Anyone else have breast Cancer bones and Marrow

Hi Sue! Yes, I have had breast cancer cells in my bones and also bone marrow, no other locations. I had a bone marrow biopsy to confirm. Main symptom was anemia and random fevers. I had one transfusion of packed red cells. Since I've been on Xeloda and Tamoxifen (Nov 2016, so far so good) my hemoglobin is slowly rising and tumor markers are falling, so we think the meds are working.

I'm confused as to how serious this development is. Marrow was almost completely cancer cells. One of my docs thinks that bone marrow is a no brainer because that is how it gets to the bones so of course it is there???

Science Girl- That is an important point, have to read up on that. Maybe why a future cure will need to flush out those transformed cells..

Hello everyone

I was recently diagnosed Mets Carcinoma 3 days before Christmas 2016 and did not know I had breast cancer that spread to the skin. Also I have been going through the anemia getting worse since September 2016. The Onc I saw put me on Letzorole  January 3 and I had a recent follow up and he still said my anemia is still worse. I had a second opinion appointment last Wednesday and the Onc wanted to see if the cancer was in my bone marrow so they did more blood work and it showed my red blood count is still very low plus the hemoglobin and hemocrit was low amongst other test that were abnormal. This is all new to me and it was a shocker to know I was in stage IV. I go back to see the second opinion Onc in 2 weeks so I am waiting to hear what the verdict is. This is happening so fast. 

Hello Eva! Sorry that you have bone marrow involvement, for me it was a scary development as I wasn't expecting it. I had only bone mets for about 2 years and always expected to progress to liver or lung, I never thought about bone marrow. I presented with anemia which we thought initially was due to Ibrance, but didn't resolve after stopping the Ibrance. I was so fatigued and feeling just really lousy for 2 months then I got the bone marrow biopsy which showed tons of cancer in the bone marrow, I switched to Xeloda and have been feeling really good after the first couple of weeks on the new treatment.

How are you feeling on the Navelbine?

Kim

Just to be clear, bone mets and bone marrow involvement are very different things. If you haven't had a bone marrow biopsy, then it's not marrow involvement. Bone marrow involvement means the cancer has taken over your blood production in your marrow.

I had MRI of both hips yesterday as no one is sure if marrow causing hip pain or bone mets. MRI does not show marrow but it did show progression.

May have to get another pet scan again to compare apples to apples. I'm so frustrated. My nurse practitioner actually said "well bone marrow doesn't cause pain, bone mets do" Anyone that has bone marrow involvement knows the pain is horrendous and it moves around. I know BC with BMI is extremely rare but frustrated that my own team isn't listening. And I don't want to switch chemo already.

Hi - I had a recurrence of my ER+/PR+/Her2- breast cancer with mets to my bones in October of 2013. Was prescribed Femara and scanned every 6 months. Fast forward to August 2016, I'm complaining of SOB and dizziness and my CBC is wacko. Bone marrow bx confirmed mets. D/C'd Femara and started Faslodex and ibrance. Tried the 21 days on/7 days off = unsuccessful. So I take 75 mg of ibrance 7 days on/7 days off. I had a total of 3 transfusions, 2 in September 25 days apart and the next one 7 weeks later. As of this week my hgb has climbed to 11.7 and everything else is WNL. What a difference a year makes. I feel great. Fatigued at times and have to pace myself but overall a very nice QOL.