stage iv diagnosis????

[vonny]

Lorna has had her results from the biopsies that she had on her breast last week and they have come back completely clear, NED in the breast!!!
She now has to go for more scans i.e. bone and CT as her ongologist has said they are looking at re-staging Lorna with a possible view to surgery, will find out more next Friday 30th when we next see the ongologist but at the moment we are so happy!
When Lorna went for the scan on the breast a few weeks back the doc said that she would not look at the spot on the spine twice if Lorna did not have a cancer in her breast so now we are not 100% sure that Lorna has got secondary??? We truly are doubting the stage iv diagnosis??
Any advice would be appreciated!
Thank you
Yvonne xx

[Lauriesh]

Hi, I guess I am not clear what you are asking. did she have a biopsy of the possible mets?
Did the possible met area shrink after treatment. If the met was biopsied , and she is stage 4, you are always stage 4.

It is great that the breast tumor is gone. Hopefully you will get more answers next week when you see her onc..


Laurie

[vonny]

Sorry Laurie I'm so excited I guess I didn't explain it very well. Lorna has never had a biopsy on the met in her spine, it is not possible to do. She was diagnosed as stage 4 from scans i.e. MRI, CT and bone scans. The CT and bone scan showed nothing but the MRI showed a slight abnormality in the spine. From the MRI only they said Lorna was stage 4. A few weeks ago when Lorna went for an ultra sound of the breast only area to see if the tumour had shrunk after treatment the radiologist was looking at the MRI of the spine that was done back in May when we were told that Lorna was Stage 4. She said that the abnormality that showed on the MRI was so slight that she would not question it as a met if Lorna did not have cancer in her breast.
This has made us think is Lorna stage 4 then? Is the abnormality just the way Lorna is made. Is it scaring? Is it, is it??? the questions could go on.
I have been told it is unusual just to have one bone met?

I think what I am asking is have they got it wrong, or am I grasping at straws. Surly you don't get diagnosed as stage 4 just from one scan that shows an abnormality.

Oh I nearly forgot....Lorna had an MRI of the spine after 3 treatments of Docetaxel (Taxotere®), Herceptin and Zometa and there was no change to the spine.

Love Yvonne xx

[tricia keegan]

Hi Yvonne,

Lorna has had such a great response to her treatment so far that I would have thought if there was a met on the spine it would also have shrunk or changed too. I think I mentioned to you that my Onc said its very rare to have one bone met (although not impossible) when I had my mets scare a few years ago. Is the spot too small to biopsy?? A PET/CT may be worth doing, the spot I had on the spine was too small to bx too so my Onc told be to redo the scans in two months time and by then she felt satisfied I was still NED and the hot spot was actually due to a bout of Sciatica I had had!

I think you're right in doubting this stage iv dx while keeping an open mind and do send all my good wishes that you and Lorna will get more good news very soon.

[Pray]

I think Lorna is in pretty good hands. (family and drs.) I am hoping and praying it is just that a tiny flaw. we all have them.
Gods blessings to you, Lorna and her drs. Peace.

[BonnieR]

Not to be too simplistic about it, but there can be alot of reasons for things to light up on a scan that are not malignant. I have had some experience with that myself. As has been said, be hopeful while also getting to the bottom of it. Keep the faith.

[Catkins]

Hi Vonny

In case my story is of help...

I had a bone scan in April 2012 after being diagnosed with Stage 2, grade 3 HER2+ breast cancer in January 2012 in the UK.

The radio tracer indicated a tiny amount of uptake in the right T4 vertebrae (back chest bone).

A CT scan was clear and my blood was fine - no signs of inflammation or raised liver or kidney markers.

The oncologist thought the cancer hadn't spread but the radiologist wasn't so sure.

A repeat bone scan in October 2012 was clear. The tiny amount of uptake was due to natural bone repair. No spread.

Hoping for the best for Lorna!

Best wishes

Catkins

[vonny]

Thank you guys for sharing your stories, it really does help and I am keeping an open mind but also praying to god that Lorna's abnormality is just that, an abnormality!!
Catkins, with Lorna it is T5 vertebrae. We are now waiting for the appointment to come through for the bone and ct scan but oncologist didn't mention an mri which I find odd as that is the scan that showed the abnormality. Lorna is seeing her on Friday so we will be able to ask more questions then.
Fantastic news for you though congratulations!

Much love to you all

Yvonne xx

[tricia keegan]

Yvonne, it may help to ask for a PET/CT too!

Tricia x

[vonny]

ThanksTricia will look into that. Is that one scan called a PET/CT?
Yvonne x

[tricia keegan]

Its a mix of both, a CT and a Pet which my Onc felt was imperative when the bone scan and MRI were inconclusive and when the PET came back negative she said she was confident I was NED!