My Battle with Merkel Cell Cancer

Axial CT Image
Here, we see a large abnormal area of air space consolidation to the left of the heart and
several additional abnormal areas of lung consolidation on both sides.
This image shows some similar areas in the left upper lung.
These areas are described in the PET report as showing uptake of the tracer (the
indicator of abnormal activity) which probably indicate infectious or inflammatory origin.
The areas adjacent to the heart are described as also taking up the tracer, most
compatible with post radiation inflammatory change.
There is no uptake in the area of the original mediastinal tumor, reported as a "Positive
response to interim therapy".
Both the PET and CT reports attribute all this to inflammation and not neoplasm. My
experience with almost all forms of cancer is that metastases are smooth round nodules
in the lung without inflammatory changes around them.
However, I am not yet jumping for joy.
I have called Dr. Flam to discuss this and expect to hear from him tomorrow. I have also
tried to reach Dr. Nghiem to get his take on this. Nobody I have talked to has ever seen
what metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma looks like in the lung. We also need to find an
explanation for the findings assuming they are not MCC.
In the meanwhile, I expect to go to Montreal as planned on Monday and deal with this
when I get back.
To sum up, at first look, this seems like good news, but after many disappointments, I
retain a guarded optimism.
I will leave Monday for Montreal, where I will see my 94 year old mother, perhaps for the
last time. She has lost weight and recently weighed as little as 63 lbs. While there, I will
have a chance to visit with my sister Ellie, her daughter Cheryl and grandson David (not
My Battle with Merkel Cell Cancer
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