What are symtoms of bone mets?

Options
2»

Comments

  • ssingelyn
    ssingelyn Member Posts: 3
    edited February 2010

    Hi Helen, I am sorry to hear of your chronic pain. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. My doctor was out of town and I wanted a second opinion so I drove down to Ohio to a women's breast cancer clinic. The doctor there immediately ordered an MRI. My doctor was very mad to say the least. This was a doctor who had a history of breast cancer. I have learned over the course of my treatment that you need to be proactive and persistent . . . getting 2nd or 3rd opinions if necessary. I have seen and heard too many tragedies from women who listened to their doctors. A good physician will tell you to get another opinion and not be threatened by that. I wish you the best. Sue

  • ktmimi2
    ktmimi2 Member Posts: 46
    edited February 2010

    Okay, I am actually going to jump out here and ask this question: What are METS? Sorry, I want to understand this.

  • moonwolf
    moonwolf Member Posts: 130
    edited February 2010

    ktmimi2 - As I understand it is that Mets is when, say you start off with breast cancer and then cancer comes back somewhere else in the body.  When it is the breast cancer spreading somewhere else it is called mets (metastases).  Breast cancer can spread to lungs, brain, liver and bones.

    Please correct me if I am wrong!

  • ladsings
    ladsings Member Posts: 3
    edited February 2010

    Question for you: I am on Tamoxifen, dx with left breast cancer 6/09, no lymph involvement. For the past 2 wks when I touch my left ribe, they are very sore. I don't have pain unless I touch the area. No injury that I can recall. I do sleep on my left side. Is this worth going to have checked out?

  • ladsings
    ladsings Member Posts: 3
    edited February 2010

    You are correct

  • moonwolf
    moonwolf Member Posts: 130
    edited February 2010

    ladsings - I am no expert, but if you had radiotherapy that can cause soreness on touching.

  • IllinoisNancy
    IllinoisNancy Member Posts: 722
    edited February 2010

    Ladsings, I have had that for 3 years. My BS said it is from the radiation and my RO said it is from the SNB.  Who knows what caused it!!  They both seem to think I'm fine though.

  • ladsings
    ladsings Member Posts: 3
    edited February 2010

    Thank you, thank you for your replies!! It does make sense, and I feel so relieved!

  • lwd
    lwd Member Posts: 1,084
    edited March 2010

    Cancersuks,

    My first bout with BC was also in '97.  Very small tumor, no lymph nodes, lumpectomy and radiation.  Metastasis in '09 to the sternum and lung pleura.  Glad I had problems breathing or it might have been too late for me.  I had normal mammograms for 12 years!  I'm on Femara and Zometa.  So far, so good, after one year.  How long have you been on these drugs, and are they working for you?  I'm wondering how long they might work.  Also having aches and pains and some fatigue.  Ibuprofen helps somewhat.  It's worse at night when I'm in the same position for hours.  No problems until 9 months into the drugs.  Now it's been 13 months.  Good luck to you.  Lane

  • cancersuks
    cancersuks Member Posts: 258
    edited March 2010

    Hi Lane,

    (Class of '97 :) I've been on treatment since Dec. '09, I was just getting my pain manageable when I was in a car crash in Feb. that smashed my vertebra.  When they did the MRI after the accident they noticed the cancer had spread to 2 new areas on my spine. Next week I have surgery to install pins and a rod into my spine; yesterday I went to a pre-op physical and my internist found a lump in my left breast.  In '97 I had a right masectomy with free-tram flap reconstruction with chemo/radiation.

    I wondering now if my oncologist told me everything about my PETscan a few weeks ago. He mentioned something on my lungs as being "inconclusive".

    I'm wondering now if my oncologist shouldn't have brought out the big guns first.

     I hope your treatment continues to work and you find some relief for the pain!  Zometa seems to cause additional aches and pains and my oncologist perscribed fentanyl patches for me.

  • flacracker
    flacracker Member Posts: 78
    edited April 2010

    Hello ladies, I just foound out that my femur bone has met from my BC. I had a b-lat mast. Aug 09. Went with TC chemo for 4 treaments. My bone dr wants to put a steel rod to help support the bone and then do 4 weeks of rad. My question if anyone knows is that can you still get a MRI with a metal rod in your leg?I will get implants May 18 I have TE for way too long and now I found out that I will need surgey in 2 wks.

  • niteowl
    niteowl Member Posts: 37
    edited April 2010

    I had never heard about "bone mets" until I started reading these discussions.

    Anout five years ago due to some prolonged heavy lifting---walking around carrying books from class to class---I developed a severe case of sciatica as a result of disc injury. I had a few treatments of PT and it went away unti just the end of last year.

    I did some twisting movements, etc. that brought the whole thing on again, but far worse this time. The pain was in my butt and radiated down the backs of both legs. I could barely, walk or stand. Again I took 13 sessions of PT which helped, but I was still in lots of lower back and leg pain. So, decided to try a chiropractor and that has made a big difference.

     On my right side there is pretty much no pain now.  But the left side, which has improved, still bothers me with a bit of pain in the hip and and back of thigh. However, a BIG improvement. I had to stop the treatments  due to the breast cancer surgery, but plan to continue as soon as I'm given the green light.

    I've had an MRI, and recently an X-ray which shows disc problems and some little  bone spurs. Curiously, I would have little pain during a dance or fitness workout, but if I stood or sat too long, or lifted/carried anything heavier than a few pounds, it was not pretty.

    Only now I'm also wondering...bone met? Or just slipped discs and sciatica?

  • psp2pdx
    psp2pdx Member Posts: 38
    edited April 2010

    have them check you for pagets disease of the breast

  • psp2pdx
    psp2pdx Member Posts: 38
    edited April 2010

    Is there anyone with triple negative bc that has had bone mets?

    If so when did it occur?  I have started having bone pain in my left thigh with

    weight bearing.   

  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited April 2010

    I'm sure there are triple negatives with bone mets.  The thing is, is that it can occur anytime.

    An MRI would pick up if the bone had mets, or if it was something else.

  • O3132W
    O3132W Member Posts: 211
    edited April 2010

    Back pain sent me to my Med Onc in 4/2010.   Although she told me that my breast Cancer most likely had not spread to the bone, she however ordered  a Bone Scan  for me to be sure   She was right, no bone cancer however the scan did tell me that I had Degenerate decease at different spots along my spine.  This is a good test and not difficult to go through.  For all you gals out there who need to know why they have back pain, and are perhaps blaming it on Arimidex, I sugest getting a bone scan.  It will help with your fear.  .

  • moonwolf
    moonwolf Member Posts: 130
    edited April 2010

    03132W - I had a bone scan and x-ray a few weeks ago as I have constant mid-back pain.  Report came back as signs of oesteoporosis (which I know I have) and I also had 'probable' degenerative signs in  mid lumber region. 

    I was not reassured by this.  I have read that if it is arithritis then it is very clear on a scan.  So to say 'probable' looks like guess work.  Anyway what does 'degenerative' mean.  Does it mean arthritis or rheumatism (S?) or what?

    My knees are really painful and yet there was nothing on the report about them!.

    I had thought that it was oesteoporosis causing the pain, but have since learnt that that does not cause pain.

    I just don't trust tests - probably because my mammogram did not pick up my cancer. 

  • nursecal
    nursecal Member Posts: 81
    edited April 2010

    Magnolia, TX.......that's where my family lived for years.  I posted on another forum about arthritis vs bone met.....will post here too.  Had a bone scan yesterday that came back "no definite evidence of osseous metastatic disease".  But....uptake on the right rib area.  Report says "likely represents a rib fracture.  Metastatic disease is unlikely."  This is a change from my 12/08 bone scan.  PET/CT 5/09 was fine.  Oncs office does not seem to be concerned.  I am wondering if I should insist on a new PET/CT to make certain because I do not have any idea how I would have a fractured rib.  Thanks for any advice.

Categories