Bone Mets Thread
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I have a question about rads to the spine. I haven’t met with RO yet but my mind is trying to figure out “what’s next”. I have a disc compression at T12 along with varying amounts of bone mets in L1, T8, T6, T4, T2, and C5. With rads, will they shoot at each one each session or target 1 per session?
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DodgersGirl , I have had radiation to the spine multiple times. If it is SBRT, then they target a specific site. It seems like you have multiple spots, in which case they me do a regular external beam radiation which would target a wider area. This type of radiation would involve a longer treatment time. SBRT is usually only 3-5 targeted sites.
Hope you get some relief with radiation. I know, bone mets can be painful.
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S3K5. — thanks for the info. I think my MO us expecting my rads to be SBRT (I had better read up on what SBRT is) and while there seems to be many thoracic vertebrae involved, I think MO is most concerned with T8.
RO appointment later this week.
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T8 and T12 were giving me the most problems pain wise, so they focused on those areas, along with my hips, ribs & skull. It took about 20 minutes.
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BigPeaches— thanks. Sure hoping RO can tamp down my back pain
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DodgersGirl what s meaning of RO ? please my mother have pain in totaly his body sometimes feeling good and sometimes full of pain she is tired of medecin for pain
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ZZZAAAZZZAAA- RO is radiologist Oncologist. It look like I will have radiation on my spine to control the pain of some bone mets
Best wishes to your mom that she may find comfort from her tre
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Morning everyone, just wondering when your MO and you decided that you needed to see RO? I was DX stage IV bone Mets on 12/10/19 and received my first Xgena shot 12/18/19. No discussion of seeing a RO as of yet
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HI Kitka, an oncologist radiologist intervention usually occurs when there’s an area of intense pain or progression that needs some sort of radiation. Otherwise, is just hormonal and chemo...
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Kitkat8074–. I was dx’d a day after you. MO sent me to RO due to mets in T8 being very close to my spinal cord. They want to zap that cancer to stop it from doing permanent damage and for palliative measures to stop my pain. So for me, I will do 10 rad sessions and then start Ibrance/Letrozole.
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Interesting article today in Oncology Business Review:
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Dodgersgirl - You may want to ask about potential side effects if there is any scatter - for me through the squishy pelvis bits yeah, there were some gastrointestinal issues for a few days after that a bit of forewarning would have been good to know. I only did 5 sessions and frankly the putting clothes on and off below the waist when I couldn't really put pants on was the biggest hassle. I will admit that the first time was scary thinking about radiation shot into my body, but it is done with so quick I got over it. Just let the techs push and prod you into place and ask for the cushions if you feel you need them when at your planning session.
Some other ladies here reported pain relief quite quickly after some of their first sessions, so I hope it is the same for you!
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thank you Dodgersgirl and Frisky. I have pain in my right arm but no sign of bone Mets in that arm. I also have headaches everyday, nonstop, for the last 6 months. All scans clear for brain as well. So far just pain meds which help but not alleviate the pain entirely
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Has anyone of you had some surgery due to compressed nerve roots? I will undergo surgery at S1/S2 right after xmas, because the met has grown into the spinal channel and compresses the nerve roots there. How bad is the recovery from the surgery? How long does recovery take? Will pain/numbness actually disappear?
Best regards,
Netta
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Kitka, i also suffer from severe pain in my right arm that makes it impossible for me to use it properly.
What I found helpful—and I don’t understand why—is taking 400mg of magnesium citrate and fish oils with breakfast. The aches and pains dissipate. I take another magnesium with calcium at bedtime
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During radiation, I always wear flannel pj pants or sweat pants. Never have to change clothes. Maximum comfort
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thank you Frisky, I will try it.
Merry Christmas all!!
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Happy Christmas everyone... here's to a healthier new year for all of us
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I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! You are always in my thoughts and prayers!
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Jensgothis - that is GREAT NEWS
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Has anyone experienced joint and bone pain a week after Xgena? Mine started yesterday in my hips and knees. I received my Xgena injection last Wednesday. It makes it hard to find a comfortable position to sit or lay down.
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I get this too and while it's tough to tell its that drug and not one of the other fun drugs causing bone and muscle pain, I have had it twice now with just the goserelin and yes, definitely get hip, long bone, and knee pain. I told the nurse everything below the waist felt achy and stiff. I also had a weird pain in my jaw behind my ear for about 12 hours but that subsided.
I take 400ng of advil in the morning and 400 at night with some paracetamol (like Tylenol tho that may be acetomenophen) in between if needed. Others swear by turmeric pills, fish oil pills, or some other complementary therapies too (yet to try them!). I've found that moving and small walk during the day helps a lot too. And a heating pad.
Do they have you taking calcium supplements too?
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Sondra, no calcium supplements yet. I take Excederin Migraine because of the headaches and oxycodone for the arm pain and headaches. I will try the Advil to see if that helps. I try to move as much as possible but I feel unstable with the aches and pains in my hips and knees.
I see my MO Tuesday and will discuss the new onset of aches and pains to see what he suggests
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NettaGER
not sure if you had your surgery yet. i had decompression surgery 6 weeks ago for L5-S1. this was followed by SBRT.
pain has definitely gotten better, but still room for improvement. i will say though that this past weekend i actually cooked a full dinner for my family. something i hadnt done in months. so yes there is finally some pain relief. i'm not going into a lot of details here, but also did have surgery in august (kyphoplasty), where i also had screws and rods inserted to strenghten the vertebrae witht he kyphoplasty was done. at the time of that surgery doctor discussed need for decompression surgery but was hoping that could be avoided, and if necessary i could have decompression later on. doctor did not expect to have to do the decompression 2 1/2 months after first surgery. but then again my tumor kept growing and no one expected that....
you also asked about numbness, still have that, not sure it will go away. but it hast gotten worse.
anyway will gladly answer any specific questions you have. i hope you recover quickly from your surgery.
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My hips and lower spine definitly hurt more after the Xgeva injections, just for a few days thankfully.
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I was diagnosed about a year and a half ago with progression to my mediastinal lymph nodes. I have been taking Ibrance w Faslodex. I had been having hip pain, and a bone scan showed some 'spots' in the same hip, so I just had an MRI today. My MO called me and said it is metastatic progression. I am shocked and scared. I have an appointment next week and have so many questions. Do I need a biopsy? Can they really tell just from the MRI? What do I do next?
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You will most likely have a biopsy to make sure it's the same cancer and check the ER/PR HER2 status. They diagnosed me using an MRI, but then did a biopsy on my largest spinal tumor to make sure it was metastatic and not a new cancer. After that, I'm sure radiation and chemo, Herceptin and Projeta. Ask away, that's what we are here for and we've all been where you are now.
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My MO’s office just called. I am being scheduled for a biopsy of my pelvis.
Wondering if those who have had such a biopsy can give an idea what I am in for. All I know right now is that it’s an out patient thing. Is that like out patient hysterectomy where you do spend the night but in total all is less than 23 hours?
Were you in pain for a few days after? I work 10 hour days so trying to figure out my work schedule around a biopsy.
THANK you all for sharing your exper
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Hi all... I just spent a few minutes catching up on this thread and wanted to offer a little background on my experience. NettaGER - I also had a kypyoplasty; not sure if that is what you are getting, but I had mets EVERWHERE in my spine, pelvis, etc... I had radiation for 3 weeks straight - INPAIENT. I never left my hospital bed.... the radiation helped with the pain, but one of my compressions wouldn't heal so I got the surgery. It was very easy - quick recovery - and worked... I have never had problems with that area again. I was then in a back brace for about 6 weeks...I wore it constantly, except when sleeping, and in the meantime started 4 months of chemo. I am ER/PR/HER2+. This was all six years ago, and I have been NED since and have resumed all my normal activities. I do have some pain in my left hip..but it is manageable. I have had a few cortisone shots here and there to help with it. I think I had my mets for at least a year before I was diagnosed; I had tons of back pain, but they kept sending me for Xrays (which of course didn't show the tumors) and to PT, which probably made everything worse. I was very naïve - I'd had Stage1 four years earlier and somehow it didn't occur to me (at least at first) that it was mets…. and my oncologist ( who I no longer go to) also didn't suggest it could be (total idiot.) Anyway I was finally in so much pain that I could barely get out of bed, so I am the one that asked for an MRI and then voila - mets everywhere.
However, just wanted to give hope to everyone as I can now run, hike, ski, garden, play tennis, etc.... everything.... and again, very little pain - just left hip.
Feel free to DM me with specific questions.
I hope everyone has a very Happy New Year!
XO
Andrea
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Dodgersgirl,
I had a pelvis biopsy over 2 yrs ago. We r all different. But for me, it was pretty minimal. Local anesthetic at the site, a little valium IV, into the CT machine a few times while they oriented themselves to the right spot, pressure, pressure, done. Bandaid and go home. No waiting around.
Then sore like a tiny bruise and that what was it.
My severe ordeal was this confirmed my MBC. Biopsy was like a haircut. For me. We r all different. Best wishes to you.
Gumdoctor
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