hip pain and scans to confirm

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I just had surgery for stage 2 BC and had one node involved. I had a PET scan before surgery and was told that its the gold standard for cancer spreading. I have had some hip pain and some breast pain near the rib area under the arm pit after the pet scan about a week or two later and my doc tells me it cant be cancer. I am concerned that there's another test that can see it of its there. My surgeon, who is also an oncologist, said that metastatic cancer that has symptoms like hip and leg pain would show on the pet scan. although the pains started a week later. should I get a n MRI? or a bone scan?? she said its not cancer and I have to go to an orthopedist...but I don't want to dismiss it.

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  • bevin
    bevin Member Posts: 1,902
    edited November 2016

    HI there,  I'm glad your Onco said no cancer. Really good news.  Hip can also be caused by back issues like a herniated disc. I had my l4 herniated and I swear it felt like my hip was broken, which an mri, showed it was not , but it was a compressed spinal cord. You can also have hip pain from an SI joint issues. I now get injections in my SI joint and that really relieves associated pain. Good luck, please do see a Ortho, they will check everything out and have some ways to control the pain if you find you have issues like I previously did.

  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited November 2016

    I had hip pain that turned out to be from over-exercising. My onco said give it the 2 week rule. about 2-1/2 weeks out, the pain disappeared (and I gave my body time to heal from the exercise).

    Good luck!

  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited November 2016

    An orthopedic can evaluate it and give you some answers. They think mine is bursitis. An Ortho can order MRIsand such too.

  • Metta
    Metta Member Posts: 84
    edited November 2016

    Hi, I hear you on the fear. I had a friend who was stage I, did chemo, surgery and radiation, and then three years later had hip pain. A scan showed metastatic b.c. in her femur and lungs. She died six months later. So when I developed a pain in my hip, I was terrified. I asked for a scan, but my MO wouldn't agree unless the pain persisted for more than two or three weeks. Is your pain constant? Mine comes and goes ... and, like you, wallycat, I think it's from exercising.

    It's hard not to worry, but listen to your doctor. You can trust the PET scan results even though your pain started a week later.

    Just try to take it day by day. If the worst happens and we have a recurrence, we can face it then. My friend who died said she was glad she didn't worry about recurrence. She had three blissful years and only six months of suffering rather than three years of suffering.

    If anyone has any coping skills (or good drugs) to combat worrying, I'm all ears!

  • scaredashell07
    scaredashell07 Member Posts: 272
    edited November 2016

    thanks!!! I want to believe it's not recurrence bjt my anxiety gets the best of me. I think the mental "stop sign" is good technique. And I hear what you're saying about worrying less because if it's gonna happen we not stop it. The pain is off and on and when I stopped walking as much it was less. I went shopping yesterday and much worse. Would it be better by testing if it was cancer ?

  • kcat2013
    kcat2013 Member Posts: 391
    edited November 2016

    I had horrible pain in my hip, kept getting worse, to the point I was hobbling while walking through Target and the pain was keeping me awake at night. My mind went bad places!! Thankfully my MO ordered a scan, which came back completely clear and a couple of rounds of prednisone helped significantly. My pain was most likely bursitis. Yes you can trust your PET results. I would recommend seeing an orthopedist or a rheumatologist to help get to the bottom of your pain.

  • Denise-G
    Denise-G Member Posts: 1,777
    edited November 2016

    I had horrible hip pain right after treatment...I was terrified and went into total panic mode. I remember talking with my Lymphedema therapist who knows a lot about everything! I told her about my hip pain. She said Bursitis is one of the most common thing women have in the hip. She taught me some simple exercises (I also looked some up on YouTube). Within two weeks, pain went away and never returned.

    Also, about the rib area pain. I am 5 years post mastectomy and still have that on occasion.

    The fears never go away, but you learn to manage them better. Sending all my best!

  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited November 2016

    I just went thru the most horrific back pain experience my mo said get MRI my GP wanted to put me on prednisone. I went to a chiropractor for the first time. I did the MRI and used ice and thank God the pain went away. L4 and L5 showed some mild arthritis I never took prednisone. I'm so glad I didn't start prednisone my mother has been on it for atleast 7 years and apparently unable to get off it. Her cardiologist wants her to see a rheumatologist and find out what's happening. Between the cholesterol, high blood pressure, prednisone, corgig, and other drugs a total of 9 different drugs he believes that is why she feels so bad.

    GP thinks she has congestive heart failure cardiologist doesnt see evidence to support that. My cholesterol and blood pressure is great doing cardio exercise 1hr a day. My mother has never listened to a word I have to say. She never got breast cancer but I did. I hope I never hear the word cancer again in my doctor visits.

  • scaredashell07
    scaredashell07 Member Posts: 272
    edited November 2016

    Thanks for all the support and information. Gonna find a good orthopedist

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