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I asked my Oncologist why if Petscan showed multiple lympth nodes in inguinal area but less than 1cm why was that classified as remission.
He explained the areas didn't "light up" which indicated previously infected lympth nodes were no longer active.
A 5 min appointment didn't leave me time to pursue the matter

September 26
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A MyLymphomaTeam Member

Hi, I’m so glad that you received that good news, in my experience it is meant that there is no active metabolic activity in that area, which would signify remission, however, you must remember to continue to do all the things outside of your treatment to help. Keep that remission. A healthy diet eating right cutting out all the sugars. I retrieve remission for about a year and a half and I am now grade 1 follicular lymphoma on watching weight. I believe that I didn’t focus as much as I should have on my diet., or what may have happened to me is that there may have been some residual cancer cells that were not detected at the time of my PET scan scans. Whatever the case may be, I am trying to remain on a strict eating plan managing this indolent low-grade Lymphoma. It is a bit concerning yet. I have faith and I know that God is watching over me just as he is watching over you.. I don’t know if you are a religious person whether you are or you aren’t. I offered this to you that you are protected by the hands of God and blessed by the blood of Jesus continue to stay strong in your fight and if you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach out. God bless you and God bless all of us who are dealing with this situation.

September 26
A MyLymphomaTeam Member

Thank you for kind words and advice Wendell- very much appreciated

September 26
MyLymphomaTeam

Your oncologist is right — and that's actually great news worth understanding more deeply! A PET scan works by detecting where the body is consuming high levels of sugar (glucose). Cancer cells are hungry little troublemakers that consume a lot of glucose, so they "light up" brightly on the scan.

When an area no longer Show Full Answer

Your oncologist is right — and that's actually great news worth understanding more deeply! A PET scan works by detecting where the body is consuming high levels of sugar (glucose). Cancer cells are hungry little troublemakers that consume a lot of glucose, so they "light up" brightly on the scan.

When an area no longer lights up, it means those cells are no longer metabolically active — in other words, they're not behaving like cancer cells anymore. The reason lymph nodes can still be visible but under 1cm and not "lighting up" comes down to this distinction:

- Size alone doesn't confirm active cancer
- Metabolic activity (the "lighting up") is what indicates living, active cancer cells
- Nodes under 1cm that show no activity are considered within a normal, non-threatening range

So remission doesn't necessarily mean the lymph nodes disappear entirely — it means there's no detectable active cancer in them. It's completely reasonable to want more time to discuss this with your oncologist. Consider writing down your questions before your next appointment, or asking specifically for a longer consultation. You deserve a thorough explanation of your results.

September 26
A MyLymphomaTeam Member

Certainly, we are all fighting this situation together. I will pray for you and everybody else that is dealing with this situation.. We are all God’s children. And we must all care for each other as God cares for all of us… God bless

September 27

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Lachine, QC