My cancer doctor told me today, that my cancer is back, and it’s spreading to the right side now. The worst part is that I have to go through all this alone..

Please let me know how aggressive or treatable does it look?🙏🙏🙏
Biopsy::
001. MULTIPLE (4) LINEAR CORES RANGING FROM 0.8CM TO 1.8CM (001, 002) (NTL)
MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION:
SECTION SHOWS LIVER PARENCHYMA INFILTRATED BY POORLY DIFFERENTIATED CARCINOMA
ADVISE: IHC (5-8 MARKERS) FOR FURTHER CHARACTERIZATION

POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY AND NON DIAGNOSTIC CT:
296-370 MBq 18F-FDG was administered I.V.& Images were taken after 1hr. from skull base to mid thigh. CT scan was done for attenuation correction & localization. Images of brain were also acquired.
Finding:
Liver is enlarged in size (~22.1cm in maximum cranio caudal extent). Multiple metabolically active discrete and coalescent ill-defined hypodense lesions are seen in both lobes of liver (largest measuring ~13.2 x 8.3cm, SUV max 31.6 involving segments III, IV, V & VIII with areas of internal necrosis.
Multiple mildly metabolically active & inactive lymphnodes are seen in left supraclavicular (2.6 x 2.1cm, SUV max
2.4), left internal mammary, right anterior epiphrenic, paracardiac (1.9 x 1.0cm, SUV max 2.8), periportal, portocaval, peripancreatic, retrocaval, aortocaval, paraaortic, celiac axis and SMA regions.
Multiple collaterals are noted in abdominal region.
Left kidney appears relatively smaller in size. Diffuse increased tracer uptake is noted in dilated pelvicalyceal system of left kidney. Perinephric strandings are noted. US correlation is suggested.
Spleen is enlarged in size (~16.2cm) and shows physiological tracer distribution. No metabolically active lesions were noted.
Mild free fluid is seen in pelvis.
Brain parenchyma shows physiological tracer distribution. No metabolically active focal abnormal areas were noted.
No metabolically active lesions were seen in nasopharynx, oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx and hypopharynx.
Major salivary glands appear unremarkable. No metabolically active lesion was seen in the thyroid.
Both lungs are unremarkable. No metabolically inactive or metabolically active nodules or infiltrates were seen.
Trache and main stem bronchi appear unremarkable. There is no evidence of pleural effusion or metabolically active pleural abnormalities.
Gall bladder is visualised. No significant metabolically active abnormalities were seen in the gall bladder.
No metabolically active abnormality was seen in the pancreas.
Bilateral adrenals and right kidney are unremarkable and show physiological tracer distribution.
Stomach is not well distended. No metabolically active abnormality was seen in stomach bed.
Small and large bowel shows physiological tracer distribution.
Rectum shows physiological tracer distribution.
No significant metabolically active pelvic lymphadenopathy was noted.
Both axial and appendicular skeletal system shows physiological tracer distribution.
Urinary bladder is not well distended and shows physiological tracer distribution.

What were your Mets?

I (57, male) am one year post immunotherapy after being diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma in May 2023. I was on a mix of immunotherapy drugs including keytruda.

I am finding that fatigue comes in waves but it is there. As a long-time high school teacher I used to do activities several nights a week for extra income but just don’t have the energy this last year.

So happy to be alive but will the energy ever come back or is this the new norm?

Someone who's very close to me has gotten diagnosed with stage three cancer after having a tumor removed from her stomach. I know in situations like this, like when you lose someone you love words don't do the trick. It's hard to receive comfort from those who don't understand.

My question to those who have gone through chemotherapy, what would you have wanted somebody would have given you or done ? What is something that someone did that touched you specifically and made the journey a little bit easier?

So far I'm hand crocheting a blanket for her so when she gets cold she has something on her lap. I'm also going to sew a small pillow that she can take with her to help make her more comfortable. (My mom did that for my grandma). I'm thinking of writing 12 notes one for each treatment she has that she can open to help give her some words of encouragement.

What else can you think of? I really want to make a big impact on her and I want to make sure she knows she's not alone.

I am 6 years NED (crazy!!!!!!!!) and my hair used to be really, really thick, and super long hair. Now, it’s super thin and every time i go ONE day without washing it, it looks super greasy and I get really self conscious.

does anyone have any tips for growing thicker hair, OR just how you’ve learned to adapt/accept it? I miss my thick healthy hair!!!!!!!

hi so I don't know if anyone else has this problem but I used to be on gtube feeding for a while during my treatment and used to barely eat with my mouth until the end of treatment and cause of my treatment the rightside of my mouth hurts but ever since I started eating its hard because nothing is appetizing and I get full with one or two bites and it stresses me out like even my favorite foods and snacks even its hard to eat, I tell myself to just eat but idk what happens and cause of that I get fatigue alot and its giving me so much anxiety
if theres anything to help please let me know thank you

Today i found out that a friend of mine whos been fighting with cancer for 3 years died..

I met her when we were put to be in the same room while getting chemo, because we get chemo for few days and then go home and come again after some time.

At that moment i lost all of my hair due to chemo and i felt extremely insecure about it, and i felt like that is the end of the world(im 17 and i had long blond hair, took good care of it, and for me losing hair was extremely big deal).

When i told her about it she was so positive and happy to talk with me, and give me some advices as someone whos been dealing with it for some time now.

She told me:,, dont worry about hair, hair will grow again and when we finish with chemo and our hair does grow we will have wonderful curly hair. And it will be so strong and healthy. And we will have so much fun, and its gonna happen soon, sooner than you expect,,.

She was so positive, full of life, always smiling making jokes...

She turned 18 arround 2 weeks ago...

She didn't even get to live her life...

But i just wanted to thank her, for everything she said to me and other kids, how she gave them hope and will to continue, gave them strength and told them to never give up, because it will all pass and one day all of it will be just a memory

Thank you angel

May you rest in peace 🕊

I was diagnosed with leukemia (CML) in 1995 at age 13, blessed to have a perfect match bone marrow transplant the following year and have been in remission since. Last year i had a weird health situation (an infection on/in my back that turns out was linked to Valley Fever) and went to urgent care. The doc there said she used to work in pediatric oncology and mentioned that “these things” are common as survivors age. So I’m wondering—is it commonly accepted that weird health stuff will happen following successful treatment for pediatric cancer? All cancers? Another example: I had double cataract surgery at age 32. Should I just expect this random health stuff to keep happening? Curious to know others’ experiences.

Wasn’t sure what to flair this as it’s somewhere between a rant, advice and kind words please.

Yesterday, I had what was likely my final scan, as a clean scan means I graduate from observation to survivorship.

Over the last nine years, I was diagnosed (endometrial cancer discovered while I was looking at pregnancy options, so yeah), had a total hysterectomy, radiation, chemo, 18 months of NED, recurrence, immunotherapy, and finally five years of observation.

Along the way, I destroyed my thyroid (immunotherapy is a miracle, but it really does not like the thyroid), suffered hearing loss necessitating hearing aids (thanks to chemo), they found a pulmonary embolism and a separate blood clot, putting me on blood thinners (injections, then pills). And my overall feeling of tiredness has never really gone away, even years away from treatment.

I knew the likelihood of another clean scan was high (immunotherapy FTW!), and when I checked my med portal today, it was indeed another clean scan.

Graduation Day is here. Or, it will occur on Thursday at my medical appointment.

So, why do I feel so confused? And… sad?

AI tells me this is normal, but AI also has hallucinations. Yes, I had a brief chat with Claude.

And this feels different than my normal scanxiety. But, I can’t verbalize how.

Meanwhile, I let my family and close friends know. And they are so so so happy and excited for me. And I am so so so happy and excited for me.

But, I also have this overwhelming feeling that I can’t verbalize. And, thankfully, I’m the only person with a history of cancer in my immediate family and close family friends, however, that means I can’t explain it to them in a way that’s understood.

And I know I am lucky. So very lucky. My cancer was treatable; even from the start, we knew that the likelihood of survival was high. So many people I know didn’t have that, so I know some of what I’m feeling is likely survivors guilt.

Note: I checked the portal three hours ago, so this is all new.

And this got longer than expected. Virtual cookie to all who read this far.

Hi, little background. I was 14 when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Went through treatment for 6 months, was declared in remission. Went back to my life, almost a year later exactly on my declared remission date, I was told I relapsed. Went through 4 months of chemo, and then a stem cell transplant with hardcore chemo and radiation. I’ve been in remission since March 2019.

After all that I went back to my life. Had a few anxiety and depression times. Did well for a few years. I recently started a full time job as I am now 23, I will be graduating from online college in December. Anytime I started anything new, have the slightest change in my routine I go into panic mode, start crying, hyperventilating, shaking, waking up in panic.

I am on anxiety & depression medications, and just started seeing a psychiatrist and she recommended therapy, which I declined while going through treatments (looking back I regret it now). I’m just looking to see if anyone else has had any similar experiences and how they over came it. I don’t understand why 7 years later I’m struggling so much.

I'm 23 and from Australia. I was diagnosed with rectal cancer in May last year after coming back from an Exchange. It had been the best time of my life and I felt so amazing. Finding out I had cancer flipped my world upside down.

I had six rounds of chemo, a couple surgeries, some more chemo and then an ileostomy reversal back in March. While it's been almost two months since then it's been really difficult engaging with life.

Most of the time I just want to sleep and stay in my room. I feel like I'm always tired. I feel a lot of grief for everything I've lost. I miss how things use to be and my old life, relationships and energy. I just feel lost and unsure what to do anymore. Everything feels really hard and the outside world kind of expects you to just move on. I feel isolated and scared.

If anyone has any advice or would like to share their story it would mean a lot.

Hello, my girlfriend has been a cancer survivor for almost a year and three months and she's feeling very isolated. We're in college and nobody here understands her experience. I can empathize and be there for her but obviously it's not the same as talking with somebody who has been through it too.

I wonder if/where/how it's possible to meet and talk to somebody who has had a similar experience, preferably a young adult, in the LA area (or in general). I just researched support groups in the area and virtual meet ups via the organization Stupid Cancer, but with support groups I worry it will be mostly older folks or won't be as conversational, and with Stupid Cancer I worry that the virtual nature of the interaction won't meet her need for connection well enough.

Are there more informal support groups that exist? Is it something you can't find on the internet and need to ask around about? I don't know where to look from here, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

For my fellow cancer survivors who had their fertility destroyed at a young age- I see you.

For my fellow cancer survivors who not only endured the trauma of cancer and then also dealt with the trauma of infertility and miscarriages because of how this horrific disease and chemo ravaged your body- I see you.

For survivors who find today to be especially difficult and lonely- I see you.