lung nodule and hot spot in lymph node

[Amy1973]

In summer 2006, I was diagnosed with infiltrating grade 1 ductal carcinoma tubular breast cancer with 2 masses forming. Cancer not in sential node. I had a double mastectomy with reconstruction. I did not take chemo since stage 1. From a chest and abdomen CT this summer they found spots in my liver and we are watching (no spots in lungs). This February, 2007, I had a CT of abdomen to look at the spots again and they found a suspicious spot, so I had my first PET scan. Spots in my liver not hot. They find a hot lymph node in the center of my chest.  Then I had a CT of chest to look at hot spot.  Hot shop did not show lump, so they think it is a lymph node.  However, they did find a very small lump in the lung.  This did not show on PET. They think this could be an infection; however they tested me for TB, several funguses, and bacterial (one being the bird and soil infection?) infections all negative.  I had a bronscopy but the lump was too far away to reach.  They also did just a chest xray. I am a non-smoker. I do have shortness of breath and had a sinus cold all winter. I have a great grandmother, grandmother, and great uncle all with primary lung cancer. Question: What other tests should I ask for?  Why might the lymph node be hot what could it be? From my breast cancer? Should I just ask to have it removed? How do they test for the lymph node with cancer when it

[joymurphy96]

My mother was diagnosed with Fallopian Tube cancer in 2001 and they found that the cancer was contained in the tubes. She was at a level IC and they did a round of preventative chemo for 6 months. On her last annual follow up, the results of the CA125 came back elevated to 175. Last years test was 26 and the normal range we are told is 35 and below. She just went to see her oncologist and he said that her CT scan showed a growth in one of the lymph node in the chest area about the size of a quarter.  She is having a CT guided biopsy done April 4th.

I am just curious or maybe overly hopefull....In reading about sarcoidosis in previous posts, she has presented some of symptoms such as fatigue (this is the main one she has complained about), she had a rash this year, for a while she has had a persistent cough, but that could also be her sinuses.  She looks very healthy, and she has not lost any weight loss at all (she actually has complained she has gained a pound or two...lol). Also this past summer she had an inflammed disk in her neck that gave her sharp shooting pains down her arm and neck and I believe it was arthritis or something similar of the neck.... Am I just hoping too much that it is not a metastasis of the first cancer or "could it be sarcoidosis".

I guess it is just so frustrating to wait and not know what the next step will be.

[Enoch Choi]

Many hot spots on PET scans aren't cancer, and this previous post lists some of them:
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/RespiratoryDisorders/messages/2527.html
Granulomatous disease
Infections
Recent radiotherapy
Inflammatory process
Repair process
Recent surgery
Injection site and lymph nodes proximal to injection

Although the definitive way to know if a hot spot or lymph node found on CT is to do a biopsy, sometimes it's not in an accessible location, and the best that can be done is to follow it with repeat CT.  They wouldn't wait on surgically exploring and taking it out if it was more suspicious.

Enoch Choi, MD