Mets to Rib

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jgbartlett
jgbartlett Member Posts: 112
edited September 2017 in Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis

I haven't posted on here for ages. Life was moving on. I've had a couple of scares along the way but it's been 6 years since my original diagnosis.

Yestersay my onc told me I have mets to the 3rd rib on the cancer side. Just to one rib but it is about 4cm x 1.5cm. Is that big for mets? My initial cancer was 2.2cm.

I waited all day today to hear from the radiologists office as he suggested radiation as my initial treatment. I never got a call so i suppose I'll wait for it again on Monday.

So over waiting and worrying and the whole cancer journey in general.


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  • Bosombuddy101
    Bosombuddy101 Member Posts: 182
    edited September 2017

    Cancer is so scary. I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I did want to say that ribs do grow back once they are surgically removed. Just wanted to put that out there as an alternative to radiation.

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  • jgbartlett
    jgbartlett Member Posts: 112
    edited September 2017

    Yeah my onc didn't talk about surgery and I didnt think of it at the time, but I will talk to the radiologist about the surgery option. Thanks for your input ☺

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited September 2017

    jgbartlett, we're sorry for such unwelcome news, and hope treatment works well. Please keep us posted!

    As a suggestion, you may want to check out our Bone Mets thread too, where you'll be able to connect with a lot of women in very similar situations. Hope this helps!

    Kind wishes,

    The Mods




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  • jgbartlett
    jgbartlett Member Posts: 112
    edited September 2017

    Thanks Mods

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  • NancyHB
    NancyHB Member Posts: 1,512
    edited September 2017

    I'm so sorry you find yourself here with mets - it's certainly not where any of us wanted to end up. Is the rib met the only spot they've found? If so, radiation might work well to halt the progression. I hope you hear back from your doctor soon.

    like you I have rib mets, just two - one on left anterior 6th (right under my previous cancer areas), one on right posterior 10th. Initially my MO wanted to send me for radiation but the RO wouldn't treat without a biopsy confirmation (I've had both ER+ and TNBC so they want to know my options). The only way to biopsy is rib resection, which I was strongly encouraged to not do so I declined (I would be sent home with a chest tube to reduce the risk of collapsed lung - it seemed like overkill to me). Ive switched MOs (nearby NCCN University hospital) and we've decided to do some "watchful waiting" before starting treatment. I have bone & CTs every 3 months right now to gauge stability. As long as I'm not in a lot of pain and able to function I don't want to start doing a bunch of treatment that affects my QOL.

    I'll keep you in my thoughts - good luck

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  • KathyL624
    KathyL624 Member Posts: 217
    edited September 2017

    How did they find the rib met Julie? Were you in pain? I assume you weren't getting scans with your original diagnosi

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  • jgbartlett
    jgbartlett Member Posts: 112
    edited September 2017

    Kathy, in early January I started feeling a lot of thickening along the top of my lumpectomy breast and I had some numbness in it too. I had a mammo & ultrasound back then that showed nothing.

    Over the next few months the swelling seemed to spread to above my breast line and I have been getting pain too. Not all the time but it comes and goes. When I had my oncologist appt end of July she suggested in was lympedema but tested with a ct & ultrasound to rule out anything else. The ct picked up the legion in my rib and then I had a bone scan which confirmed the rib met. I have a picture of it - am I allowed to upload it?

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  • NancyHB
    NancyHB Member Posts: 1,512
    edited September 2017

    Julie, no reason you shouldn't be able to upload a pic of your scan. Is it from the CT or the bone scan (I'm just curious)

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  • jgbartlett
    jgbartlett Member Posts: 112
    edited May 2018

    image

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited September 2017

    I am so sorry you are dealing with mets. Hoping you and your care team come up with a good plan soon

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  • Emily2008
    Emily2008 Member Posts: 605
    edited September 2017

    Oh, Julie, I'm so sorry for this news.

    There are few things worse than the waiting involved with this terrible disease. Especially waiting over the weekend!

    All the best as you and your medical team come up with a course of action and you gear up for the fight.

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  • cive
    cive Member Posts: 709
    edited September 2017

    Julie, once you get mets, your cancer will be treated like a chronic condition such as diabetes or heart disease.  Have you ever been on a AI or tomoxifen?  If not, that will likely be your first line treatment, but there are a number of drugs that are used for treatment generally less obnoxious than chemo given for early stages.  You might like to drop by the bone mets thread which is pretty active.  Many women have been around for a long time with bone mets.

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  • jgbartlett
    jgbartlett Member Posts: 112
    edited September 2017

    I started on Tamoxifen post treatment then had my ovaries removed and have been on Arimidex ever since.

    Thanks I'll check out that thread.

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