Intermittent hip pain, worried.

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Dani444
Dani444 Member Posts: 522
edited March 2021 in Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned

Hello, I have been having intermittent hip pain since the middle of October. It is not triggered by anything specific, I don’t typically wake with the pain but it presents itself as the day wears on. I can go some days with very mild pain that I probably wouldn’t recognize if I wasn’t hyper aware due to my history. Other days I can just be sitting, standing or walking and it starts to ache. The pain sometimes radiates into my groin and upper leg. Can mets be intermittent like this? I had ILC and had a PET scan about 2years ago. I understand that ILC is slow growing. Would it be too soon for a recurrence? I have an appointment with my new MO in the beginning of January and will of course tell her about it. I guess I just wanted your thoughts. I am having a lot of anxiety about it today. Thank you for listening.

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  • moth
    moth Member Posts: 4,800
    edited December 2020

    I was told to report any symptom that persisted beyond 2 weeks to my primary care provider. I actually had hip pain as you described. My GP sent me for a hip xray (xray is sensitive for bone mets, just not as sensitive as the other methods so it might miss smaller masses). No problems were noted other than age related stuff. I was sent to physio who figured out what the problem was very quickly and I had about 2 months of treatment with specific exercises. My hip & pelvis had just got misaligned & she fixed it.

    So if you're worried about it now, maybe a quick visit to a GP and an xray might soothe some anxiety.

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  • fifthyear
    fifthyear Member Posts: 225
    edited December 2020

    I have right hip pain since June, pain is deep inside hip bone (at least that is how it feels to me), radiates down to front thigh, shin, and knee, but not always. So intermittent but pain at times so bad could not sleep. My doc sent me to hip xray, nothing shown so she said i likely have bursitis on my hip. Have been using OTC voltaren gel on and off it it does help but does not go away. Our thoughts always lead to cancer but sometimes it's just the body is doing it's thing in the wrong way. Hope you find your answer soon for your peace of mind.

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  • 2019whatayear
    2019whatayear Member Posts: 767
    edited December 2020

    Of course, our minds always go to cancer, but it could be as simple as you need to wear better-supporting shoes or could be from sitting too long.


    Moth offers good advice.

    I hope it's just old age getting to you LOL

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  • LivinLife
    LivinLife Member Posts: 1,332
    edited December 2020

    Your appointment is in early January as you said. Is it possible you could also schedule with your primary care prior to that. If it is something other than cancer you could begin evaluation and potentially related treatment much sooner that way....

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  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 7,496
    edited December 2020

    ok....here comes debbie downer.....i had hip pain five years after my breast cancer diagnosis. So of course, the first thing I worried about was mets. My team had me go for all kinds of imaging and it was agreed that my hip pain was actually caused by multiple herniated discs. My symptom was I couldn’t sit. I could walk for miles and miles, but I couldn’t sit. I had physical therapy, i took pain meds and creams. I even got a new car that I could easily get in and out of. Got a new chair, a new mattress. The only thing I didn’t replace was the DH. Finally, two years ago, I went to this neurologist that I trusted. He did an x ray of my hips and said they looked fine. So he sent me to his pain management physician and he gave me shots for bursitis. He said if the shots didn’t work, he would send me for an MRI. Well, the MRI found a “drop” of bone on bone on my right hip AND, it found a tumor on the left hip, that didn’t even hurt. They ended up doing TWO more MRIs of both hips and a sono of my left thigh. Benign myxoma tumor was removed from my left thigh in March of 2018 and FINALLY in May of 2018 I got a spankin’ new right hip replacement. Afterwards, the doctor said it wasn’t a “drop” of bone on bone. The entire ball of the hip was diseased and so was the shaft!


    imaging failed me! Imaging also failed me with my breast cancer diagnosis as well. My breast cancer was missed on mammography for THREE years.


    bottom line...DO NOT TRUST IMAGING. If you are in pain do not stop seeking help! Do not stop until you are pain free.

    I am now approaching my 64th birthday and I feel great despite having more orthopedic surgeries in the last year AND breaking my wrist. Again, I feel great!


    don’t waste emotional energy worrying. Instead, use that energy to get the medical help you deserve!


    stay safe! Stay well! And I wish everyone a happy holidays and new year

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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited December 2020

    voraciousreader

    I'm a little confused - how did imaging fail you on your breast cancer when it was a relatively small, with low stage and grade? How do you know it was there for three years? That seems to be in the size range that most cancers are first caught on imaging.

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  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 7,496
    edited December 2020

    because I had dense breasts, i routinely got sonograms along with the mammograms. I also was very cystic diring those years. So, when my gyno was examing my breasts, he felt one of those cysts and thought it should be examined further. I was sent to a different radiologist for a biopsy. When the radiologist looked at all my images, he decided to biopsy a DIFFERENT cyst that was being imaged for the previous three years. He showed me on the sonogram the edge of the cyst and said, " I don't think this is a regular cyst."


    I was diagnosed with a rare, favorable type of breast cancer. Pure mucinous breast cancers are rarely identifies on mammograms. They appear more easily to identify on sonograms under very close inspection. Often, when they are identified, it is not unusual for them to be larger than 3 centimeters. The largest one published in a medical journal was 23 centimeters!


    Pure mucinous breast cancers are sacks filled with mostly mucous and few cancer cells. Most radiologists will only see a few during their careers. Mine was imaged, but ignored or mistaken.



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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited December 2020

    Cancer is our first thought, of course...but hip pain is very common and has a variety of reasons.

    DH has metastatic prostate cancer and his bones are riddled with it...zero pain. Not that that is true for everyone, but sometimes, pain is just pain. Aging, cancer meds,

    I agree that if you are in pain, someone should figure out the cause to alleviate the pain. Best to you and report back on how you are doing.


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  • Dani444
    Dani444 Member Posts: 522
    edited December 2020

    Thank you all for your replies. I am a bad patient and do not have a primary doctor. I keep putting it off, but I will start looking for one. Definitely would be helpful if a situation such as this arises again. I will just try to maintain until my MO appointment. I swear I hate the anxiety that this diagnosis left me with. It really just sucks. I appreciate all of you. I will report back what my MO says.

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  • Dani444
    Dani444 Member Posts: 522
    edited January 2021

    So I had a virtual visit with my MO since I am just getting over covid. I mentioned the hip pain and she said I could start with my PCP or see her in clinic in the next few weeks. She is ordering an X-ray and I asked her if that would show anything cancer related. She said no, it would not and if “we are going to go down that road.” She would need an MRI. She first said it was probably nothing, just arthritis. I then felt a little silly bringing it up and maybe I am just over reacting. I will get the X-ray, it will show if I have developed arthritis. When should you worry , or not worry?? I will be researching to get a PCP as well. Thank you all for listening.

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  • Dani444
    Dani444 Member Posts: 522
    edited January 2021

    Just a little update in case anyone with similar symptoms reads this. I got my x-ray and saw my MO. The only thing that showed on the X-ray was a bony island, which is benign and she said would not cause pain. She said we will go ahead with an MRI just to make sure. It’s just always in the back of my mind that ILC is difficult to image, so I hope they are not missing anything. Thank you for listening.

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  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 7,496
    edited January 2021

    dani...great that you and your MO are following up on imaging....I know that worm feeling....just stay the course and remember what I said earlier....do not stop until you have your answer. My hip pain was terrible and was misdiagnosed as back pain for years! Imaging never told the real and full story....


    i love my 2018 hip.

    Stay well. Stay safe

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited January 2021

    I have had intermittent hip pain for a while. Mine turned out to be musculoskeletal issues that resolved with PT. Always best to get it checked and addressed.

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  • Dani444
    Dani444 Member Posts: 522
    edited February 2021

    I have not had my follow up appointment yet, but I got the copy of my results. It does not show any Mets!!!!!!! It says there is gluteus minimums insertional tendinosis and some other findings I don’t quite understand fully. Good news is the bones look good! I did panic when I started reading the findings for the visceral pelvis. The first sentence was “There are multiple uterine intramural masses.” My heart dropped at the word masses. It then stated,as I read on that they were compatible with uterine leiomyomas. Had to ask one of the doctors I work with what that was. So my panic subsided when I learned they are benign fibroids. It says a pelvic US could be performed for additional assessment. I will bring this up at my next gyn visit. Thank you everyone for listening. I am grateful to have a place to “talk” about this stuff. I don’t really have anyone in my life I talk to about my concerns or fears related to my cancer.

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  • voraciousreader
    voraciousreader Member Posts: 7,496
    edited February 2021

    dani...i have no other place either! Glad “all” is well....

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  • 2019whatayear
    2019whatayear Member Posts: 767
    edited February 2021

    Great news!

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  • LillyIsHere
    LillyIsHere Member Posts: 830
    edited February 2021

    Dani, thank you for sharing your experience. I have back pain for a while now and I haven't had any scanning. Good to know that can be nothing serious.

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  • LillyIsHere
    LillyIsHere Member Posts: 830
    edited March 2021

    MO suggested having pelvis MRI this Thursday. After BC diagnosis can't take these suggestions easy!

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  • Dani444
    Dani444 Member Posts: 522
    edited March 2021

    Lily- No, it is never easy when you have to get imaging. I hope your MRI goes well and you receive negative results. Have you had pain?

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  • LillyIsHere
    LillyIsHere Member Posts: 830
    edited March 2021

    Thank you for getting back to me Dani. I had MRI this morning because of pelvic pain however, I don't know how to read it :). It is in my portal as:

    15 mm markedly T1 and T2 hypointense ovoid focus within the posterior left iliac bone is in keeping with a bone island. Otherwise, no discrete osseous lesions.

    What does this mean?

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  • 2019whatayear
    2019whatayear Member Posts: 767
    edited March 2021

    As far as I could determine from google searching the T1 and T2 hypointense ovoid focus is a technical description of how an area appears on an MR . The key thing is bone island - that is a benign little growth of bone

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  • LillyIsHere
    LillyIsHere Member Posts: 830
    edited March 2021

    Thank you, Ladies. I guess there is no explanation for my back pain. I read somewhere that letrozole can create inflammation of tendons. I guess that must be it, welcoming a new SE of AI.

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  • Dani444
    Dani444 Member Posts: 522
    edited March 2021

    Lily, I hope you hear back from your doctor tomorrow. That is frustrating when there is no definitive reason for your pain. Maybe they could refer you for physical therapy. I am doing therapy for my hip pain and the stretches seem to be helping.

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