stage iv diagnosis????

[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