Extreme Hip Pain - can Stage II metastasize to hip?
Hi - I've been having extreme hip pain for about a month and I have had no injury, twist or stretch to explain it. It just started out of the blue and it's a constant extremely sharp pain that really nothing helps. I talked to my onco's nurse to see if it could be the Tamoxifen but they want me to check with my orthopedic surgeon before they start playing with my meds. I have an appointment on the 26th but reading about the pain I'm concerned my cancer may have metastisized based on my sypmtoms. Can stage II that didn't go to the lymphs metastisize??
Thanks!
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Hi Kayce, sorry you are in so much pain. To answer your question re stage II metastising with no node.........yes it can. I was stage II no nodes and was dx'd stage IV with mets to bone five years ago.
Before you start playing with your meds, I would ask for a bone scan to rule out mets.
Good luck and please let us know your results.
Love n hugs. Chrissy0 -
Yes, any invasive cancer can metastasize, even if there was no nodal involvement.
But there are so many things that can cause hip pain - it's one of the most common areas for pain. You may have twisted and not even realized it. Just one wrong movement can cause hip pain. And because you use your hips all the time, if you did something to cause pain, it can be a long time before it heals itself.
Then there are conditions like arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, etc. Lots of "itises".
So yes, this could be the first sign of mets, but it's so much more likely to be something else. I would think that your orthopedic surgeon is the best first stop.
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Thank you for your answer and honesty Chrissy - I was hoping the answer was no.. How long after you initial diagnosis did it met? I'm praying it's not that, but it's so strange that this pain just started out of the blue and is so constant and strong. What made you get checked - where you ahaveing the same issues? How are you doing today - 5 yrs out sounds very hopeful to me
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Beesie - I'm hoping and leaning towards the bursitis becasue of the tamoxifen
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I had a bad groin pain. Thought it was a pulled muscle since I had been training for a race. But after 11 days of painful walking I decided to see the ortho. I had a broken hip!
Get it checked!
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Kayce my initial dx was 2003 and I was dx'd with mets at my five year checkup (which was six months late......my fault I got busy moving etc). I have arthritis and bursitis in my shoulder and just though I had aggravated it with packing and unpacking, lifting and doing the normal things you do when moving house. My pain was constant with two levels.......one just a constant ache and the other was oh hell I don't know what to do with myself.
It was while my specialist was doing the check feel that I winced. After a few questions and answers he sent me for a bone scan which confirmed that the cancer had metastasised to my bone.
Five years out I'm doing fine and live a reasonably normal life. There are restrictions because of the mets but I work around them or get someone else to do whatever. I am on pain meds but they keep me comfortable........all in all I would say I have a great life with good quality of life. I am at present preparing for my second daughters wedding.
I know mets is a scary word but you can still have a life but please do get it checked as that level of pain is not good.
Love n hugs. Chrissy0 -
Hi
Sorry to hear of your worry. It's to bad that us bc ladies cannot have normal aches and pains! You should check to make sure your hips are not out of alignment. I had hip pain along with other pain and that was the cause. Take care0 -
Kayce, the orthopedist is a good first stop. Tamox can increase/cause inflammation so I'm hoping that's it.
Best of luck.
Leah
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Kayce234 - I was having terrible hip pain at time of diagnosis. Since I was Stage III, everyone assumed. THANK GOD it was my shoes!! No mets!
Have you changed shoes lately? Major cause of hip pain, of course, along with Tamoxifen!
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No shoe changes no need changes...really nothing that I can pin it to other than hopefully the tamoxifen.....the pain is so intense....
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Kayce, are you sure it's a bone pain and not a muscle pain?? It could also be referred pain from another area of your skeletal system, like spine or knees. Is it relieved by heat or cold? Does Advil reduce the pain a bit. It's a bitch getting older with breast cancer isn't it!!
Here's to a good ole diagnosis of arthritis!!
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I have bad hip pain it tuend out to be arthritis. But yes it can spread if its stage 2. There are womenhere with stage 0 who spread.
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It's definitely none pain, I've had none pain before and this is it. Heat and ice help very little
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Kaycee, time to see your ortho! If he is concerned about mets, he'll send you right back to your Onc. Have you had a bone scan yet???
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Thanks Barbe - no bone scan yet, I just called the doctors last week about it I was hoping it would go away
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I had to stop tamoxifen, due to extreme bone pain. It hurt my hands, hips and legs and back. So pretty much anything is possible. It went away completely in two weeks when my onc asked me to discontinue it . You are doing the right thing by getting it checked out and getting mets ruled out.
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I notice if I walk a lot my joints hurt more ...hips and all over...I take some Motrin and seems to help
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Ask your GP to order an xray of the hip and insist on being given the results ASAP. You'll get information back quickly - often same day. My MO was agressive when I reported new hip pain to him. I was sure it was more aches from Aromasin. He wanted to rule out mets. X-rays were clear.
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I had terrible hip pain that seemed to get progressively worse to the point that during the night time, my leg was paralyzed! I finally made an appointment with the orthopedist who I'm on a first name basis due to numerous ortho issues that required surgery. After admonishing me for waiting so long to see him, he x-rayed my hip and told me I had had micro-tears that became a "tear" in my muscle that created tendonosis and bursitis in my hip. I got a cortisone shot and feel much better now. I had never given mets much thought before seeing the orthopedist. However, when I was filling out the ortho's questionnaire, it asked if I ever had cancer, and I only worried for an hour if it was a metastisis. I'm now taking an AI and feel achy sometimes. I feel better walking... I also wear amazing orthopedic shoes that give me great support. The ortho also told me no treadmill or power walking.
I hope you see an orthopedist SOON! I could kick myself in the behind for not going earlier! Hope you feel much better soon!0 -
I'm going to the ortho on the 26th. My family wants me to go in sooner but that's the best I could get with my schedule and I figure if its mets I don't really need to know any sooner any way
Still hoping for bursitis but this pain is not fun and 24/70 -
Good for you Kayce, hang in there. Nothing moves quickly anyway...
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So I just emailed my doctors office to see if I could get on a cancellation list and get in to see him sooner than the 26th. He's only there on Monday's and Tuesday's and I only have Monday and Thursday's off, but I think if they have a Tuesday available I'll take it. As you can imagine my mind is starting to wander and I really just want an answer - I can wait until the 26th but would rather not
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That's a good idea Kayce, if you can get in on a Tuesday. Peace of mind is worth a gazillion points!!
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I can tell you how my orthopedist handled hip pain - she had me use ice - heavy-duty on hip and knee on the side where I had pain.
The deal was that if I still had pain in 2 weeks, she would do a scan.
Fortunately, the pain went away in about a week.
You said that you had tried ice - keep trying for a week or so, so you can go in with an outcome
Much luck and hugs0 -
Kayce - I have had hip pain for the last four years - started when I had finished all of my treatments and was on Tamoxifen. I had a bone scan - nothing! I took myself off of tamoxifen and still had issues with my hips. I can't sleep on my side - especially my left side as any pressure to that area really hurts. I can stand up and apply pressure with my hands to certain areas of my hips and it hurts really really bad.
I talked to my oncologist a couple of weeks ago - I don't think I have mets. He doesn't think I have mets because the pain gets worse when the weather sets in. I can't sleep at night without taking a couple of percocet.
My oncologist (I respect him so much) thinks that it is due to my age and all of my injuries I have had in the past. Almost feels like arthritus but it is definately joint pain- not muscle pain. When the weather sets in the pain migrates from my hips to my knees to my shins and then stops at my ankles.
Just sharing so that you don't worry too much about mets. Sometimes it is just part of what we go through.
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Have you thought of going to an orthopod? Maybe you could have cortisone shots. I just found out I have practically NO cartilage in my left knee. I'm going to try cortisone and see if it helps the pain-
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dogs....they also have a gel that they can inject in the knee if you've lost your cartilage in your knee.....
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Just wanted to add. My knees hurt pretty much all the time. I also have arthritis - probably from all my years of ballet and then marathoning. But boy did I enjoy that time - it was worth it--
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Just jumping in here to add to the "arthritis" "bursitis" side of things. My PCP sent me to get an ultra sound and an X-Ray (onc had ordered a bonescan the month before) - turns out (thanks to Arimidex) I now have arthritis in my hips and acute bursitis in my right hip as well - the pain was sooooo bad but after resting for a month (that meant very little walking or anything else) and lots of Tylenol Arthritis I am now completely healed from the bursitis - the arthritis is easily handled by walking and actually only really flares up when the weather fronts move in. I also have degenerating disks so I am a complete mess - five years ago I had none of this! Getting old is not for sissies!
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Yes Voracious, two people have told me about that. I'm seeing the ortho again to discuss the gel and/or cortisone shots. He also mentioned arthroscopic surgery to clean out the bone chips, but then added that it would just be a temporary solution. He says I would probably wear out a new knee because I'm so active, but don't they last for 15 years? Getting other opinions before I opt for a knee replacement.
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