The only thing I can recognise are obvious fractures and signs of arthritis.

I wish I could help, but I really have no clue.

I've seen some of my X_rays and all I've ever seen was little spurs and knobby bits of arthritis. It almost looked like stalactites on my neck. yuck! And of course I couldn't help to notice that the curve in my neck went the opposite direction that it is supposed to. That was chilling! lol!!!

Depends on where the X-ray is of. Most large fractures will be fairly obvious to most people. However, there is a rough guide to what to look for, especially if you aren't concerned about the bones, but are interested in other things. The following is a rough guide to chest x-rays, since they are probably the most common ones taken, and are often the ones with the hardest to spot features. Some parts are applicable to other areas as well. Firstly, always check the name, and date on the X-ray. It's not use looking at Bob's X-ray, when you are supposed to be checking Charlie's. And it's no use looking at his X-ray from 1978 either. Things will have changed. As you look at an X-ray, the left side of the body shows on the right of the image, and vice versa. So, the heart in a chest X-ray should appear on the right of the image (except in a very small number of cases). Start with the general image - if it's a chest x-ray the entire chest should be visible. If the very tip of the right lung base is not visible, it's a bad image. If the person seems to be at an angle, it's a bad image. If they are slightly rotated away from the imager, it's a bad image. From the top - is the trachea central or is it displaced? Being soft tissue, it can be quite hard to see relative to the rib cage, but the cartilage does cause a decent amount of rays to be absorbed. A displaced trachea can indicate tumour or pneumothorax. Follow the trachea down to the lungs - is there a nice fairly uniform, shade of dark grey? If there are patches of diffuse lighter areas that look like lacework, this indicates fibrotic lung disease. If the lungs look ligfhter in some areas, but with a more coarser nature, infectious causes are more likely. If the lung is sourrounded by a bright white area that has a perfectly horizontal top, this indicates a gas/fluid border, indicative of fluid in the pleural cavity lining the lungs - haemo or hydrothorax, possibly pus. This needs to be drained quickly. If a lung appears perfectly black, and the ribs are outlined very clearly - that's because the lung is not there - there is a pneumothorax, air getting trapped into the chest and stopping the lung expanding, causing it to collapse. Again, prompt treatment needed. If in doubt, compare the left and right lungs together. If not in doubt, compare them anyway, it's good practice. Look at the heart. Does it appear in the right place or is it more central/displaced to the right? If so, something is pushing it there, and the above mentioned lungs are often the cause. Does it take up more than half the chest diameter - indicate of hypertrophy, the heart has grown under stress. No doubt they'll have swelling of the ankles and/or difficulty sleeping flat. Ask them how many pillows they use at night. Does there appear to be accumulation of fluid around the heart itself - a tamponade is a medical emergency. Are the ribs themselves OK, or do they appear to be assymetrical? Does they have the full 12 on each side, or are any missing/extra? If the person complains of weakness/sensation problems in the arms, it could be a nerve put under pressure by a cervical rib. Do the bones have a nice, well defined edge or do they appear roughened/fuzzy? Degeneration of the bones (e.g. osteoarthritis) could be a problem. Do they appear solid or missing bits in the middle - osteomalacia could be a problem. Look at the diaphragm, separating the thorax and the abdomen. It should have a fairly high curve on the left of the image (where the liver is underneath) and a slightly shallower curve on the right. If not, either the person was breathing out heavily when the image was taken, or the chest contents are being pushed downwards - in which case check the lungs again for signs of pneumothorax etc. If in doubt, why not ask the person who took them, or ordered them, or anybody else wqho is used to reading x-rays. And usually you will find that radiographers can spot abnormalities much more easily than doctors due to their training, whereas the doctor is more likely to be able to fit the image with any clinical signs/symptoms found on exam.

moon, go to this website..my father was diagnosed w/ prostate cancer 8 yrs ago...he was treated and has been cancer free ever since...these people are fantastic! http://www.cancercenter.com/about-us/our-hospitals.cfm good luck,keep your spirits up,and our prayers are w/ you