Biopsy Concerns

[David1969]

As per my previous threads, after my Testicular Cancer I had an RPLND followed by 2 rounds of BEP. At the time there was a big debate on whether I needed the chemo as only they very slightest of cancer cellers were founf in 2 nodes removed.

I am now approximately 5 months from the end of chemo and my recent CT scan showed 2 enlarged nodes. My oncologist beleives there is a 66% chance this could be teratoma with a 35% chance of the return of cancer. His view is that if it is a return of the cancer the prognosis is a 50/50 chance of survival at best.

After a consultation with both my Oncologist and Urologist, they want to biopsy the enlarged nodes on the basis they hope it is teratoma, my questions are as follows:

1) Is this a sensible move, recognizing the percentages above?

2) How painful is a Biopsy?

3) finally if it is Teratoma, and I need a second RPLND does anybody know if it is as invasive as the first op?

Thanks for any advise.

Dave

[NavyHoldi99]

Hey Dave...what were your most recent tumor markers? Were they normal or elevated at all. My cancer came back about 7 months after my last round of BEP...and like you it was because of a few lymph nodes that had grown in size from the previous CT scan. The main difference was I never had an RPLND before chemo...so I had a bi-lateral one done and they were able to biopsy the nodes that way.

When I was initially diagnosed...both left and right lymph nodes in the retroperitoneal region were swollen. They biopsied one node via a needle-scope biopsy through the back. It wasn't painful at all and they drug you up enough that it seems like it lasted 5 minutes (it really took a lot longer). They all shrank from the chemo. I'm not a doc...but the needle-scope biopsy sounds like the way they would do it for you.

[David1969]

Navy, thanks for the response.

My Tumor markers are good, AFP 2.0 and HCG less than 5. However, even with the original cancer they were not that elevated, I think my AFP was around 7.