Bone Question

Angela · 03-11-2008, 12:09 PM

I had a PET scan and when I got the report back the only new spot was on my right 9th rib. I have had pain on my right side but it goes and comes and it is hard to tell if it is in the same spot everytime. The dr. said may be I just bumped something that may have produced a false positive. He doesn't seem worried but I am just not sure. I had a bone scan in the beginning of dec 2007 and it was clear. Anyone with mets to bone? Can you tell me if the pain was constant or did it come and go? Would a tumor show on an x-ray?

My tumor markers (CA 27/29) dropped buy my CEA has been creeping up. It went from 3.4 to 4.3 to 5.1 over the last few months. I wasn't worried about such a small increase especially since the CA27/29 markers went from 58 to 34.3 during this same time.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm not schedule to see the dr. again until April 3rd.

StephN · 03-11-2008, 12:51 PM

Hi Angela -
Not sure on the rib question. Keep track of it and try to favor that side and not bump it so you can see if it is something else.

When was your last followup brain MRI??

My rising CEA was in conjunction with my brain mets. CA27-29 stay put with my brain mets.

PinkGirl · 03-11-2008, 02:44 PM

Hi Angela
I too wonder what bone mets feel like.
I have had back surgery and have a bad
set of bones and muscles. I worry when
my hips hurt because I don't know what
bone mets feel like.

Anyone know? Can the pain come and go?
Is it a "killer" pain or can it be mild or moderate?

Becca · 03-11-2008, 03:54 PM

When my mets showed up in abdominal lymph nodes in Nov 05, 7 years after my initial bc, I had a pet scan that showed some activity in both hips and 1 pelvis. However, the bone scan showed all clear. Onco sent me for some hip xrays and they were fine and I had no pain. Onco said if there are mets there they are too small to show on the scan. Over the months I continued to have no pain and regular bone scans (each fine except when I broke some ribs when a friend's dog made me fall onto a patio table). Last Aug I started to hobble some and have some pain on and off in one hip. Onco ordered a bone scan. It was clear. Onco said probably arthritis, but ordered an MRI. It showed extensive mets in both hips and on the pelvis. I started radiation within a few days. During radiation and for some weeks after, the pain and hobble got very bad, but with time it all improved and now I walk fairly normal and have almost no pain. I never took anything extra for pain except ibuprofen. My story may not be typical, and may cause some worry when your bone scan comes back fine. I do not understand that part at all, and my onco did not seem to be able to explain it enough to ease my mind. I was sorry the whole issue had not been addressed 2 years ago, but the onco had continued to follow up with bone scans, etc. I am thankful I can walk fairly well again, but have been warned to not pick up anything very heavy, do leg lifts, jump jacks,etc. I also get zometa every few weeks.

Angela, you actually will see your dr fairly soon and if it is still bothering you, he will probably order more tests. If it gets worse, you could call him sooner. If it was mets to that 1 rib, I would think you would be able to identify that pain as being there and not "it is hard to tell if it is in the same spot everytime". Likely you have bumped it like your dr suggested. It may take more tests to ease your mind concerning that pain on your right side. Best wishes.

sassy · 03-11-2008, 05:32 PM

I wonder what bone mets feel like too. I had a bone scan last summer after having off and on pain in ribs. The scan indicated previous fractures on both sides. Since that time my right side has stopped bothering me, but left side (mast side) continues to have pain/soreness off and on. Sometime more severe than other times. So like Angela asks, can the pain come and go, or is it constant?