What will CT Scan tell me? - Lymphomas Message Board

Deb401 · 06-03-2004, 06:31 AM

After my internist found two enlarged lymph nodes in my neck on left side, I saw a surgeon yesterday who said I should have a CT Scan first before any biopsy. He called my doctor (from another phone but I heard) to tell him while I was still there and I heard him say that I was there and I have a large MASS in my neck and I almost fell off the table hearing those words - I know doctors call any lump a mass but still it freaked me out. I'm having the CT scan with contrast for my neck and chest tomorrow and I was just wondering what can the doctors tell from this test? I've been very tired for the last few months and have lost weight by choice but my blood results came back normal. I'm trying not be scared but it's hard. Thanks for any help.
Debbie

angel_in_disguise · 06-03-2004, 07:27 AM

hey Debbie, were not allowed to post a link here so i'll just paste here what i have read.
CT scan (or CAT scan as it is sometimes called) stands for Computerised (Axial) Tomography. This just means a scan that takes pictures from all around your body and uses a computer to put them together.
A CT scanner uses X-rays. Like an X-ray, it is painless. The CT machine takes a lot of pictures of your body from different angles. These pictures are fed into a computer. The computer puts them together to give a series of cross sections or 'slices' through the part of the body being scanned. A very detailed picture of the inside of the body can be built up in this way.

Together these cross sections give a very accurate picture of where the mass is and how big it is. They also show how close major body organs are to the area that needs to be treated or operated on.

Hope it answered your question.

-Angel

Deb401 · 06-03-2004, 07:56 AM

Thank you - I did some reading on CT scans - but I was really wondering whether they can tell if the mass is suspicious or not or if it's a cyst? I guess I'm also wondering if I will def have to have a biopsy anyway - I'm trying to get my doctor to ask for a wet reading because I don't think I can go through the weekend without knowing something. Thanks.
Debbie

angel_in_disguise · 06-03-2004, 08:44 AM

I can totally relate to what you are feeling. I too have discovered a lump under my chin and went to my GP who doesnt seem to be too concerned. She arranged me for an appointment to another doctor who will take out a sample of the lump for a biopsy without even ordering a CT scan or any lab test which i find unusual. so now im have to wait 2 weeks and yes the waiting is really agonizing.

Edit: i forgot to mention that its probably not accurate for the doctors to tell if a lump is just a cyst, benign or malignant by just looking at the CT scan result. but it should rather be based on a biopsy done by a pathologist.

-Angel

ysco · 06-04-2004, 09:29 PM

a CT will give your doctors better view of your nodes' size and shape, but it is never intended to be a diagnosis. They could probably tell if the photos seem suspicious to them but it's rather subjective. The only accurate and almost definite way to tell if your nodes are normal or not is to do a biopsy. a CT is performed as an evaluation, if your nodes look suspicious the docs will recommend a biopsy, if they don't they may not.

Good luck.