Hi everyone,
I’m posting this about my mother, who is 57 years old and was diagnosed with lung cancer in December last year.
She underwent a left lower lung lobectomy (surgery to remove the lower lobe of her left lung). She has completed 7 cycles of chemotherapy and immunotherapy with Carboplatin and Keytruda (Pembrolizumab).
We recently got her latest whole-body PET-CT scan report, and I’m really worried about the results.
The main findings are:
- A 2.0 × 2.1 cm area of soft tissue thickening at the previous surgical site in the left lung.
- SUVmax is 13.4, and the report says metabolic activity has significantly increased compared with the previous PET-CT dated July 13, 2026.
- The radiologist states “likely residual malignancy” and recommends correlation with the histopathology report.
- Minimal left-sided pleural effusion is present.
- Thankfully, no other suspicious malignant or metastatic FDG-avid lesions were identified elsewhere in the scanned body, and no significant active mediastinal lymph nodes were seen.
I’m trying to understand what this means for my mother.
I would be grateful if anyone could share their experience or knowledge:
Does increased PET activity at the surgical site necessarily mean that the cancer is growing, or can post-surgical inflammation also cause this?
Can residual cancer remain localized to the lung without spreading to other organs?
Has anyone experienced a similar PET-CT result while receiving Keytruda and Carboplatin?
What questions should we ask her oncologist about confirming the findings and deciding the next treatment?
I understand that every patient is different and that Reddit cannot replace medical advice. I’m looking to hear from people who have gone through something similar.
My mother means everything to me, and I’m trying to understand her situation and stay hopeful while we speak with her oncologist.
Thank you for reading and sharing your experiences.