Bone scan says possible mets on ribs. Help!

Abbey11

Hi all.  I hope someone can help with my bone scan results.  I had terrible bronchitis in early January and damaged my ribs coughing.  They are still very sore.  An X-ray didn't show damage, so I had a bone scan on Thursday.  The radiologist thinks it's likely I have mets on my ribs.  Here's what the report reads:

FINDINGS: Anterior and posterior flow and immediate blood pool images of thorax and upper abdomen are obtained which are unremarkable.

Delayed skeletal phase whole-body anterior and posterior plane imaging along with additional planar imaging and oblique views of thorax are obtained. Moderate-sized focal intense uptake lateral right fifth rib, small focal intense uptake anterior right seventh, lateral right eleventh rib. Uptake in rest of the skeleton is unremarkable. Bilateral physiological renal excretion is noted.

IMPRESSION: Uptake into three right-sided ribs viewed abnormal more likely to be metastatic disease rather than occult trauma. Most abnormal is right fifth rib. Recommend further evaluation with CT scan.

Has anyone had results that were likely mets and turned out to be just fractures?  I'm freaking out and so scared...

Thanks for any help you can give.

pupmom

Southport, I'm really sorry you are going through this scare. Has your MO discussed the results with you? Until you sit down with that person you really don't know what this means. I had suspicious findings on CT which turned out to be nothing. You should NOT have gotten that report without somebody talking with you first. UGH!

Abbey11

Thanks yorkiemom!  I have spoken with my internist who ordered the scan.  I will meet with him on Monday and will try to get in and see my onc this week.  I'm glad your CT findings were benign - I hope and pray that somehow I get the same good news...

(love your puppy!)

46andsingle

Southport,  I can almost feel your distress and fear myself and I sure understand it. Peace and prayers be with you... 

wildrumara

Although my experience was not about mets, I have a somewhat similar story.  I finished neoadjuvant chemotherapy (six months worth) and had an MRI of the right breast to see how I responded to chemo, etc...  The radiologist came into the room and told me that I had two NEW lesions that were suspcious for additional carcinoma.  He also said that if it was cancer, it would be highly aggressive because it was not on my MRI when I was first diagnosed 5 months prior!  My MRI report says two new lesions that are concerning for additional carcinoma because they demonstrated plateau kinetics on uptake, just as my two previous cancerous lesions in that breast had. 

In the end, I had a mastectomy three weeks later and those lesions turned out to be fibrous breast tissue.  I think that radiologists, when dealing with cancer patients, have to "cover their butts" and report when they see things that could be new cancers or mets, more so than with patient's who don't have cancer??    

Its so hard not to worry and I hope that you can get through the next few days withput too much anxiety......cancer sucks!!!!  

Abbey11

Thanks for sharing your story;  I hope I have a similar positive outcome. Best of luck to you!

Abbey11

So, now I have to have a CT scan next Monday.  Insurance makes me wait five days for approval.  Sigh.  Waiting is so hard.  My oncologist was slightly reassuring.  He said that it was a very odd presentation for bone mets being all on one side.  That made him suspect injury or bruising.  He says that radiologists often overreach in their diagnosis, which is exactly what wildrumera said above.  I hope you're both right!

I wish everyone on these boards a peaceful day...

wildrumara

@southport -  See, your oncologist pretty much said what my breast surgeon said to me when he went over the MRI report with me.  He said "I think its nothing.... I think its just artifact, or benign breast tissue, because of "yada, yada, yada".....(can't remember what he said).   

When I said to him "Well, why the hell would the radiologist say its suspicious for a new carcinoma".  He said "Cause he's a radiologist, and thats what he gets paid to do, and they are overly cautious when reading cancer patient's scans....period!"

I know that this probably doesn't ease your anxiety because it could be something more serious  If you're anything like I am, I ALWAYS hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.....and then I repeat to myself over and over that I have absolutely no control over what happens anyway......and I then give all my worry to the "big man upstairs"....because ultimately, in my world, He has the control!

((HUGS))

Please keep us posted on what you find out.....hoping and praying for the best possible news!

Abbey11

Thanks, wildruera!  That's exactly how I feel.  I have been hoping for the best today.  I got on the elliptical for a half hour.  If I can have a good workout, then I can't be too sick right??  Thanks for your hopes and prayers!

Abbey11

Well, finally some good news.  I had the CT scan and they found broken ribs with no evidence of mets.  I am so relieved!  Clearly, radiologists can jump to conclusions and be wrong.  I am annoyed that the first radiologist made the leap that I had mets - it was a horrible week!  But, I'm very thankful and grateful for another chance to be healthy.  Peace and love to you all.

wildrumara

That is just super, super news!!!!  Happy for you!  Have a great week!  

SelenaWolf

Wonderful!

LenaT

@southport, I was just reading your post and am happy to read that everything is fine with your CT scan.

LRM216

Although my "sojourn to Hell and back" encompassed 9 months and was related to my pelvic area (while having my totally benign fibroids, which I have had for at least 25 years, checked by sonargram at my last gyno annual) the radiologist who read the report claimed he saw a small pocket of fluid that, because of my BC history, needed to be checked again in 3 months as it could be related to my BC.  I was frozen with fear.  Went back 3 months, another radiologist read the new sonargram and said he saw a small "irregularity" but didn't think it was anything, and didn't think it was fluid.  BUT - yada, yada, yada, so another 3 month wait for yet another sonargram - this bozo also felt it was a small pocket of fluid, but no larger than it was at the first sonargram, now nine months later.  I finally took it upon myself and went to a gyno -onc - brought all the films and reports and he of course needed to do a CT, MRI and his own sonargrams.  It was a horrible nine months of not knowing, but the gyno- onc really didn't think it would be anything.  Well - long story short (ha!) - all my tests were fine and after sending me to a super duper specialist in sonargrams, it was all found to be a pulsating varicose vein in my pelvis.  It was nothing and certainly not cancer related.  So, three different sonargram radiologists - all from a cancer hospital - read it wrong.  Nine months of anxiety and popping ativan - and a gazillion dollars later - to find out I was fine.  Ugh!  My oncologist says she hates radiologists and doesn't trust a thing they say - and that's why she gives no credence to their written reports until she herself has seen all the films.  I hope this will be the case with you as well.  Sending all positive thoughts your way.  I am so very sorry you are going through this.