Bone Cancer - hi - I am a 52-yr-old healthy female with an osteochondroma in my left fibula which was discovered serendipitously when I was 13. All these years it has been dormant until mid March when I noticed soreness in the surrounding calf muscles. The pain and discomfort has gotten progressively worse (4 on scale of 10) and I had an xray plus mri which simply showed the growth but nothing indicating it was other than benign (it's rather large to the touch but only visibly noticable if you know it's there). I was referred to an osteo-oncologist but he can't see me for two more weeks for my initial consultation. My concern is that l understand there is a strong possibilty of malignancy when these grow rapidly after reaching adulthood. Each day it is getting worse with tingling and pain shooting up the thigh and down to the ankle plus an achy feeling overall and I wonder if I should try to find someone who can see me right away. Two more weeks seems like a long time plus add time onto that to schedule a biopsy or excision and it seems to me the thing could be much more serious by then (possible metastasis). Am I being overly concerned? I have a bad feeling about this but want to hear your thoughts. Thank you! anneLung Cancer - Well, I am one of those idiots who decided to start smoking in college at 20. I am now 36 and have been a heavy smoker the last 16 years. All in all, I am in good health, other than the smoking habit, and recently during a physical I had a bit of a scare as my doctor decided to share more details with me than my old physician ever had. I.E. some lung scaring (that could be caused from smoking or other things). Still it was enough to really get my attention as my father died of cancer at 61, and my grandfather died of cancer at 67. I'm going to guess I was a 28-32 pack year smoker. I had a CT scan in October that showed all was clear. I'm still very worried that I could have lung cancer as I have continued to smoke up until yesterday. My physician does not feel I need a chest Xray until my physical and that I just need to quit smoking. I'm somewhat worried I might be sick already. Would you do another chest X-ray for peace of mind? All my CT showed was old granulamotous disease and calcified hilar lymphnode. I understand these are benign. Correct? My CT scan was clear in October. I am know concerned about the radiation received from it, but with that said. Cancer free in October. I did continue to smoke until last week. Probably considered heavily. What are my chances of cancer starting between now and then? Also, when I have my physcial would you do a final CT or just a chest XRAY as radiation is lower? I only ask about a final CT as another physician prior to you and I talking had recommended it. Was the CT in October a bad idea in your opinion. I kind of forced my physician to let me do it. I've just convinced myself that the last seven months has really hurt me, what is your opinion. Also, what is considered high in pack years? What are my best methods to fight cancer, exercise, supplements, diet? Cancer Suspected - I have been having an undiagnosed illness for 4 months now at first changes in stool both caliber. I had a ct which showed enlarged bladder wall 7 mm and some messenteric lymhpnodes enlarged about 5 MM and a jejunal jejunum invagination. I live in Europe and testing takes a long time. I had elevated WBC 14.5 which 2 weeks later was 25 and cpr 9.0 up to 9.9. I had a colonoscopy it was clear and cytoscopy (with a white light)who saw nothing although did not take a tissue sample. My urine tests showed no blood although quite acidic at 5. 5 PH. I have lost weight about 10 pounds in 3.5 months) maybe stress and vegetable diet. My last ultrasound with Gastroentrologist noted my spleen was 129 mm X 42 MM and sludge in my gullbladder. Now I have developed more symptoms such as bubble in my urine (neg for protein)fitsula test on May 17th and I feel very unwell but only at certain times of the day like in waves. Now for the question My last blood results saw normal WBC count and Normal CRP if I had cancer wouldn't these levels stay high? And 2nd question would it be normal for someone with cancer to feel terrible but only in waves throughout the day? Terrible mean like a little like anxiety or nervousness but I feel like I am gonna die. All things on the CBC are normal such as minerals Thyroid test was normal. Now that the CBC is normal i wait months for tests.Oncology - A 27 yr female Para 1+0 evaluated for pelvic mass. On Laparatomy had 8 x 7 cms unilateral ovarian mass. An R0 Excision done. Histology was Fibrosarcoma 4-5 mitosis per HPF. She was seen in Oncology 3 months after surgery and is 11 week pregnant. Issues for reply: - Need of Adjuvant chemotherapy - After 3 months how much is efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy - Termination indicated - What staging work up to be done in view of pregnancy? - Which chemotherapy is safe in pregnancy? Not much data available in Sarcoma chemotherapy in pregnancy. - Effect of chemotherapy on future reproductive life and chances of conception in future 4 rounds of TC versus 6 rounds and Oncotype dx testing AFTER chemo has started? - My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer Jan 2012. 2.5 cm on left breast she had a lumpectomy Jan 15th. The surgeon first said the margins were clear, but them she told us they are close because my wife is tiny (105lbs 5'0) the cancer was close to the chest wall and close to the surface of the breast. Surgeon said that the radiation will take care of any microscopic cells in the close areas. Sentinel biopsy was done on 2 nodes 1 was clear and the other had a micromatetis (0.8Millimeters). Breast Cancer was 2.5 cm Estrogen positive (100%) and Progesterone positive (70%) HR2 negative and a grade 2. The oncologist prescribed 4 rounds of TC given every 3 weeks with a neulasta shot the day after each treatment. She will have the 4th and last scheduled chemo treatment on April 25, she is scheduled to start radiation about 1 month after last chemo and then she will go on tamoxophen after that. We are now concerned that 4 rounds isn’t enough as we are finding that some patients had 6. We also recently heard that microscopic lymph node involvement should be dealt with a complete axillary lymph node dissection (a Dutch study) what are your thoughts. We originally asked the Oncologist about the Oncotype Dx test prior to beginning chemo, his explanation seemed reasonable at the time. The Oncologist highly recommended chemo, and said we didn't need the test, he explained it was a tool to see if chemo was a viable treatment in some patients and because we had already decided to go ahead with the Chemo we didn't push the issue. We are really stressed now that we are not sure if 4 rounds of TC are enough as we have heard some patients with microscopic node involvement are getting 6 rounds. In hindsight I think that the Oncotype DX would have helped in making the decision of 4 rounds versus 6. My questions are. 1. Are there studies on 4 rounds versus 6 of TC? What does the drug manufacture recommend and is there a standard of how many rounds to have? 2. The lumpectomy was done Jan 15 2012, she has already had 3 rounds of TC and will be having the 4th chemo round on April 25 2012, is it too late to get OncotypeDX test now? Or are there other ways to evaluate if 4 TC treatments are enough? We are in Toronto Canada. but willing to see another doctor in US or Canada.