Bone Mets Thread
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Pesky...I would think it would be such a small change it would be hard to analyze.
Meg...So sorry for everything you're going through. Prayers/hugs.
Hope
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Thanks, nonahope. That's what I thought. I think that's good because even if it's not a bone met, if there's something going on with my femur, I want to know sooner than later to avoid a broken hip down the road.
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words such as significantly and somewhat have been used in my reports. "Subtle" may be one word to nuance a small amount.0
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Thanks for replying! I wonder if more intense spots indicate more advanced disease and a "subtle" spot might indicate it's something that's very early in its progression.
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Pesky, I've just finished radiation to two small spots on my spine that didn't show up on my pet scan from November but was found by an MRI 2 months later. It's uptake was weak. Doctors don't know if it's progression or being suppressed by the Femara. BCis like a phantom
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Pesky. That would be my guess. Subtle as in a new met barely absorbing tracer or mininal uptake. My dr thinks it could suggest a tumor fading away. Perhaps one that wasnt caught at last scan was barely there and is now slmost gone. Sure is frustrating that with all the technology they still cant tell without opening you up.
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pesky - scan results can really be tricky to read and the writing can be confusing. I would directly ask your MO about the language so that you feel as well-informed as possible. If they are acting impatient, then too bad! You deserve to have all questions answered.
Delvzy - Im sorry you are having a rough go of it! Have you had a chance to try to any anti depressants? They have immensely helped me get out of the “looping” anxiety and depression of this disease. A resource you may find inspiring is this lovely young woman from Canada named Nalie Agustin, she has stage 4 and recently metastasized to her brain. She incredibly active on social media and writes a blog and posts videos on YouTube. Here is a link to her site:
https://www.nalie.ca/blog/ hope this helps!!! Also check her out on YouTube! Cute as a button
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JoE777, did they do radiation even without knowing for sure it was mets?
I’m hoping “subtle” could also mean not a met at all. But anything on my femur is concerning and I would want to have it taken care of. I’m 44 and not liking forward to hip problems
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pesky, March of last year I had bone biopsy of sacrum to determine it was MBC. This month the two lesions were just above the previous five treated tumors. These two didlight up but I didn't have a biopsy of those adjacent to the previous area.
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Meg - I am so sorry to hear of your simultaneous challenges of losing husband and finding out about MBC.
My vain attempt at comforting words is to let you know we were where you are at with MBC. Miraculously we made our way here, and now support each other and welcome you into our group with open arms.
Hold on and somehow, it can get a bit better...
Gumdoctor
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I have recently been experiencing aching in my lower left back and in my outer left thigh. What have others experienced with mets to bones? I at first chalked my pain up to cold, humid weather and arthritis due to my age. Could someone share your experiences. I will definitely call my oncologist for a scan if this discomfort persists.
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Honeybair, my symptoms began like you described. Thought the same ailments you mentioned. MRI found 5 tumors in the sacrum/iliac joint of left side I just came from an MRI TONIGHT in my right hip with same symptoms. I would call and make enough noise for the necessary scans. J
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Honeybair, the general rule of thumb I’ve been given is pain that lasts for two weeks without relief should be scanned. It’s hard - I can’t say that I felt specific pain when dx with a large met in my hip, which I was told was at risk of fracture with just one bad step off a curb. But since dx, I’ve definetly paid much more attention to achesand pains
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Delvzy-I have a dear friend who has had BC in her brain for 3 years now, She has WBRadiation occasionally but feels great!
Pesky-Different types of mets will show up differently on bone scans. Lytic mets may show up as subtle or not show up at all and scherotic mets will show up better. Subtle means there is something there. Best to have an MRI for more detail.
God bless you all.
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If you are on Xgeva and your femur or hip starts hurting get an xray or scan right away!!! Xgeva can cause atypical femur fractures- its a known side effect that can be bilateral also. Just happened to me.
I have been on xgeva/prolia for over 5 years now. This time last year I started having a pain in my right femur shaft. It showed up as a hot spot on a full body bone scan as well. Also had an MRI. The cortex was irregular and there was swelling, like a stress fracture.Went to two different Orthopedic Oncologists who both said it was probably from the xgeva, but were not certain. I was taken off of it for 6 months.In the mean time,before the follow up, my left femur shaft started hurting. Xray was taken and looked just like the right. femur shaft. At this point, they were more certain it was the Xgeva/prolia.
Because I was off of the Xgeva for 6 months, the femurs had time to remodel and heal. I am back on it, but need to follow up. I may have needed to get rods in both femurs to prevent a full fracture! this is an odd side effect of Xgeva/prolia-Atypical femur fracture. be on the look out!
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does anyone know or understand exactly what the make up of the bone is exactly, after the tumors in the bones have healed and become sclerotic?
Are they more fragile being that they are sclerotic?
Could the bones possibly return to normal being normal bone again?
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Philly,
I have been wondering something similar. I have rad onc appt Monday and will ask. I had a great MRI report this week that says my L4 lesion is shrinking a bit. It was blasted with CyberKnife and PET scan is okay, but the lesion is there, but what exactly is it after being treated and will “something" always show up on MRI or does it go away eventually? One interesting thing is my ca 27.29 is hovering in the 40s over the past 4 mobths... and my PET showed increased uptake in my butt cheeks from Faslodex injections! Maybe my angry ass is elevating my tumor marker!
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Thanks, Lynn1234. Excuse my ignorance, but does lytic mean it’s eroding the bone? What’s the difference between lytic and sclerotic?
I’m wondering if a “subtle” spot could mean very very early, meaning the cancer has only just started to spread - if it is a met.
Or if a subtle area could just disappear on its own and not be seen on my upcoming mri.
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Chemokaze,LynnJensgotthis, great info. Hanging my hopes on your words. Terrified of brain mets. Waiting on my report for right hip MRI last night. I feel like I'm doing something wrong-didn't get the memo on how to get a few more years. Part of my pessimism comes from watching my mom die with metastatic lung cancer to the brain in 2000. She died two weeks before her 70th birthday. Her birthday is today. Her identical twin is celebrating her 89th birthday today. My 70th birthday in September and my 50th wedding anniversary in August is at the top of my bucket list.
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JoE777, you’re in my thoughts.
My mom died 3 weeks ago. She ha just turned 70. She was also an identical twin.
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pesky-----Lytic lesions are those tumors that erode bone. Schlerotic lesions on bones are tumor growths that are brittle.
take care!
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Thanks. I have read That lytic lesions have to be larger than 1 cm to be seen on bone scan. Does anyone know if that’s true?
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I was told that my bone lesions that were treated with cyberknife are now healed. What is left is a scar that might be able to be seen on an mri, but the PET will show no uptake. The bone rebuilds itself, much like if you break a bone. It eventually heals and can be strong again.
Sunset
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pesky904, I had a bone scan and a CT scan at the same time. Negative bone scan but CT found 4 lytic spots on my spine. They were less than 1cm so bone scan couldn’t pick them up-Jill
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Hi everyone! Wanted to offer my experience on scanning and bone Mets. At the start of my dx, I had a bone scan, CT of the abdomin, and breast MRI. No bone Mets showed up on my bone scan. But I had uptake on my CT so my MO ordered a PET/CT, that’s where all my bone Mets showed up. I was told that because mine were lytic(like Swiss cheese), they aren’t detected on bone scans. I had a CT guided bone biopsy to confirm. Now that I’ve been on treatment for over a year and my lesions have healing or rebuilding of the bone (sclerosis), the do show on a bone scan. My MO orders a PET/CT for me every 3-4 months and a yearly bone scan.
Have a great day!
Jenn
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Oh forgot to add that one of my Mets was 4cm, on the top of my humerus, and was not visible on my bone scan.
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Found this article in my research. It’s for drs, so it’s very technical, but full of great info. I really found it interesting and informative. Hope your eyes don’t glaze over though. College flashbacks. Lol.
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Great read. Explained a lot
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I'm going to have my humerus fixed with synthetic bone and plates and screws. I forgot to ask the orthopedist if this metal hardware will interfere with my ability to have PET and other scans in the future. I'm sure they will be titanium, but not sure how much it will interfere with scans. I thought some people here probably have personal experience with this.
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Hi everyone,
I just got diagnosed yesterday. Mets to the spine. 2 or 3 spots in the spinal column but bigger spot in the L5 and pelvic bone of all places. I will get a CT later to check the organs. My question is how manageable can the pain be? Right now I have pain that gets pretty bad, seems to be in my hip joint right side. But I've had it in my left side as well. It travels. Can the pain get better or does it gradually get worse? At the moment Tylenol helps quite a bit. Nighttime is hard though as I'm a tosser and turner usually. Thank you and I'm so grateful for this forum.
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