow bigger and risk cells breaking off and starting new spots elsewhere making the problem worse?

Do you hit it and hit it hard once again?

Or ?????

Wait for the next exciting episode in this saga I guess!