Pannus in C6

Had Malignant Melanoma, Breast Cancer, Thyroid Cancer.  Graves Disease, and RA.
53 years old MRI shows Pannus in C6 in addition to other degenerative cervical and lumbar areas.
With my history what are chances of Pannus NOT being bengin?
Thanks,
Loretta

[jenny2008]

Pannus is a medical term for a hanging flap of tissue.

In people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, pannus tissue eventually forms in the joint affected by the disease, causing loss of bone and cartilage. As the disease progresses, the synovium may grow considerably larger eventually forming tissue called pannus. The pannus is a sheet of inflammatory granulation tissue that spreads from the synovial membrane and invades the joint in rheumatoid arthritis ultimately leading to fibrous ankylosis. Pannus can be considered the most destructive element affecting joints in the patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

[Enoch Choi, MD]

jenny2008 is right, the pannus is part of your rheumatoid arthritis destroying your cervical neck joint, and is not likely to be cancerous.  Ask your doctor for this reassurance of that finding if you're worried it's cancer.

[jenny2008]

hi Rets

Pannus is usually benign. Very unlikely to be cancerous . So don't worry.But you can always get it ruled out by histopathology .