Breast Cancer/Bone Cancer

I had BC in 1998 - lumpectomy. I had aggressive chemo and radiation. I

have had terrible back pain since summer of 2006. The pain is in the

spine area, especially the thoracic region. My family doctor gave me

muscle pills, physical therapy, with no avail. Had MRI which showed a

cyst or tumor at T12 (thoracic area). I'm suppose to have another MRI in

three months. My doctor did not know what else to do so he suggested I

go to a pain management doctor. In the meantime, I went to my oncologist

and he did a PET SCan which did not show cander. My question is does a

PET Scan show cancer if it is in the bones. The pain doctor has given

me pills and has done the first set of cortisone injections. I still

have no relief - the pain is terrible and it is there twenty-four hours

a day. My oncologist said that if I don't get relief from the cortisone

shots, then I should come back to see him. Can anyone tell me if a PET

Scan shows cancer of the bones. Talk with you later.

 

Hi, I saw your message and I wanted to let you know this. My mom had breast cancer 10 1/2 yrs ago and back in december she started with some back pain. It was getting worse she did a bone scan and it was coming back that she had multiple bone fractures in her spine. So they sent her on to do an MRI and that's where they found a tumor on her spine growing around her spine into her spinal cord. From the experience that my mom went through and what you are going through. Please get to your oncologist today. Don't mess around because it could be a return of the breast cancer which is what they are saying about my mom. she has started radiation therapy. If you want to talk more please email me or i'd be happy to talk to you on the phone. i know my mom needs the support also. Just please get to the dr today don't delay any longer.

 

On 2/19/2007 Milissalynn wrote:

Hi, I saw your message and I wanted to let you know this. My mom had breast cancer 10 1/2 yrs ago and back in december she started with some back pain. It was getting worse she did a bone scan and it was coming back that she had multiple bone fractures in her spine. So they sent her on to do an MRI and that's where they found a tumor on her spine growing around her spine into her spinal cord. From the experience that my mom went through and what you are going through. Please get to your oncologist today. Don't mess around because it could be a return of the breast cancer which is what they are saying about my mom. she has started radiation therapy. If you want to talk more please email me or i'd be happy to talk to you on the phone. i know my mom needs the support also. Just please get to the dr today don't delay any longer.

I saw your response on the message board.. my husband has stage IV nasopharyngeal cancer which had already metastacized to his bones from his neck to his legs... he has multiple tumors.. they opted to forego radiation as they said there were too many tumors... so we are going through aggressive chemo right now.. we had a port put in after the second round of chemo - but unforatunately developed DVT following that... we just had another port put in yesterday - but it was not easy... doctors said they had never had so much trouble.. they couldn't get the defective port out and then they tried putting a new port in in two different places on the opposite sideof his chest and couldn't get it in his veins... ended up putting it in his neck.. my husband too had numerous (3) tumors on his vetebrae and is now having weakness in legs and hips from tumors there... have they been able to relieve your mom's pain with the radiation.. my husband's doctors seem so hesitant to use the radiation as they say it will cut into his "quality of life"  those are truly scary words.... so far i haven't been able to find anyone who is going through a similar experience... just wondering if the radiation would help his pain.

 

Hi, thank you for getting in contact with me. My mom has had a lot of pain relieved. She was really bad especially at night. But she has just finished with her radiation treatments 15 of them to be exact and it has relieved her pain. only pain she has is to her stomach from the radiation hitting it. We will find out Friday what the next step is now. What does your husband's dr mean "qualilty of life"? not understanding that.

they told us when he was first diagnosed that if he responded well to the chemo he would probably only have 2 years at the most.... we are hoping that he has responded but won't know til the next Pet scan... the doctor had told us that bone metastasis was very painful and he told us that the type of cancer my husband has will eventually resurface somewhere else... basically they told us they would keep him comfortable... and would do all that they could as long as my husband was willing to withstand the treatment... We asked our oncologist (who is a very kind and straightforward man.to be as honest with the treatment as he could... he didn't recommend the radiation on the primary tumor because he said raditation to the head and neck was very painful and had horrific side effects (throat swelling, nauseau... etc.) and because my husband's was already in his bones.. they would not be able to do the aggressie radiation and the agressive chemo.....at the same time... i guess what i'm trying to find out is how people with the bone metastasis have managed the pain and continued to function normally or as normally as you can with this..

Hi - I saw your message.  I was diagnosed in 98 w BC, and in 2006 w/ a recurrence with mets to bones.  I have had a number of scans and tests, but the MRI seemed to give the physicians the closest view of what was going on.  You might consider seeking a second opinion.  If the diagnosis you received isn't correct an it's malignant, you would want to start treatment immediately.