If you are not Stage IV but have questions, you may post here

I had my appointments today and MO and BS are recommending a bone scan and chest CT. Possible MRI on my back depends on bone scan. So here goes the rollercoaster again.

Katie, b9 lung nodules are very common.  So generally they just recheck it to see if it is changing.  If it stays the same, it isn't a metastases. If it changes, ie grows they may want to biopsy it. 

Hi i have Stage IIa Breast cancer..

Now there is concern that it is now in my hip as well, I'm going for a bone scan Monday... biopsy thursday..

If it comes back that it is cancer now in the bones... that means I jump to Stage IV Breast cancer...

I don't feel like i am getting a clear answer from my MO & Breast Surgeon.... how I can jump to stage IV when my nodes were clean??

Would love your thoughts!

Katie, I'm so sorry about your Mom. I'm not sure I totally understand your post. Did the CT scan that was done rule out any problem in her bowel area? Is she still having the problems that sent her for a scan? Was that dx'd as something specific, or was she at least referred to a gastro doc?

As far as the lung nodule -- it's not uncommon to have something like that show up on a scan. Often it's what's termed an "artifact" -- leftover damage from maybe having had pneumonia, for example. Do you know if your Mom has ever had pneumonia? I do think a wait and watch approach is logical. I'm just a bit surprised that they would wait 10 mos. for a follow. Perhaps there's a good reason for that (maybe the size is just so small that it would be hard to see a difference sooner?), but often 6 mos. is more common. Short of a possibly difficult and/or unnecessary biopsy, watching for any change is pretty standard.

Depending on why they recommended waiting 10 mos., if you or your Mom aren't comfortable with the recommendation, you can ask about doing it sooner, or she can consider getting a second opinion, ideally with an onc who specializes in TNBC. These are more common at the larger NCI-designated medical centers.

Hope this helps, and please keep us posted.

Hugs, Deanna

Tina, l lymph vascular invasion means that some of your cancer had gotten into your blood and lymph fluid system which circulates through out the body.  You'll just have to wait until the biopsy is complete to know for sure if this is a metastases.  Even if it is, there are still many treatments available for you, it is not the end of the world.

dlb: I am on A/C-T regimine.. I only had 1 infusion so far (managed SE well). My next Infusion is Wednesday.

So the LVI explains how cancer could spread without the node involvement. I looked it up last night after you mentioned it.. and it all came together.

My next question is.... if it is bc... would that be a very quick progression from clean mammogram in 2/2016 to stage iv breast cancer the following year? That just blows me away.

Also thank for your kind words about my mil.. my brother in law had stage iii esophagus cancer dx in January as well. So it has been a rough year, especially for my husband. My BIL is now in remission and had the same Oncologist. Hoping he can do the same for me.

Hi all. Thinking of each of you who are going through the process of waiting and worrying. I have an update on my latest test. I had a bone scan today and picked up the report. The report did not show any hot spots except in the broken rib. In the conclusion it states:

Solitary hypermetabolic focus is noted in the lateral right rib corresponding with PET scan abnormality. The differential diagnosis would include healing benign rib fracture versus a solitary osseous mets with pathologic fracture.

The way I read this report means to me that it could be a healing rib fracture or a solitary bone mets. Can someone chime in and say how they are reading this conclusion? I see my oncologist Monday. Thanks,

Georgie

Hi DLB thanks for your response. No trauma to the area at all. Appreciate your positive response! Will be good to have my appt with oncology and move forward! As many have said here, waiting is hard!!

Tangandchris, bless you for helping the elderly man. What a day you had. Thinking of you as you wait for test results.

results are back and everything looks good. MO still wants to do MRI on Tspine though. Oh and I have a nodule on my thyroid. I will have to have that sonogramed.

Thanks for the support.

Confused as to how I can have multiple hard nodules to my chest but nothing shows on ultrasound? At least, that’s what the technician told me. Also had multiple views of chest X-ray. Guess I’ll get a call on results next week. I want answers as to what these nodules are

Hello Everyone, I was Dx with stage 2b in April 2016 when I went to the OC. I had a CT scan and it was clear, she proceeded with Neoadjuvant chemo April through 09/01/16. I had surgery UMX in Oct and reexcision in November. The pathology from surgery showed LVI. The OC did not discuss it with me just refer me to radiation. Does this mean I have Mets? I've been coughing lately 9 months after radiation. I read about a study that came out recently pointed that Neoadjuvant chemo induces tumor metastasis. Could the chemo cause LVI?

I've really been trying to avoid asking a question, because I feel paranoid. My cancer clinic does not do scans "just because". I did have a a bone scan due to something on an MRI and it came back clean. My TN tumor was discovered during surgery, hiding behind my ER+ tumor. Starting with my last AC infusion and going into Taxol (3 coming up) my right side muscles ache. Sometimes it is the ribs and even at the space in center of rib cage. Sometimes, but rarely, it moves to my back. My logical self says it is pain caused by chemo - it i is a common SE. However, my 3am insomniac self thinks it is liver mets. Would liver mets feel like this? Thank

Good morning. Just wanted to update to my previous post, check in and say hello. I saw my oncologist yesterday for my annual visit and also to review my recent Br MRI, PET/CT, and Bone Scan. She said the results were not conclusive, could not rule out mets but that a solitary bone met in her experience is not usually the way mets presents but....she couldn't say for sure that it wasn't because she has seen it before. She said I could do a biopsy but then quickly moved on to suggesting the oncology radiologist review my scan. She said she would consult with him and get back to me. I request to have an appointment with him so I could hear what his thoughts were and to also see the actual scan results. I have that appointment today. The oncologist moved me back to 6 month checks and I guess we will touch base after I meet with the radiologist oncologist. I am glad they were able to get me in today!

Best,

Georgie

Deanna and Chrissy, thanks so much for the support. I go for chemo tomorrow and will talk to the MO and request a us.

I probably do not drink enough water - I need to do a better job keeping track!

Vaness