Lower back pain fear
Hello everyone, sorry for my not very good english.
I have been reading this forum for a long time and I thank you because here I have often found answers to many of my questions and also a lot of hope.
I am 39 years old. I got diagnosed with IDC in february 2024 : 2.5 cm T2N0M0 no LVI, + - - (ER 50% PR 5% Her2 1+). Lumpectomy in february 2024. Then 4 EC + 12 taxols because of high oncotype dx at 37 and ki67 40%. Decapeptyl since september and tamoxifen started in november.
I’m having back, glutes and hip pain (and a sort of ailment in the tailbone) since the end of my radiotherapy (end of october 2024).
- X-rays OK showing only degenerative disc disease
- Lumbar MRI in december 24 OK confirming degenerative disc disease (bulging disc L4-L5 + beginning of facet joint syndrome). Orthopedist says the pain is consistent with this pathology and sciatica. Before cancer I was always at the gym (lots of heavy squats and deadlifts).
- Pet scan at the end of january 2025 clean (and no bone uptake)
- Several blood tests always OK (markers, alp, crp, etc.)
But the back/hip pain is always there, although bearable. Pain intensity : 2-4 out of 10. I don’t need painkiller; only sometimes, when I sit for a long time, just ibuprofene and that’s ok. It doesn’t get worse at night. It gets better walking. In these months it has not increased (sometime it’s even better). The pain is moving: one day it is in the back, another day in the superior part of the right hip, another day in the right side of sacrum/tailbone, then in the glute (never in the leg).
But I am afraid that there are mets anyway, maybe too small to be detected. Could pet scan miss symptomatic bone mets ?
I can’t get out of this fear. I am expecting a stage IV diagnosis at any moment. It is simply horrible. Next week I will try an epidural injection.
Comments
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@lola85 _ Hi, and welcome to the community! We’re sorry you are here and worried, but so glad you’ve joined us.
It’s great that your scans have been clean, and we hope that your pain is coming from the hip/lumbar or another joint issue, rather than something more serious. We hope the epidural injection brings you the relief you need and helps ease your pain and worries. Please, come back to let us know how it goes. We're thinking of you, and we are here for you whenever you need to share or talk.
Sincerely,
The Mods
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Hi @lola85, I am in a similar situation. I have had continuous hip/pelvic pain for a year and a half. It is the same intensity as yours, goes away with walking and gets worse sitting, driving and at night. When PT ordered by the local ortho only made things worse by causing piriformis syndrome an MRI was done. It showed all kinds of degenerative problems including tears, arthritis, osteoporosis and tendinopathy in the pelvis. CTs done previously showed many degenerative issues in the spine. A bone tumor in the acetabulum (hip socket) was also found on the MRI. It can't be biopsied without breaking my hip so it is being followed for growth. It has stayed the same size for 10 months leading the radiologists to think it is more likely benign.
My MO sent me to a hip specialist at the bigger hospital where I go for cancer treatment to see if he could locate the source of the pain. According to physical tests he narrowed it down to the trochantic bursa in both hips. The MRIs didn't show bursitis there but anyhow he sent me for an ultrasound guided steroid injection at that location in my left hip. It has been 10 days and my left hip is so much better. I am supposed to wait two weeks and if my left hip stays good he will order the same procedure for my right hip.
Hopefully the epidural injection will help you as much as the hip injection helped me. The indeterminate bone tumor and several other organs with suspicious findings (lungs, thyroid, esophagus, liver) are being monitored. While it is concerning I trust that the surveillance will find a problem if one develops. Worrying about mets does not accomplish anything so, for the most part, I don't worry. I read that setting aside 10 minutes a day to record your worries in a journal helps consolidate the worry into a small amount of time. Walking outside every day helps the pain and my mental state. Once you trust the doctors to look out for potential trouble you can put this to the back of your mind and live your life. If the anxiety becomes debilitating you could discuss meds or therapy for this with your GP.
Let us know how the injection goes. All the best.
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