Bone mets pain

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theresalwayshope
theresalwayshope Member Posts: 49
edited August 2017 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

Dear everyone,

I am posting on behalf of my mother who has had a very rough 2 months now and just got her petscan done today.

My mom started navelbine 2 months ago and had 3 cycles..her bone mets pain didn't go away on this chemo.. And she had to take morphine and paracetamol for it.. Thr problem is that she is very senstive to morphine and has been vomiting because of it. It is so strong that she is unable to even look at food without having a gag reflex. Her diet decreased considerably due to it.

I want to know when is radiation for bone pain warranted and what are the side effects? Also does it relieve the pain completely or you still have to supplement it with pain medication?

Another concern i have is.. She doesn't seem to be doing too well on navelbine and the only treatment options she has had so far are taxol and navelbine. The doctor thinks that since there has been a sharp decline in her functional status.. A change in regimen might not help her.. And maybe we shud just give her pallative treatment. I have been feeling dizzy ever since. I don't understand how that will help as most of what she feels right now is due to the cancer and not a side effect of the chemotherapy and the symptomatic treatment hadn't helped her.

I'm sorry if I don't make sense. I feel completely overwhelmed.

My mom has mets to the bones, uterus, cervix, liver, and lung pleura/lungs. It looks bad but she was completely functional 3 months back. :(

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  • Cure-ious
    Cure-ious Member Posts: 2,626
    edited August 2017

    Dear TheresalwaysHope,

    Very sorry to hear about your mother! Clearly, the mets are in both bones and organs- can you tell us what subtype of breast cancer she has? Estrogen-positive? triple-negative? etc. How old is she, and what is her health situation otherwise? Some of these issues, among many more, impact the suggestions for treatment.. Do make sure she has a second opinion from a designated national cancer center medical oncologist, she will need a second set of experienced eyes looking at her situation. She should be offered possible clinical trials, and if she is triple-negative, she should have some options that include immunotherapy, as that can be a real game-changer. You will have to move quickly and have incredible patience, at the same time. Best of luck!

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  • theresalwayshope
    theresalwayshope Member Posts: 49
    edited August 2017

    Thank you dear curious for replying. She is triple negative now.. But was positive last year. And she had invasive lobular cancer.

    We aren't based in the US.. And there aren't any clinical trials offered here. Her condition other than the pain is quite poor..she has pain for which she takes morphine which causes vomiting.

    I want to know when is radiation for the pain usually recommended and what side effects does it cause.. And how soon does the pain go away usually. We have to see the doctor in thursday to discuss the possible options after knowing the pet scan results.

    Thanks once more for replying :)


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  • theresalwayshope
    theresalwayshope Member Posts: 49
    edited August 2017

    Thank you dear curious for replying. She is triple negative now.. But was positive last year. And she had invasive lobular cancer.

    We aren't based in the US.. And there aren't any clinical trials offered here. Her condition other than the pain is quite poor..she has pain for which she takes morphine which causes vomiting.

    I want to know when is radiation for the pain usually recommended and what side effects does it cause.. And how soon does the pain go away usually. We have to see the doctor in thursday to discuss the possible options after knowing the pet scan results.

    Thanks once more for replying :)


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  • kayrnic
    kayrnic Member Posts: 1,708
    edited August 2017

    I would consult with a radiation oncologist. I know first hand that radiation can relieve bone met pain, although it usually isn't immediate. I am undergoing radiation currently and they said it could take up to a month to feel pain relief. Good luck!

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  • Freya244117
    Freya244117 Member Posts: 603
    edited August 2017

    theresalwayshope, I am so sorry your mother is going through so much. I have had lots of rads for bone mets pain. The results for me have always been very quick, everyone is different though. I would hobble in on my walking stick on Monday, and by Wed or Thur I would be walking and moving pain free. My treatment was either 5 or 10 days at a time. All my treatments have been for different mets, and so far the results have been long lasting.

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