My wife’s collar bone broke when getting out of bed, the bone has breast cancer in it. As to Jackie has a number in her spine and humorous.
now this has broken, Will it take longer than usual to heal...?
Can it happen again ?
Is this a sign that the cancer has become more aggressive?
Hi Ainesy,
Thanks for getting in touch with us and welcome to the online community. My name is Adrienne and I’m one of the Cancer Information Nurses at Macmillan.
I’m sorry to read that your wife has broken her collar bone.
As the fracture was caused by cancer (cancer = pathology), it means that the cancer has weakened the bone. This means that it may take longer for the bone to heal.
There are some treatments that can help strengthen the bones, however these would need to be prescribed by Jackie’s healthcare team. It’s important to know that calcium can be released into the blood stream when cancer weakens the bones so taking a supplement without talking to the team may be detrimental to her health.
Unfortunately, when cancer is in the bones, there is a risk of further fractures, but this does not mean that the cancer has become more aggressive.
Pathological fractures are not uncommon in patients with bone metastases from breast cancer. It’s important that any pain Jackie may be experiencing from the fracture is well managed so definitely stay in touch with her healthcare team about this. The team may also suggest physiotherapy to help Jackie remain active as safely as possible.
I hope this is helpful. If you feel you’d like to talk things through, then please don’t hesitate to contact us. We are open 7 days a week from 8am till 8pm. Our number is 0808 808 0000.
Best wishes and take care,
Adrienne
Macmillan Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
Our ref: EML
