signs of metastases

alwaysworried03

I posted a question on the high risk board but I think I should ask it here. I am high risk - lost my mom, grandmom, and aunt all on maternal side to BC. I have one aunt who is a survivor for over 30 years. I recently had a biopsy in March that came back benign. However right around the time they found the suspicious lump, I began to have pain in my back which went to my lower back. I have since felt pain in my hip and arm on the left side and also in my neck. It is a dull feeling that bothers me but doesn't really hurt. Sometimes I feel a cold sensation in my back. Well everyone said it was probably stress from find the lump. Well it has been over a month now since I found out the lump was benign and I still have these feelings. I went to my PCP and he gave me back/neck exercises and told me to take Advil. I don't feel like this is muscular. I have not done any activity that would have brought this on. It feels like it is my bones. So I go back to my PCP and insists on a scan and he knows about my high risks. So he sends me for a spine x-ray. That shows I have disk degeneration in my C5. That appears to be a common thing since with age comes degeneration. I am 42 and a little overweight. My question is what are the signs or pains or mets? Would mets show on a spine x-ray? Would test should I demand be run to determine if this is mets? I am not buying my PCP explanation that the pain is from the C5 degeneration. Then I read on one website that pain on the left side of the back is cancer. So now I am worried and don't know how to get some results.

konakat

Hi -- Bone mets are strange -- some people get pain in their bones, some not.  When I was diagnosed with 1 lesion in my lower spine I was surprised -- no pain.  When it can back it felt more like muscle stiffness (due to muscles compensating for weaker spine).  I don't feel anything from my lesions in my hips and sternum. 

Xrays, MRIs, CTs, and PET scans can all pick up mets.  If you can, ask your PCP for one of these scans.  Good luck in finding out what's wrong.  I hope it's something simple, not mets!!

Elizabeth

Edit:  I also had a bone density test and found out that I have osteopenia in some areas.  This can cause pain too.  My onc told me to take Calcium and Vit. D (1000 dose of each).

dreamwriter

I was being treated for back pain at a chiropractor (the xray showed degeneration of spine which seemed to be artheritic.  However, heat didnt help it and my balance was way way off.  He was mystified.  Then came the cancer diagnoses and a bone scan showed multiple mets.

Im a little confused as to how you can think you have mets when you do not yet have cancer.  Just a benign lump.  You may never have anything worse.  In order to have mets you have to have a primary cancer.

ElaineD

Unless you have a hidden primary-which is extremely unlikely-you simply can't have mets!  Since the biopsy was benign, and the xray showed normal degeneration, then I think you can rest assured that all is as well as it can be,and the problems are wear and tear which come with age/weight problems.. 

Why won't you believe ("buy") what you have been told by the experts, but will believe what you read on a  website? I tend to go the opposite way.......

alwaysworried03

I understand that you must first have cancer to get mets - my concern is that something was missed. My family history does make me more concerned about mets. The other thing is the feeling I am having in my back just doesn't seem like degeneration. My doctor said to call him back if I begin to lose weight unexpectantly, change in my bowel, lose stenght in my extremeties, etc. - the 5 signs to look out for with back pain. To me those are serious warning signs - I don't want to wait until then. I would like to rule some things out up front.  It is not that I don't believe the experts but I believe that due to cost sometimes they don't due diligence. My PCP will have a hard time getting me an MRI without other symptoms. I believe in this website because these are real people who are living and fighting this disease - not someone standing on the sideline. I do believe in my doctors but I believe sometimes they are quick to say what they think something is opposed to finding out what it isn't. I pray that I don't have mets. I just feel as though something is not right. Because of the high family risk - over a month with this pain in my back - I have to wonder if it is mets. I saw my mother fight this disease and I have nothing but admiration for the people on this site who are willing to share their stories that it may help others.