Aa
to dr heinrik
Hi,
the case invovles a mass found away from the heart. Would it be best to do a biopsy and a mediastinoscopy at the same time? would a CT scan suffice or a PET scan?
the case invovles a mass found away from the heart. Would it be best to do a biopsy and a mediastinoscopy at the same time? would a CT scan suffice or a PET scan?
On the source being outside the lung:
Yes, it is possible. Bone cancers tend to go to the lung, but these rarely involve ribs as primaries. Primary muscle cancers are also very rare. The lining of the lung (pleura) may also get a cancer called mesothelioma – but this usually spreads locally so there would be more cancer seen on the scan. Finally, it may also be a metastatic cancer – but this usually presents with multiple nodules.
Yes, it is possible. Bone cancers tend to go to the lung, but these rarely involve ribs as primaries. Primary muscle cancers are also very rare. The lining of the lung (pleura) may also get a cancer called mesothelioma – but this usually spreads locally so there would be more cancer seen on the scan. Finally, it may also be a metastatic cancer – but this usually presents with multiple nodules.
Hi,
Patients who have more advanced disease tend to have nodes in the mediastinum. On imaging, if this appears positive, it does not always represent cancer. So, if this patient is a surgical candidate, the finding of a positive scan needs to be verified with a mediastinoscopy in order to make sure that a potentially curative option is not eliminated based on the scan. Stay positive.
Patients who have more advanced disease tend to have nodes in the mediastinum. On imaging, if this appears positive, it does not always represent cancer. So, if this patient is a surgical candidate, the finding of a positive scan needs to be verified with a mediastinoscopy in order to make sure that a potentially curative option is not eliminated based on the scan. Stay positive.
do you mean the medistinoscopy is not necessary? Is the imaging therefore enough? who then should undergo a mediastinoscopy?
is it possible that the lesion in the periphery doesn't really come from the lung but from the muscles of the chest or the bone?
Hi,
IF the mass in question is in the periphery, metastasis to the nodes generally appears in the hilum (the space between the lobes of a lung) before it moves to the middle area near the heart. For these cases, the odds of finding cancer in the central area (near the heart) would be small, and so verification with a scan may be sufficient. Of course, if the finding on the imaging suggests that there might be disease in the lung, then the situation changes, and a biopsy may then become suggestive. Stay positive
IF the mass in question is in the periphery, metastasis to the nodes generally appears in the hilum (the space between the lobes of a lung) before it moves to the middle area near the heart. For these cases, the odds of finding cancer in the central area (near the heart) would be small, and so verification with a scan may be sufficient. Of course, if the finding on the imaging suggests that there might be disease in the lung, then the situation changes, and a biopsy may then become suggestive. Stay positive
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Lung Cancer Community
Here are 15 ways to help prevent lung cancer.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
Diet and digestion have more to do with cancer prevention than you may realize
How your health improves once you quit.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
