Bone scan results discordant with CT

Oh ladies - It's been quite the day, and your kind words and support really help.

I came home to find the disk and reports from UM - I forgot I'd called last week and ordered them, and here they are. So I opened the packet and reached for the first report which was the CT, and the first two lines say: "History: Metastatic breast cancer. Follow-up study."

So there's that.

As my MO already told me, the CT didn't find anything on my spine, and that's what the report states. It notes the sclerotic lesions on my pelvis (we already knew about those and suspect they're benign bone islands). Liver is unremarkable, everything else looks good. Suggests correlation on sclerotic lesions with bone scan.

Bone scan notes uptake of tracer on the anterior left seventh rib and posterior right 10th rib - not clearly identified on previous bone scan (so were they there but faint? Hmmm...) It also says "The CT scan shows a sclerotic lesion on the 10th right rib" but the CT report doesn't mention this. *sigh*. Oh, and degenerative patterns in my shoulders and knees (I'll take that!)

Ultimately, "new foci of increased uptake in two ribs compatible with metastatic disease."

So I've lost a little hope - but not all, not yet, not until after I pay my dues in the MRI machine (at least there are good drugs). My hope is that the previous bone scan showed minimally something that is just now appearing larger - if mets, I hope they're from my previous cancer dx that had some ER+, and maybe I'll have more treatment options. Regardless - if the decision is mets, I hope to get a biopsy.

Maureen, we have an open MRI here in town, and I had an MRI there before. It was challenging but not impossible (thanks to Ativan and yoga breathing). Mazie, same thing happened to me - I loved the sounds (goose honking, a couple of ducks arguing back and forth), I probably could have fallen asleep. I hope this time is as easy as that last time.

I'll be back in a couple of weeks, and we'll take it from there, right? Not expending energy on something i cannot change or control right now.

My recent recurrence (last year) was a local recurrence of my initial BC back in 2011. My original BC was 50% ER+ and <10% PR+. UM postulates that my recent TNBC recurrence grew out of some stray cells that were part of the 50% ER- and 90% PR-. My hope is that perhaps there is some ER positivity at work here, which would give me more treatment options. Additionally, sometimes receptors change! So it's always good to check it out.

I think I'll stick with the MRI. My thought is my MO is looking more for involvement rather than confirmation. But like I said, I won't spend energy on that those things I cannot change. Life is too short not to be fully present in every moment

Good luck with your bone scan, Robin. Please come back and let us know how it goes and what you learn.

I had my MRI scheduled for Tuesday but the insurance approval didn't come through til Wednesday, so I'm going in this morning. They won't use the open MRI and need me to endure th tube. I'm loading up on Ativan as we speak; this is going to be really hard but I need to be stronger than my anxiety!

Appointment with my MO is Monday, and I'll have my answers then. Another long weekend of waiting; luckily I have a kitchen that needs painting.

Funny story: I got the written reports of the bone scan and CT from UM. Both state the reason for scanning as "history of metastatic breast cancer." I actually laughed a little when I read that, it was just such a shock to see it in writing when no one's actually TOLD me that's my dx (and I still have hope). Yet.

So glad to hear of your good results, Robin!