Could a PET & MRI be wrong for bone metastasis in spine

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Cara1968
Cara1968 Member Posts: 2
edited February 2015 in Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis

Hello - I hope someone can help me as I am in absolute bits. I am 2 years post breast cancer treatment - stage 2 b/3a - ER+ and have been on tamoxifen for 18 months. Lymphs were positive and removed. I have just gone for a 2 year Oncology check. As I've recently had shingles in my lower back area, I mentioned I had extreme pain in hip and back area. The Onc ordered a PET scan. I was devastated to hear that there is a suspicious maximum uptake in the L5 vertebrae. I then did an MRI and it is showing a 2cm area 'compatible' and 'most probable' bony metastasis. I am just so scared and completely in bits and have fallen apart. I am going to have a bone biopsy on Monday which will let us know exactly what we are dealing with. Are there an cases of false positives on MRI for bone metastasis (I heard it can happen on PET which is why we did the MRI of the lumbar spine)? Has anyone ever gone through this only to find they do not have bone metastasis? If it was an infection or arthritis, would the MRI recognize it as such? This L5 area is to the left of my spine - the shingles area was to the right. I am just wondering if there is any hope that it might not be metastasis and clinging to hope of inflammation or anything else but mets. Thank you in advance. 

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  • sandilee
    sandilee Member Posts: 1,843
    edited February 2015

    I'm so sorry you are dealing with this. To be honest, MRI is very reliable in seeing bone mets- at least as far as scans go. Because the MRI is a picture of the bone and marrow, it will show a mass in a way that the other scans do not. Now, the mass could be something else, but since the PET lit up and the MRI came back "probable," it seems most likely that it is a met. In a way, you are very lucky, if it is a met, that it was found so early.You will get fast treatment, and there are many ways to treat bone mets. If it's just one lesion, it's even better. Some women on the board have had their single met radiated, then take hormonal treatment if their cancer is ER+, and they continue with healthy lives without evidence of disease.

    Don't despair, as there are many effective treatments and a single bone met is not a death sentence, by any means. I do hope, of course, that it is a false positive. I'm sure it's happened, but you are right to be concerned and prepared.

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  • Cara1968
    Cara1968 Member Posts: 2
    edited February 2015

    Dear Sandilee - thank you so much for your prompt reply, honesty and words of encouragement. I just feel like my world is falling apart again but this time worse than before. I guess I was clinging to any kind of hope that it might not be Mets. It all so scary. I promised myself I wouldn't look on Dr Google...bit I did and and saw terrible things of life expectancy of only 24 months etc. :(

    I know I am lucky it's one lesion and caught early. It wasn't in the PET scan a year ago. My mind runs away with itself and wonder if this is the start of more and more just popping up out of nowhere?

    I guess it's the shock of this diagnosis again that has catapulted me to stage 4.....but it's just a number and we all just have to have faith.

    I wish long and healthy life to us all.

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  • Holeinone
    Holeinone Member Posts: 2,478
    edited February 2015

    Cara, sorry you are having to face this. A month ago a surgeon was looking at my MRI, shoulder, and mentioned, that might be a bone met. Of course, the world stopped. I asked, wouldn't the radiologist that read the MRI, tell me? Yes, he said...that is his job.

    Next day I called radiologist. He said NO ! He told me that MRI is how they find bone mets, but I was clear. Why I waited 24 hours to call, I don't know. Mentally I know my odds are high for progression, emotionally I do not think we can prepare for acceptance of that reality.

    i am sending all my positive wishes for you. Shingles is a nasty virus, let's hope it left its mark there.

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  • WinningSoFar
    WinningSoFar Member Posts: 951
    edited February 2015

    Having had a met to L5 (and a few other places in the bones) I can tell you that taxol and radiation to the area completely solved the mets. I have a monthly Xgeva shot and that seems to be improving my bone density. If you do have a met, there are many treatments available. I'm hoping it's a mistake though.

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