Can bone cancer ever be mistaken for osteoma?

CrunchyPoodleMama

I have had periodic sharp pain in my rib on and off since I was 23 years old (so, over 15 years). It usually happens when I've had an extensive cough and/or am jogging a lot. A friend told me at the time I had probably ripped the muscle slightly from the rib and that was causing pain, so I never thought much of it (except for the few times it causes blinding pain).

Fast-forward to my last surgery for breast cancer. I had a chest x-ray just before surgery. Just this week, I was reading that x-ray report and saw that there's a 2mm x 4mm growth/tumor on a rib... the same rib that causes me so much pain. The report said it's likely to be an osteoma (benign bone tumor).

I guess now I'm wondering... should I have a bone scan? Is bone cancer ever mistaken for an osteoma?

I am leaning against thinking it could be cancerous, since I've had this sharp pain for so many years... if it were cancer, it would surely have announced itself in all that time, right? The rib is on the opposite side of my breast cancer. It wouldn't be mets in that case, but I didn't know where else to ask this.

Calico

Julia,

I had the same thought last year when they saw an 'enchondroma' in my femur.....it still scares the sh** out of me, especially after reading the MRI report suggesting mets.

I followed up with an ortho onc. The way it was presented on xray and the way the ortho explained, it made sense to believer her (that is was benign). So....tryin' to forget about it...unsuccessfully most of the time 

If you are in doubt and it leaves you sleepless, ask for a PET scan.

CrunchyPoodleMama

Thanks so much, Calico... that sets my mind at ease! I will talk with my doctor about it, and yes, I may end up doing a PET scan if I get too freaked out, but like I said, I've had that pain for so many years, I doubt it's cancer (unless it turned from benign to cancerous relatively recently). Thanks again for your reply (I didn't think I'd get a reply to this, hehe).