News of Indeterminate Value
After yesterday's biopsy procedure, I can't say I have good news. Nor bad news. So I'll just say I have news.
Before the news, I will say I found the ultrasound-guided biopsy procedure fascinating. The procedure consists of a radiologist zeroing in on areas of interest and a pathologist using the ultrasound image to guide the biopsy needle into the area of interest while avoiding important things (like arteries). My favorite part was listening to the candid discussion between the doctors. Most tests involve laying quietly on a table, staring at a drop-ceiling (or piece of beige medical equipement) accompanied by a soundtrack of whirrs, beeps and clicks. Listening to active discussion about what was seen & done was a nice change of pace. I especially enjoyed the sways of conversation that went from extremely technical ("Here's the {latin word} {science-y word}.") to extremely not-technical ("Oh, and then there is that thing."). Now, to the news.
My test order asked for four areas of concern found on the earlier ultrasound to be tested; one anomaly and three enlarged lymph nodes. At two-to-three needles per area, I was expecting 12 needles.
The radiologist pretty quickly ruled one of the four areas of concern was just a piece of muscle (which I'm guessing is the same piece of muscle that caused the tech to call in the radiologist during last year's ultrasound; she came to the same conclusion). The muscles on either side don't "match" (which can be a sign for concern) but the radiologist said that's normal, especially around the area of a surgical site. Three fewer needles.
The radiologist took a careful look at the three lymph nodes. While he said they looked a bit "chunky" (i.e., larger than average) their shape did not look like they were growing due to cancer. Also, one of the three had a "highlight" which he explained indicates the presence of a piece of anatomy that is usually attacked and killed by cancer, when present. Ultimately, they decided to just test two lymph nodes, one on either side of my neck. Three fewer needles.
The procedure is done without anesthesia. The pathologist said that the needles hurt about as much as the needles they use to take blood. This is true if, when they take your blood, they dig the needle in a couple of inches and then wiggle it up and down rapidly a few dozen times before pulling it out again. In other words, this is a lie. That said, it was only a little worse than a tattoo needle in the forearm and over much less time.
The pathologist took a quick look at some of the samples immediately after the procedure. She said her first look suggested that there were no cancer cells in the lymph nodes and, while she needed to do further tests, usually they jump right out if they are present. She suggested that if this were the case, they'd want to re-evaluate the slides taken from the original lump I found in my neck.
I could be wrong, but I think it is unlikely that the original pathology results were incorrect--so I'm not getting my hopes up that the original diagnosis was wrong. More likely (from what I gather), this puts me back where I expected to be before the ultrasound, which is one small tumor in the lymph node in my neck, that is probably growing very slowly and possibly one that does not take up iodine (i.e., it has been there for years). This also means near-future surgery is less likely. In any case, I'm hoping we can get out of the land of "maybes" soon. The final pathology results should be ready tomorrow. We'll see what's next.