Body imaging for ILC?

No whole body scanning was done for me initially, just a chest x-ray. I had a breast MRI after the lobular lesion was diagnosed by biopsy. That imaging modality showed a small ductal carcinoma which had not been seen by digital mammography. Tissue samples from both were assayed for estrogen receptors and found to be positive.

At my clinic, PET is only used to evaluate metastatic disease and gauge response to therapy if you are known to be stage IV. I got my very 1st one last fall. It is quite expensive and therefore insurance companies are not inclined to give approval to those with localized tumor(s) which have not spread. The follow-up I had earlier this month demonstrated a reduction in activity at several spots in my skeleton so the treatment is working!

After treatment for early stage BC, the general approach is to wait for symptoms of metastases (no imaging or measurement of tumor markers). Some clinics don't even do routine labs, they just have primary care practitioners order whatever is needed to monitor overall health - basic metabolic panel, lipids for high cholesterol, thyroid, etc.

The ILC could have been found sooner. I had call backs for extra views on film followed by ultrasound for “architectural distortion" until my first digital mammogram which was clear! It finally got big enough to be seen on the next one. However, it seems to be the IDC which invaded my skeleton. Because that one did not show up until the MRI, a lumpectomy for the lobular lesion a couple years prior would have missed it.

My serum calcium was elevated in 2015. Since that can be a sign of bone disease, I had CT and a nuclear scan with nothing remarkable except a lung nodule which are common and demonstrated stability a few months later. So, the only thing we can do is trust our ability to know our bodies and report unusual sensations. There was no back pain until my lumbar vertebrae was nearly destroyed. Urgent care initially diagnosed it as muscle strain...