| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Slow growing lymphoma? | 1/3/2009 |
Q: I'm a 23 year old male. I have several lymph nodes that I got looked at not too long ago (about a ...
A: It appears to me that, based on your description, that your lymph nodes are behaving like normal ...
|
| Mouth lesion | 11/21/2008 |
Q: I mentioned a small sore on my upper right palate, near my teeth (not visible to me) to my dentist ...
A: Maribeth, A low grade mucoepidermoid tumor which is completely removed surgically, with adequate ...
|
| painful swollen lymphnode under arm | 11/12/2008 |
Q: On Monday I went to the Dr. for a sinus infection. While I was there I asked my Dr. about some ...
A: Darlene, It is normal to feel small, oval, moveable lymph nodes in the armpits. As your doctor ...
|
| Stomach Cancer, stage 4 | 11/11/2008 |
Q: What is stage 4?
A: Danie, Stage IV stomach cancer, in its broadest sense, means that the cancer is very extensive. ...
|
| Cancer Survivor 11 Years | 11/5/2008 |
Q: I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer 11 1/2 years ago. I have been cancer free since my treatment of ...
A: Shirline, I am sorry you are having these difficulties. I suggest a chest CT as a starting point. ...
|
| swollen lymph node | 11/4/2008 |
Q: My guy friend was diagnosed with a melanoma on his right leg last year - it required extensive ...
A: Andrea, An enlarged inguinal node that appears as you have described is very worrisome and may be ...
|
| Is this fast growing? | 11/3/2008 |
Q: Dad: 82-yr-old (quit smoking 30 years ago) (refuses biopsy and treatments-adamant about this) His ...
A: Sharon, I don't think the incident was related to the situation I was describing, which does not go ...
|
| Is this fast growing? | 10/31/2008 |
Q: Dad: 82-yr-old (quit smoking 30 years ago) (refuses biopsy and treatments-adamant about this) His ...
A: I gather that what you are getting at is: will he develop symptoms/problems from this tumor if he ...
|
| Lump On Neck | 10/30/2008 |
Q: Recently I have had a series of nuclear medical tests including a white cell scan. bone scan, and ...
A: Leslie, The information you have provided is not sufficient for me to be very specific, but many ...
|
| Denial of cancer surgery due to Diabetes | 10/27/2008 |
Q: My father was diagnosed with Esophageal cancer last week. After initial discovery during a yearly ...
A: Tim, If the surgeon is an experienced cancer surgeon, I would accept his/her recommendation against ...
|
| hypermetabolic activity in left ankle | 10/24/2008 |
Q: in the last 12 months I have been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer, melanoma and papillary ...
A: Mary, This is a complex question, as you have had three cancers. If you have had an early (stage ...
|
| meningioma in cavernous sinus | 10/23/2008 |
Q: I saw an earlier post about this subject and would like to know more about it. My son was suspected ...
A: David, Even if the blood tests are normal, this can still be coming from the pituitary gland. Not ...
|
| meningioma in cavernous sinus | 10/22/2008 |
Q: I saw an earlier post about this subject and would like to know more about it. My son was suspected ...
A: David, How old is your son? Many meningiomas can be reasonably accurately diagnosed based on ...
|
| lung nodule | 10/21/2008 |
Q: Recently my GP had me do a ct scan for pain in my abdomen.The found a 3.5mm spot on my lung.My ...
A: Very small spots (3.5 mm) in the lungs are quite common. They usually are NOT cancer-related. But, ...
|
| Odd bumps | 10/19/2008 |
Q: I'm a 20 year old male. I've noticed two odd bumps on my body lately. One is on my chest, and one ...
A: Patrick, What you are describing does NOT sound like cancer. Many things come and go - if these ...
|
| Question about lung cancer - is it? | 10/17/2008 |
Q: My father is a 46 year old male, smoked for a total of 20 years (moderate smoker not heavy) and quit ...
A: Jay, Your father should have a chest CT. This is better at picking up any problem which could be ...
|
| bowel and lung cancer | 10/9/2008 |
Q: the operation was a success, however 2 weeks later she had to undergo a bowel operation and was told ...
A: Sheikela, In medicine and health (as in life in general), there are no guarantees - though it is ...
|
| left apical nodule | 10/9/2008 |
Q: I just had a chest xray done in the Er and got a call from my DR and she said the report said:The ...
A: Sara, Repeating the xray and/or clarification with a CT scan of the lungs/chest will shed a lot of ...
|
| Testicular cancer / possible lung cancer | 10/8/2008 |
Q: Seigle, Thanks for allowing me to ask you a couple of questions. My 74 year old father was ...
A: BeverlyAnn, When there are multiple suspicious lung nodules, it is very possible that the cancer ...
|
| Father Diagnosed w/non-small cell lung cancer | 10/7/2008 |
Q: My father was diagnosed on August 25 w/ non-small cell lung cancer stage IIIB,IV. He was in the ...
A: Kristina, Everything you have described sounds very much in keeping with standard, good care. Yes, ...
|
| Accuracy of ultrasound diagnosis of bladder cancer | 10/6/2008 |
Q: My mother-in-law was just diagnosed with bladder cancer after seeing a doctor about blood in her ...
A: Russell, A biopsy is necessary for a cancer diagnosis. In general, it is quite simple to biopsy a ...
|
| dads report | 10/3/2008 |
Q: As a radiation oncologist I am sure you see many MRI reports. I understand fully about ring ...
A: I do see many MRI scans and reports. You are giving me exerpts without a context - these phrases ...
|
| breast cancer and lymph nodes | 10/2/2008 |
Q: ..I'll try and keep this short and to the point. Yesterday my wife..age 52...had a lump removed from ...
A: David, Lymph nodes can be enlarged for a variety of reasons, the usual one being infection; ...
|
| Pain and Mass in Neck Post-Thyroidectomy | 9/29/2008 |
Q: Dr. Seigle, I appreciate your willingness to answer cancer-related questions! I had a total ...
A: Jennifer, While I cannot determine what the lump is likely to be without examining you, I do think, ...
|
| dads tumor | 9/29/2008 |
Q: My dad had an MRI that showed a brain tumor that crossed the corpus calsium. They called it a ...
A: Marie, It sounds like there was not enough tissue for a definite diagnosis. This means you cannot ...
|
| cancer question | 9/27/2008 |
Q: Should you know what type of cancer you have before you have Chemo. I have a sister in law and she ...
A: Rosemary, It is very hard to believe that they would not tell her the type of cancer she has - this ...
|
| Breast cancer | 9/26/2008 |
Q: I have a malignant tumor in my breast. The doctor says it has calcifications. What does that mean? ...
A: There are a number of types of calcifications. The kind that are tiny and grouped together ...
|
| Risk for Cancer | 9/18/2008 |
Q: Mine is a very generic question, though one I would like to get cleared at the earliest. My maternal ...
A: Marie, This is a complex issue. In general, if there is a family history of breast cancer (which ...
|
| Recurrence of Small Cell Lung Cancer | 9/16/2008 |
Q: My Mom was treated with Radiation and Chemo for stage III small cell lung cancer from December 06 to ...
A: Dina, Once small cell lung cancer is spread throughout the body (which is what usually happens ...
|
| bowel cancer | 4/23/2008 |
Q: Do you think its too late to operate on him? Do you recommend chemo or RFA? Do you think he has long ...
A: Lilian, Once the cancer has spread from the area it started (bowel to lung),as it has in your ...
|
| Stage IV - lung cancer | 4/18/2008 |
Q: My husband was recently diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. A tumor in each lung, cancer in his ...
A: Kris, It seems to me that, if he is having a lot of trouble breathing, is very congested, and is on ...
|
| lung cancer | 4/17/2008 |
Q: we have been to 2 specialists and they only reccommend chemo to improve his quality of life. do you ...
A: Lilian, I don't have enough details to really advise you about this except in very general terms. ...
|
| Lump? | 4/17/2008 |
Q: This morning I felt the back of my head and felt a hard bone-like lump. It is above the natural ...
A: RainieB, Yes, this can be completely normal and simply something you didn't notice before. We all ...
|
| Radiation therapy post chemotherapy for stage 4 NSCLC | 4/16/2008 |
Q: My husband has had 4 rounds of platinum combi chemotherapy and responded well enough that he is to ...
A: Catherine, This is a complicated question. I am assuming the radiation offered is going to be ...
|
| cancer recurrence | 4/9/2008 |
Q: If cervical cancer reoccurs in the liver (after 5 years of being in remission from the cervical ...
A: Jennifer, When cancer has spread to a separate site like the liver, it is usually not curable. ...
|
| Prostate Cancer | 4/7/2008 |
Q: Husband--63 diagnosed in Feb 08 with Prostate Cancer--gleason 6 T1 psa 8.7 --would like information ...
A: Kathy, This is a complex question, and you need a consultation with a radiation oncologist for ...
|
| my sister | 4/5/2008 |
Q: 3 weeks ago my sister noticed an enarged lymph node on her neck. (painful) So painful she said the ...
A: Bon, Enlarged lymph nodes containing cancer (lymphoma is a type of cancer of the lymph system) ...
|
| Post Cancer health | 4/3/2008 |
Q: Hey there, I have a friend that had cancer, she doesn't say what kind of cancer so I don't know. ...
A: a lot depends on the kind of cancer she had. Some are curable - that is, the chance of the cancer ...
|
| My father's intestinal/liver cancer | 3/31/2008 |
Q: Dr. Seigle, thank you for making yourself available to our questions. My father was diagnosed with ...
A: Varda, Once cancer has spread from the intestine to the liver, it is considered metastatic and ...
|
| autistic son | 3/26/2008 |
Q: I have been told all my life everyone in my family on my moms side has died of cancer. I have a 16 ...
A: Terri, It is worrisome that your son has lost so much weight. This definitely needs to be looked ...
|
| clarification of | 3/25/2008 |
Q: When the phrase "5-year survival rate is 90%" is used, does this mean that the person has a 90% ...
A: Kim, It depends enormously on the type of cancer. For a certain type of cancer of the testicle in ...
|
| HDR vaginal brachytherapy | 3/24/2008 |
Q: I had hdr vaginal brachytherapy a little over a year ago. I had one treatment per week. Three days ...
A: Krista, What did the clinic that did the radiation think was causing the bleeding? Did they offer ...
|
| pheochromocytoma. | 3/21/2008 |
Q: I am a healthy 35 year-old male and have been having anxiety attacks like crazy. After I exercise I ...
A: Greg, Your symptoms are concerning. As you probably know, pheochromocytoma is quite rare and, ...
|
| BONE CANCER SECONDARY TO PROSTATE | 3/21/2008 |
Q: MY 79 YEAR OLD GRANDFATHER WAS TOLD HE HAD PROSTATE CANCER 5 YEARS AGO. HE REFUSED TREATMENT. ...
A: Angie, The reason many people are reluctant to make such predictions is that life expectancy in a ...
|
| Lung Cancer | 3/19/2008 |
Q: My mother is in the UK and has just been diagnosed with lung cancer after finding fluid with blood ...
A: Mike, Your description of "finding fluid with blood" and "spread to the sac" suggests that there ...
|
| Radiation treatment for testicular cancer | 3/17/2008 |
Q: Dr. Seigle, Thank you in advance for making yourself available in this forum. My question involves a ...
A: How many kidneys do you have? Some people have a single centrally located kidney, often called a ...
|
| neurological late effects of radiation | 3/16/2008 |
Q: I was diagnosed with late effect radiation-induced lumbosacral plexopathy eight years after ...
A: Gen, I definitely think you should see a radiation oncologist! If you do, bring all of your ...
|
| breast cancer mets in supraclavicular nodes | 3/15/2008 |
Q: I have stage 4 breast cancer in my supraclavicular nodes.Im er/pr/her2 neg and I have done a few ...
A: Dawn, The problem is that in stage IV breast cancer, cancer cells have been released into the blood ...
|
| Post radiation side effects | 3/9/2008 |
Q: Seigle: My husband was treated 3 years ago with post operative radiation for rectal cancer. About a ...
A: Patricia, I agree with your husband's orthopedist. In my opinion, degenerative/arthritic changes ...
|
| Tightness in rectum | 3/6/2008 |
Q: Hey I'm a 17 years old male and For the past month I've been feeling a discomfort in the sort of ...
A: What you describe does NOT sound like cancer. It may, in fact, be related to the infection you had. ...
|
| Cancer? | 3/4/2008 |
Q: Ive had some major physically pain problems for the last 5 years. I started in my (felt like my ...
A: Melissa Ann, The symptoms you describe do not sound like cancer. It is much more likely that your ...
|
| Pain after radiation | 3/4/2008 |
Q: About 1 year ago I had localized radiation treatment for some tumors that grew as a result of not ...
A: Darrel, When a person has a kidney stone, the pain is generally located in the flank, which is ...
|
| headache | 3/4/2008 |
Q: I am in school and I am trying to do a case study. I need help. A 62 yr old man complained of ...
A: Brandi, I hope you are allowed to ask for help with this! A hematocrit (hct) of 58% if way too ...
|
| chemo related neuropathy | 3/3/2008 |
Q: he just finished his 8 cycles today. He has neuropathy in both hands and both feet. He also has ...
A: Patti, Xeloda causes hand-foot syndrome in a majority of patients who take it for three cycles or ...
|
| possible kidney cancer? | 3/2/2008 |
Q: I am waiting on more tests, but so far had a CT scan which showed scattered high attenuation foci in ...
A: Mary, If there is clearly a mass in the kidney, you may need a biopsy. This is a relatively simple ...
|
| bladder cancer | 3/2/2008 |
Q: what I want to ask is why to epithial cells that are very high that come out in the urine form ...
A: Leanne, I do not why you have the itchiness. Your own doctors who know you and your situation in ...
|
| bladder cancer | 3/1/2008 |
Q: what I want to ask is why to epithial cells that are very high that come out in the urine form ...
A: Leanne, With bladder cancer, there often are several areas of cancer, not just one, which are on ...
|
| bladder cancer | 2/29/2008 |
Q: what I want to ask is why to epithial cells that are very high that come out in the urine form ...
A: Leanne, I understood parts of your question but not other parts. I will answer what I can. Most ...
|
| cancer | 2/23/2008 |
Q: my daughterinlaws father was diagnosed with lung cancer, after many extensive tests and a course in ...
A: Helen, I cannot understand a lot of the report that you sent. What I think I can communicate, ...
|
| Intestine tumor - high leve of CEA (Poland) | 2/22/2008 |
Q: Dir Sir My grondmother (66) had the surgery of removing intestine tumor 1,5 year ago. It was removed ...
A: Kate, The CEA is a little higher now than before - but it is still quite low. It has not risen ...
|
| nasopharangyeal carcinoma | 2/21/2008 |
Q: My son was recently diagnosed with nasopharangyeal carcinoma and a secondary cancer in his neck ...
A: Mary, The prognosis is very good. Cancer of the nasopharynx is a type of cancer where a lot of ...
|
| Cancer spread... | 2/19/2008 |
Q: My Sister-in-law's husband has a Mom that was diagnosed with a cancerous lump in/on her lung about 1 ...
A: Mike, Cards, flowers and phone calls (and visits in person if you can possibly do it) are of much ...
|
| pancreatic cancer | 2/14/2008 |
Q: Since Sept I started losing a lot of weight even though I didn't change eating habits. I went to ...
A: Don, First things first. You must get the CT scan and see if it shows a mass in the pancreas. If ...
|
| Gynecological | 2/12/2008 |
Q: I am 46 yr. old going through peri menopause. I had a hysteroscopy and a D & C done last wk. for a ...
A: Carol, To me, that term doesn't have any specific meaning other than there appears to be soft ...
|
| Gynecological | 2/11/2008 |
Q: I am 46 yr. old going through peri menopause. I had a hysteroscopy and a D & C done last wk. for a ...
A: Carol, The kinds of changes you describe are more commonnly caused by benign conditions than by ...
|
| my mother has metatastic breast cancer | 2/7/2008 |
Q: my mother was diagnosed with metatastic breast cancer (inflammatory) almost exactly 3 years ago. ...
A: Jennifer, I am not sure what your question is. I can't tell you whether the brain tumor is ...
|
| Lump near knee and lymphadenopathy | 1/31/2008 |
Q: You stated you're equally familiar with general medicine. Long story short: I was stricken with a ...
A: Karen, Going to an emergency room will not necessarily lead to a biopsy sooner. I would not ...
|
| Lump near knee and lymphadenopathy | 1/30/2008 |
Q: You stated you're equally familiar with general medicine. Long story short: I was stricken with a ...
A: Karen, Yes, a biopsy should be done as a first step. Once you have this information, it will be ...
|
| skin cancer | 1/29/2008 |
Q: I had a small tumor removed from my arm, and it was diagnosed a SCC - KA. The dermotologist said I ...
A: Lauren, When the dermatologist removes the tumor, it is sent to a pathologist, who is a specially ...
|
| CT Scan result | 1/22/2008 |
Q: I have been suffering with asthma for about 7 years now. I am being treated by an asthma ...
A: Maria, In general, enlarged lymph nodes can be caused by a number of things which are not cancer. ...
|
| stomach pain | 1/21/2008 |
Q: I am a 22 yr old male. 6 ft tall and weight 180. I've been having these stomach problems for about 2 ...
A: Michael, Your problems do not sound like esophageal or stomach cancer. These usually occur in much ...
|
| high red blood cells count | 1/20/2008 |
Q: My 35-year old son just had bloodwork done because he is on Lipitor for high cholesterol and needs ...
A: A hematologist/oncologist does not only deal with cancer. The 'hematology' part of the specialty ...
|
| METATASTIC MELANOMA | 1/17/2008 |
Q: Dr. a 'lifelong friend ' of mine recently had a stroke. It occured in the rear part of the brain ...
A: Yes, he has stage IV. The statistics you cite give the averages. However, to arrive at any ...
|
| METATASTIC MELANOMA | 1/16/2008 |
Q: Dr. a 'lifelong friend ' of mine recently had a stroke. It occured in the rear part of the brain ...
A: I am so sorry - your friend's situation is very, very serious. It probably started in the skin and ...
|
| Complex Ovarian Cyst on Ultrasound | 1/16/2008 |
Q: A month ago I had an ultrasound done and this was the finding: "The left ovary is enlarged, ...
A: Jennifer, Did you ever have an imaging study in the past which included the ovaries (such as prior ...
|
| ovca | 1/15/2008 |
Q: 3 months ago i woke up with horrid lower back pain which radiated into my pelvis the tops of my legs ...
A: Gas, diarrhea and weight gain are not usually signs of ovarian cancer (or other gynecologic cancer). ...
|
| meningioma | 1/15/2008 |
Q: My husband has a meningioma in the cavernous sinus. It is pushing on the optic nerve. He does not ...
A: Melissa: I suggest going to a center which has a CyberKnife. The two institutions with the most ...
|
| Pulmonary nodule | 1/14/2008 |
Q: I recently had a CT done for c/o abd. pain and it showed that I have a 2 mm non-calcified RLL ...
A: Small lung nodules are fairly common. A 2 mm lesion typically is too small to be biopsied (sampled ...
|
| Cancer-causing drug in coffee | 1/10/2008 |
Q: Seigle, I read that there is Arylamine a cancer-causing drug in brewed coffee. Would it be harmful ...
A: One reads all sorts of things about many foods and additives, including coffee. Some articles have ...
|
| precancerous cells of the uterus | 1/8/2008 |
Q: I am a 44 yr. old woman, who has lost her left breast to DCIS after a 8yr. battle including ...
A: Edith, DCIS is cancer, not 'precancer.' Precancerous cells do not necessarily progress to cancer - ...
|
| Blood Test Results and Kidney Cancer | 12/15/2007 |
Q: My husband had a full open nephrectomy back in October after having a kidney stone. That is how it ...
A: Maryann, The sed rate is VERY nonspecific - that is to say, many, many things can lead to an ...
|
| Pancreatic Cancer | 12/13/2007 |
Q: my father was just told Tuesday that he has advance pancreatic cancer with life expectancy of ...
A: Jennifer, In order to know whether your father has cancer, a biopsy (removing a piece of the mass ...
|
| lymphoma | 12/12/2007 |
Q: my question is about lymphoma. for the past 6 months i have been to several docs about cold and ...
A: Tiffany, I am sorry I cannot give you a specific answer here - that is, tell you what you do have - ...
|
| Cancerous lump | 12/12/2007 |
Q: Dr. Seigle, I am a fellow expert(retirement planning) and have a question for you. My father 84 ...
A: Dave, Yes, cancer can and does show up like this. You will need to find out what kind of cancer it ...
|
| Stage 4 Lung Cancer | 12/5/2007 |
Q: My Dad has stage 4 lung cancer.He has had surgery to shrink the lesions on his brain about 6 months ...
A: Radiation is very good at reducing pain in the bones from cancer. Is his pain in his back? Do you ...
|
| chance of developing breast cancer | 12/5/2007 |
Q: My mother was first diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2000. This past March(2007), she was ...
A: Jamie, Having a mother with breast cancer does increase your risk of getting breast cancer. Just ...
|
| Armpit Lump size increasing | 12/4/2007 |
Q: I noticed a lump about grape size in armpit couple months ago. I have been dealing w/GI & possible ...
A: You did not state your age, which is important. Are you over 40? Have you had a breast examination ...
|
| Black dots found | 11/29/2007 |
Q: I've found small black dot(s), on both sides of my breasts on the areola area-could this be the ...
A: You do not specify how old you are, how large the 'dots' are, whether they are associated with a ...
|
| swollen groin lymph node | 11/28/2007 |
Q: i am 45 yr old male. i have noticed a swollen groin lymph node. i've had it 6 mths maybe and have ...
A: Even normal lymph nodes can be felt in some people. Normal nodes are generally about 1 cm (about ...
|
| Recurrent small cell lung cancer (metastatic) | 11/27/2007 |
Q: My stepfather has been diagnosed with recurrent sclc three months after being clean at the end of ...
A: I can give general answers only since I have limited information with which to assess your ...
|
| thyroid tumour surgery | 11/22/2007 |
Q: I have a right thyroid tumor about the size of a satsuma, following two fine needle biopsies the ...
A: Yes, you will need various radiographic studies if the tumor is malignant. Obtaining a diagnosis is ...
|
| esophageal cancer and radiation | 11/21/2007 |
Q: My brother has been undergoing external radiation for an esophageal tumor (10cm) that is in the mid ...
A: The effects of radiation are not necessarily seen immediately. Even though he might not yet be able ...
|
| lymph nodes | 11/21/2007 |
Q: This past March I noticed I had an enlarged lymph node in my neck. From that time till now, I ...
A: Lymph nodes often can be felt in normal people in response to the ordinary infectious agents that ...
|
| wound | 11/20/2007 |
Q: 8 weeks ago, my 68 year old mother scratched her leg. It was a minor scratch. She cleaned it, put ...
A: You are correct - she needs immediate attention! A nonhealing "scratch" can be malignant (cancer), ...
|
| please help, high grade carcinoma | 11/19/2007 |
Q: My Mom has a very large tumor under her arm (larger then a grapefruit with a plum on it). It was ...
A: It is impossible for me to determine how much time your mother has - as I have never seen her nor do ...
|
