[Lani]

no need to have any met visible on any study CT, MRI or PET

These are individual tumor cells like CTCs

The test is usually called an aspiration because they use a syringe at the end of a core type needle/trochar to create a negative pressure to get the spicules of bone from the marrow to come along with blood from the marrow so it
can be treated w Ficoli preparation(according to Braun and Pantel's articles) and centrifuged and spread on glass slides for staining for cytokeratins and perhaps one other marker (her2) with mechanical and/or manual reading to detect one cell in many hundred thousands

As I understand it, they don't stain for the second marker unless the first is positive as all the reagents (monoclonal antibodies or otherwise) are expensive.

I don't know the difference in caliber between a core needle for a breast biopsy and a Jamshite needle for a bone marrow aspiration but sort of doubt it is that different. The procedure is done after infiltrating the area with local anaesthetic and is done on either the posterior or anterior iliac crest usually.

It is described(protocol) in the articles as being done bilaterally and as they usually do it the first time before starting the breast biopsy with the patient on their back, it is usually described as being done on the anterior iliac crest (thebump one feels if one lies prone on a hard floor if one is not well enough "upholstered")

Steph it would mean more if you had had your bone marrow sampled before, but yes, if you were now positive it might mean more regardlng
need/no need for further treatment than if you were now negative and let's say if you were positive,seeing if a course of
bisphosphonate changed that might be interesting--although I can hear
the oncologists say it would mean nothing without a large randomized prospective trial...

The fact is we don't know and we won't know until they start LOOKING!