Hip pain, mets vs arthritis

Kathy,

I don't have any pain in my hip, but on my first two PET scans, something lit up in the hip area. In fact, I will be getting another PET scan in August to check that. After my first PET scan, the MOs looking at it said that the hip area was a relatively unusual place for mets to form. But, it's not unheard of, and I may end up getting a biopsy in that area.

I developed one-sided severe hip pain last fall, could not sleep longer than 15 minutes in any one position. Hurt less standing than laying down. Gave it the three week test as that was about the time I had a regularly scheduled every six month oncology appt. My MO ordered a DEXA, bi-lat hip MRI and a lumbar MRI. The DEXA showed no worsening of bone issues (I am osteopenic and already on Prolia) but he wanted to check for avascular necrosis due to the Prolia. The MRIs showed worsening of pre-existing disk degeneration, new bone spurs at T-12, gluteus medius stress tears, and trochanteric bursitis and fluid in the joint. A lot of stuff, but not mets - so yay! I am in physical therapy now and improving slowly, but I'll take it.

SugarPlumFairy, That is an excellent question! I have RA and I've been asking my team that question since diagnosis. No one really has an answer for me. Very frustrating.

Me too! I knew the disk at L5-S1 was shot. But when I developed new, extreme pain in the area, my mind went dark places.

My wonderful PCP ordered an MRI. Now there is arthritis, stenosis, and disc degeneration there. I can deal with that. But it still hurts, and is hard to stand. Feels wobbly.

Mmej - see my post above - I was also diagnosed with trochanteric bursitis, among other hip issues. I started PT twice weekly and have myofascial release massage, ultrasound, then strengthening exercises at each session. I am being treated in a university based sports medicine department - they are cutting edge as they have a PT PhD program here also. Part of the explanation for the slow resolution of the pain is that the muscles supporting the hip, core and legs have become weaker - in my case due to so much surgery making consistent exercise a challenge - so my situation is a stress tear injury to the gluteus medius muscle - which they feel is now healed, compounded by the bursitis, further compounded by the lack of fitness. My pain is in the same location as yours and radiates down the outer thigh, not from sciatica, but rather from the muscle tightening in response to the hip pain. I have made excellent progress and have far less pain than I did initially - don't be discouraged if this takes a while to get better.

Mmej - we were dx'ed close together, and yay for your five year mark! Excellent! Slow and steady wins this race with the hip pain resolution, so be careful not to overdo it, hoping your PT is helpful. I have a slew of exercises that I am happy to share with you should you need them - they are gentle and isolate the areas that needs strengthening specifically to improve the hip.

Can anyone shed some light on the details of the hip pain that was either mets or proven not to be? I've been having a few weeks of one sided "hip" pain. It started after I overdid it with Just Dance on Xbox. It only hurts for a few steps after I get up and start walking after sitting for awhile. It's on the outside of my hip (traditional hip pain is felt in the groin) just below my iliac crest/pelvic bone. when I push on my iliac crest it doesn't hurt. It's gotten a little better but still there. The part that worries me most is that I've never had a pain in this place before. I'm on tamoxifen, zoladex and Ibrance. It seems muscular because it goes away when I walk and stiffens when I sit. It doesn't hurt any other times. I don't want to go through the emotional process of getting a bone scan unless it's really necessary. Did anyone with mets experience anything similar? Did the pain go away with antiinflammatories like naproxen or ibuprofen.

DSW,

Thanks for your insight. It's much appreciated. The only thing is for me that I finished taxol 11 months ago and this pain just started a few weeks ago.

My occasional minor hip pain sounds a lot like MDnowPatient's: Same location, one-sided, seems to hurt when I have not been moving (which parallels my hand pain), doesn't hurt to press on it, never had pain there before. And it sometimes hurts when I lie on my side. I dance, too. I had taxol, and am now on Ibrance + letrozole. Most likely estrogen deprivation is at fault. My PET-CTs show no bone mets and my TMs are normal. I sometimes worry, though, because ILC can be hard to image. If your onc is not concerned, MDnowPatient, I guess you have to ask yourself whether getting the bone scan would be more or less stressful than wondering about this. Maybe a scan would put your mind at ease?

I have the same pain that started within the last year. I didn't have taxol. I believe it is estrogen deprivation too. I had PT for my knee right after my BMX and chemo so I think it's the same type thing.

I have told my MO about it and my PCP. Those joint OTC meds didn't help. I have some cream to try or they suggested a cortisone shot. Am going to try PT first.

I had a bone scan in April and another one scheduled the end of this month. No mets there.

MDnowpatient: My mother put off going to the onc to check out pain that came and went and improved with ibuprofen because we were under the impression that mets pain would be continuous and not come and go like hers did. It was mets. The hip and pelvis are are common places to mets to develop (someone earlier in the thread said that hips are an unusual place to get mets). The oncologist advised that any pain that lasts more than 2 weeks should be checked out. She has been living with mets for almost 3 years now and has 2 scans scheduled in the coming weeks to see if she is progressing again because of pain in the lower back, hip, and groin which is still mostly relieved by some extra-strength ibuprofen. Her last "significant progression" also caused pain that came and went and that is with mets throughout her entire skeletal system.

Please don't leave it to chance and check out any pain that lasts more than a couple of weeks.