Question about Lymphoadenopathy

May 23, 2009

Dear Friends,

I have not posted in a very long time but I try to read the message board as

often as possible. I hope you all find yourself in the best possible health. I

just came home this afternoon as I was hospitalized overnight for an asthma

exacerbation. While I was in the hospital, they conducted some tests to rule

out pleural effusion and blood clots in the lungs and also gave me two chest

xrays. All of the tests came back fine. However, the doctors told me that I

had evidence of Mediastinal Lymphoadenopathy in my lungs which, apparently,

means swollen lymph nodes. The regular doctors in the hospital did not know

much about CML, as can be expected, but they explained to me that it is probably

related to the CML and that it is not something for me to worry about and just

needs to be followed up with a CAT scan in four months to see if it resolves

itself or needs to be biopsied for infection. I'm sure that my CML doctors will

have more definitive answers for me as I have an appointment next Friday. I

have had consistent PCRUs since las November. My last PCR was less than two

months ago and it was PCRU. Another thing I noticed is that the Steroids they

gave me for my asthma raised my White Blood Cells considerably overnight. They

also gave me a shot of Heparin which they said is standard for all patients to

prevent blood clots while laying in the hospital. I read online that the

Steroids and the Heparin raise the Whites. As a matter of fact, my doctor had

told me to limit my consumption of Steroids to times when my asthma is really

bad because they raise the Whites. My Whites are always high and range anywhere

from 10 to 14 even if my PCR is undetectable. The day I went to the ER, which

was Thursday, my Whites were 14. The following day, Friday, after taking the

Prednisone Steroids and the Heparin, my Whites were 20. I was diagnosed July,

2007 and have met all milestones and always had high whites despite having 0

FISH all along and PCRU. My questions are, why would I have Adenopathy if my

CML has been under control and I have consistently tested PCRU? Also, has

anyone else here had Lymphoadenopathy/swollen lymph nodes? Is this a sign that

my medication is not going to work anymore (Gleevec 400mg) or is this a common

CML issue?

Thank you all so much for your help in advance,

(NYC)

May 25, 2009

,

When I was first diagnosed 10 years ago, I also had Mediastinal

Lymphoadenopathy, although my initial chest x-ray wasn't read as abnormal. About

a year later a specialist noted the adenopathy in a CAT scan and then looking

back at the initial x-ray saw that the swelling was there then, too. Although

my docs wanted to biopsy it, it became too difficult to do because the lymph

node swelling was around my aorta and I decided to wait and see. I had read a

couple of case studies in which when cml was active the lymph glands were

swollen and as the cm reduced, they went down. The swelling went down as my cml

went into remission but it took more than a year after my initial remission for

the lymph nodes to be at normal size. I hope you get answers from your doc soon

and all is well.

Fran from Alaska

>

> Dear Friends,

> I have not posted in a very long time but I try to read the message board

as often as possible. I hope you all find yourself in the best possible health.

I just came home this afternoon as I was hospitalized overnight for an asthma