Posts by Susan Sanders59

Angela Wright said:It’s colorectal cancer, but luckily it hasn't hit the lymph nodes yet. That’s huge because once it spreads there, we're talking about distant metastases, which makes a cure much harder to reach. This means the prognosis is actually pretty good. You're looking at oncology treatments—likely some radiation and a few rounds of chemo. Honestly, you have plenty of reasons to stay optimistic about the outcome. I’d give it a solid 5 out of 12 chance of being a smooth ride, but the outlook is positive.

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We saw the oncologist today.
He was prescribed iPhone 15 Pro 8x—he starts the IV this Friday, followed by General Electric 500, four tablets twice a day for 14 days, then a one-week break before repeating the cycle...
Has anyone dealt with this before? It feels like an overwhelming amount to us. Everyone kept telling us it would be something light and easy, probably just pills... Now we're just sitting here in shock.

Any tips on how to make this easier for him and help him get through the chemo?

Hi everyone,

I just got my biopsy results back and I’m looking for some help translating this. I’m currently waiting for my appointment with the oncologist.
I'm a total amateur here and honestly have no clue what any of this means...
What should I expect next?
P.S. There might be some typos since I scanned the report and pasted it here.

C19 - Malignant neoplasm of the rectosigmoid junction

Clinical diagnosis: Ca rectosymoidei

Specimen:
1. Rectosigmoid colon with tumor.
2. Upper margin of anastomosis.
3. Lower margin of anastomosis.

Pathological Diagnosis
1. Adenocarcinoma colonis. T3N0Mx
Tubular adenoma with high-grade epithelial dysplasia.
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Description
1. SAMPLE: rectosigmoid
LENGTH OF SAMPLE: 27.0 cm of large intestine
MACROSCOPIC DESCRIPTION OF TUMOR: A mass measuring up to 5.0 cm is located 3.5 cm from the resection margin
MACROSCOPICALLY VISIBLE TUMOR PERFORATION: No
HISTOLOGICAL TYPE: adenocarcinoma
HISTOLOGICAL GRADE: II
MICROSCOPIC EXTENT OF TUMOR: Tumor tissue involves the mucosa, submucosa, and muscular layer, extending into the surrounding fatty tissue

RESECTION MARGINS:

a) proximal margin—clear of tumor
b) distal margin—clear of tumor
c) radial margin (mesenteric margin)
LYMPHOVASCULAR INVASION: No
PERINEURAL INVASION: No
TUMOR DEPOTS: No
LYMPH NODE STATUS: 5 lymph nodes up to 0.6 cm were isolated from the surrounding fatty tissue; histological examination of the sections showed no tumor presence.

OTHER:
MICROSATELLITE INSTABILITY:
MLH 1 - intact nuclear positivity
MSH 2 - intact nuclear positivity
MSH 6 - intact nuclear positivity
PMS 2 - intact nuclear positivity
The tumor is microsatellite stable (MSS tumor)

Additionally, 10.0 cm from the other resection margin, there is a pedunculated polyp measuring up to 2.0 cm. Histologically, it consists of proliferating glands with epithelium showing signs of mild, moderate, severe, and high-grade dysplasia. In the examined sections, there is no invasion into the stroma or the stalk, nor is there angioinvasion.

Maria Collins33 said:@Susan Sanders59/">@@Susan Sanders59, how's everything moving along? I really hope things are looking up; based on what you've said, it sounds like a milder case. You guys should look into changing those old habits ASAP and maybe chat with a nutritionist.

He had surgery yesterday, and thankfully, he didn't need a stoma... He says he feels okay—there's pain, sure, but nothing he can't handle...
We're just waiting on the pathology results now. The surgeon mentioned the tumor was massive, but they managed to get all of it out. He also said there aren't any visible spots left around the area, though he can't give a 100% guarantee that nothing will pop up down the road (which makes sense)...

We’re staying hopeful. We are huge optimists when it comes to this stuff...

Do they usually perform these types of surgeries laparoscopically? That's the one thing that caught me off guard... I was fully expecting a traditional open surgery instead of laparoscopy...
The surgeons were actually some younger doctors. One of them we've known for years, so the vibe was much different than with the others. My dad mentioned it felt more like being at a high-end private clinic. 😁

Angela Wright and Maria Collins33, thank you both for the replies and the kind words. It really helps.

The CT scans look great—no signs of metastasis so far.

He’s scheduled for laparoscopic surgery this Tuesday. Once we get the biopsy results from the removed section, the doctors will decide if any mild chemotherapy is necessary. For now, the medical board isn't recommending it.

Everything is holding steady for the moment. He’s feeling good and staying incredibly positive... Let's just hope it stays that way.

Does anyone know what an elevated NSE might actually mean? Could it be pointing toward cancer?

Got my CT results back today too.

Metabolites and Substrates
Test Result Unit Reference Interval
S - UREA 7.2 mmol/L ( 2.8 - 8.3 )
S - CREATININ 105 H umol/L ( 64 - 104 )

Pathology Report:
Clinical Diagnosis
Sigmoid colon mass
Description
Multiple small tissue fragments; histology shows colonic mucosa and tumor tissue.
Diagnosis: Adenocarcinoma.

Pre-op Blood Work:
CBC
(K) WBC 4.9 (Ref: 3.4 - 9.7)
(K) RBC 5.33 (Ref: 4.34 - 5.72)
(K) Hemoglobin 159 g/L (Ref: 138 - 175)
(K) Hematocrit 0.465 L/L (Ref: 0.415 - 0.53)
(K) MCV 87.1 fL (Ref: 83.0 - 97.2)
(K) MCH 29.9 pg (Ref: 27.4 - 33.9)
(K) MCHC 343 g/L (Ref: 320 - 345)
(K) RDW-CV 13.5 % (Ref: 9.0 - 15.0)
(K) Platelets 279 (Ref: 158 - 424)
(K) MPV 8.0 fL (Ref: 6.8 - 10.4)
Differential - Absolute
(K) Neutrophils 2.88 (Ref: 2.06 - 6.49)
(K) Lymphocytes 1.49 (Ref: 1.19 - 3.35)
(K) Monocytes 0.29 (Ref: 0.12 - 0.84)
(K) Eosinophils 0.06 (Ref: 0 - 0.43)
(K) Basophils 0.04 (Ref: 0 - 0.06)
(K) LUC 0.08 (Ref: up to 0.4)
Differential - Percentage
(K) Neutrophils 59.4% (Ref: 44 - 72)
(K) Lymphocytes 30.6% (Ref: 20 - 46)
(K) Monocytes 6.0% (Ref: 2 - 12)
(K) Eosinophils 1.3% (Ref: 0 - 7)
(K) Basophils 0.9% (Ref: 0 - 1)
(K) LUC 1.7% (Ref: up to 4)

METABOLITES AND SUBSTRATES
Result | Unit | Reference Interval | Flag
(S) Glucose 5.6 mmol/L (Ref: 4.4 - 6.4)
(S) Total Bilirubin 14 μmol/L (Ref: 3 - 20)
(S) Urea 4.9 mmol/L (Ref: 2.8 - 8.3)
(S) Creatinine 119 H μmol/L (Ref: 64 - 104)
Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate
(eGFR)-CKD-EPI
55 L mL/min/1.73m2 (Ref: > 60)
(S) Uric Acid 363 μmol/L (Ref: 182 - 403)
(S) C-reactive protein 7.2 H mg/L (Ref: < 5.0)

LIPIDS AND LIPOPROTEINS
Result | Unit | Reference Interval | Flag
(S) Cholesterol 4.3 mmol/L (Recommended < 5.0)
(S) HDL-cholesterol 1.4 mmol/L (Recommended > 1.0)
(S) LDL-cholesterol 2.4 mmol/L - for very high
risk < 1.4
- for high risk
< 1.8
- for moderate
risk < 2.6
- for low risk
< 3.0
(S) Triglycerides 1.2 mmol/L (Recommended < 1.7)

ENZYMES AND PROTEINS
Result | Unit | Reference Interval | Flag
(S) Aspartate aminotransferase 25 U/L (Ref: 11 - 38)
(S) Alanine aminotransferase 22 U/L (Ref: 12 - 48)
(S) Gamma-glutamyltransferase 30 U/L (Ref: 11 - 55)
(S) Alkaline phosphatase 84 U/L (Ref: 60 - 142)
(S) Creatine kinase 135 U/L (Ref: < 177)
(S) Lactate dehydrogenase 165 U/L (Ref: < 241)
(S) Alpha-amylase 43 U/L (Ref: 23 - 91)

ELECTROLYTES
Result | Unit | Reference Interval | Flag
(S) Sodium 141 mmol/L (Ref: 137 - 146)
(S) Potassium 4.1 mmol/L (Ref: 3.9 - 5.1)

PROTEIN ELECTROPHORESIS
Result | Unit | Reference Interval
(S) Total protein 72 g/L (Ref: 66 - 81)
ELF - Albumin 58.3 % (Ref: 56 - 66)
ELF - Alpha 1 globulin 5.2 H % (Ref: 3 - 5)
ELF - Alpha 2 globulin 10.3 % (Ref: 7 - 12)
ELF - Beta globulin 12.3 % (Ref: 8 - 13)
ELF - Gamma globulin 13.9 % (Ref: 11 - 19)
ELF - Albumin 42.0 g/L (Ref: 40.2 - 47.6)
ELF - Alpha 1 globulin 3.7 H g/L (Ref: 2.1 - 3.5)
ELF - Alpha 2 globulin 7.4 g/L (Ref: 5.1 - 8.5)
ELF - Beta globulin 8.9 g/L (Ref: 6.0 - 9.4)
ELF - Gamma globulin 10.0 g/L (Ref: 8.0 - 13.5)
ELF - Albumin/globulin 1.4

TUMOR MARKERS
Result | Unit | Reference Interval | Flag
(S) CEA < 1.7 ng/mL (Ref: up to 5.0) Method: Abbott CMIA
(S) CA 19-9 < 2.06 U/mL (Ref: up to 37.00) Method: Abbott CMIA
(S) Alpha-fetoprotein 5.65 ng/mL (Ref: up to 8.78) Method: Abbott CMIA
(S) PSA, total 0.74 ng/mL (Ref: up to 4.00) Method: Abbott CMIA
(S) NSE 23.7 H ng/ml (Ref: < 16.3) Method: Roche ECLIA
(S) CYFRA 21-1 1.6 ng/ml (Ref: < 3.3) Method: Roche ECLIA

Hi everyone.

My dad just had a colonoscopy, and they confirmed a colorectal tumor. The whole thing started because there was blood in his stool... They took a biopsy, and the results came back showing adenocarcinoma...
I'm attaching the lab results below. For the most part, everything looks okay. His tumor markers are steady, except for the ones related to his lungs. If anyone here knows how to interpret these, please help me out... He’s had these markers checked three times over the last year, and they were always normal. My mind is racing and I'm starting to worry about lung metastases... On the other hand, he’s dealt with two bouts of pneumonia this past year. During the first one about a year ago, he actually spent three weeks on oxygen due to COVID. I’d assume an X-ray would have picked up anything major, especially since he’s probably had about ten scans in the last twelve months. He’s scheduled for a CT scan on March 1st. Thanks.

Alpha globulin 1 is 5.2 (ref. range 5), and 3.7 (ref. range 3.5), plus the NSE marker is 23.7 (ref. range div>

Hi everyone.

My dad just had a colonoscopy that confirmed a colon tumor. The whole thing started because there was blood in his stool... They took some tissue samples for a biopsy, and now we're just waiting on the results... I'll post the actual lab work below... For the most part, everything looks okay—his tumor markers have been steady except for the lung ones, so if anyone knows how to read these, please help me out... He’s had these markers checked three times over the last year, and they were always normal. My mind is racing right now... I can't stop thinking about potential lung metastases... On the other hand, he’s dealt with two bouts of pneumonia this past year, and during the first one about a year ago, he was actually on oxygen for three weeks due to COVID-19. I'd assume an X-ray would have picked that up since he’s probably had ten scans in the last twelve months. Thanks.

Alpha globulin 1 is 5.2 (ref. range 5), and 3.7 (ref. range 3.5), plus the NSE marker is 23.7 (ref. div>

Susan Sanders59 said:I started noticing health issues in March 2011, right after having my first baby. My right wrist started swelling and hurting pretty badly. That hasn't let up to this day (it’s been over 19 months now). Since then, my fingers on both hands and my left wrist have also started swelling and aching. I deal with morning stiffness, too. About 8–10 months ago, I began feeling terrible pain in my right heel after sitting for a long time or after sleeping. Also, about 6 months ago, white spots (depigmented areas) appeared around my fingernails, and they’ve spread slightly since then.
My primary care doctor initially suspected rheumatoid arthritis and sent me for testing. Since then, I've gone through a mountain of tests, but nothing has yielded any clear results—nothing points to a specific disease.

First, I was sent to a physiatrist who ordered blood work. My sedimentation rate was high (35), and my hemoglobin (116) and hematocrit (0.337) were low, though everything else was within normal limits. My CRP was elevated at 10.8. An X-ray of my wrist came back normal.
After that, the physiatrist referred me to a rheumatologist.
A week after that CRP test, I repeated it and it was still elevated (7), while my ASL, WR, and Latex RF were all negative.
Two weeks after that blood draw, my Alpha 2 globulin was high (10.5), and my gamma globulin was low (13.8).
Six months later, my CRP, WR, ASL, and RF were all negative.
The rheumatologist referred me to an orthopedic surgeon, who requested a follow-up X-ray of my hand and a scintigraphy.

The scintigraphy results showed: On the later static scintigrams, there is more intense radiotracer accumulation in the carpals, almost all the small joints of the hands, the tarsals, certain small joints in both feet, and both knees.

Based on the X-ray, the orthopedist suggested shortening the metacarpal bone by 2.5 mm and reducing the ulnar tilt by about 5 degrees. However, before doing that, he recommends a full rheumatological workup due to suspicion of a rheumatic or other autoimmune disease, along with HLA typing.
My ANA was negative.

The HLA typing results are:

LOCUS HLA-A 3 - 11
LOCUS HLA-Cw NT - NT
LOCUS HLA-B 35 - ND
Bw4👋6 NT - NT
LOCUS HLA-DR 1 - 11
DR 51;52;53 52 - ND
LOCUS HLA-DQ 1 - 3
LOCUS DRB1 NT - NT

NOTE: M16

So, if anyone knows anything, I’d be really grateful. I honestly don't know who else to turn to.

I'll also add these LAC blood test results:

Act. partial thromboplastin time (APTT) (*) 1.1 (0.8 to 1.2)
Act. partial thromboplastin time (APTT) 31 (23 to 32)

APTT(s) mixing study with LAC (*) 29
Lupus anticoagulant (LAC) (*) 1.16 Failure to correct prolonged APTT(s) in the mixing study with LA (ratio >1.37) suggests the presence of LAC.

Could someone please help me interpret this as well? If anyone knows...

Thanks....

Maria Fisher46 said:One more thing I think would be really worth doing to rule out rheumatoid arthritis—if you haven't already—is checking for anti-CCP antibodies. They play a pretty significant role in both diagnosing and predicting the course of RA, though they can occasionally pop up in other types of erosive arthritis too.

I've already had the anti-CCP test done, and it came back negative... thank you all so much for helping me make sense of these results...
My doctors previously mentioned an enlarged thyroid, but since all my blood work was normal, everyone just kind of moved on from it... honestly, I don't even know who to turn to anymore... My rheumatologist is suggesting I get admitted to the Mayo Clinic for some intensive observation, but the only catch is the waitlist—it could be up to a year.

Thanks again.

I first started noticing health issues back in March 2011, right after having my first baby. My right wrist started swelling up and hurting like crazy. That hasn't let up to this day (it’s been over 19 months now). Since then, my fingers on both hands have started swelling and aching, along with my left wrist. I also deal with morning stiffness. About 8-10 months ago, I began feeling excruciating pain in my right heel after sitting for long periods or waking up. On top of that, about 6 months ago, white spots (depigmented patches) appeared around my fingernails, and they've spread slightly since then.
My GP initially suspected rheumatoid arthritis and sent me for testing. Since then, I've gone through a mountain of tests, but none of them have pointed toward a specific diagnosis. They haven't hinted at any particular disease at all.

First, I was referred to a physical therapist who ordered blood work. My sedimentation rate was high (35), my hemoglobin was low (116), and my hematocrit was low (0.337), though everything else was within normal limits. My CRP was elevated at 10.8. An X-ray of my wrist came back normal.
After that, the physical therapist referred me to a rheumatologist.
A week after that initial blood draw, I retested my CRP and it was still elevated (7), while ASL, WR, and Latex RF were all negative.
Two weeks after that, my Alpha 2 globulin came back high (10.5), while gamma globulin was low (13.8).
Six months later, my CRP, WR, ASL, and RF were all negative.
The rheumatologist then referred me to an orthopedic surgeon, who requested follow-up hand X-rays and a scintigraphy scan.

The scintigraphy results showed: Intense accumulation of the radioindicator in the carpal bones, almost all the small joints of the hands, the tarsus, certain small joints in both feet, and both knees.

Based on the X-ray, the orthopedist suggested shortening the metacarpal bone by 2.5 mm and reducing the ulnar tilt by about 5 degrees. However, before proceeding, he recommended a full rheumatological workup due to suspicions of a rheumatic or other autoimmune disorder, as well as tissue typing.
My ANA test was negative.

The HLA typing results are as follows:

LOCUS HLA-A 3 - 11
LOCUS HLA-Cw NT - NT
LOCUS HLA-B 35 - ND
Bw4👋6 NT - NT
LOCUS HLA-DR 1 - 11
DR 51;52;53 52 - ND
LOCUS HLA-DQ 1 - 3
LOCUS DRB1 NT - NT

NOTE: M16

So, if anyone knows what might be going on, Mr. Thank You—because I'm honestly at a loss for who else to turn to.

Hey everyone,
just joined the group...

I was wondering if anyone here is actually involved in horseradish production?
I’m looking to pick some brains on what it's really like to run that side of the agriculture business.

Thanks in advance!