what to expect

Hmmmm....actually I'm not sure. I heard aortic and assumed that was near the heart. I will surely find out. Thanks Pat

found this...not sure what to do with it? clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/full/7/1/23/F4
Are you sure of the location of the lymph node is in the chest as the aorta goes from chest down the trunk....it could be abdominal aortic involvement?
Pat

Thanks Karen. One of her affected lymph nodes is in her aortic area and two in her pelvic area which I thought was odd. So, to me (absolutely no medical sense...just reasoning) it seems that since it had gone from the pelvis to the chest, it may have spread somewhere in between. Did that make a bit of sense? Also, since one was in her aortic area, that it might affect the lungs? I don't know. I'm just a teacher....not a doc

Juliann,

yes, of course it could have spread...what I have noticed with my husband is that wherever the cancer was seen in the last scans that is where we have seen growth. Not necessarily more spreading...

Karen

Hi Karen, yes Dick's lung tumor was TCC. However we are nervous since his Mother died of lung cancer that metastasized to the brain. I though it was somehow connected to how all the blood goes through the lung to get oxygenated. But we were told the same thing that TCC rarely goes to the brain. It seems like playing with 20 sided dice and that random throws will determine where a new site will turn up. Julie

Thanks you guys. I know I am asking the impossible. I know I shouldn't even worry about it until the time comes, but that seems impossible. The cancer is in her lymphatic system, so I guess it could go anywhere. So, it has been almost 3 months since her last scan and no chemo. I try to think positive, but realistically I know it has probably spread. Would that be your general feeling as well?