Breast cancer with spine mets

Hi - I have bone mets in my spine since 2013. Although it is incurable it is treatable and you can live many years with treatment. I am on anastrazole with 4 weekly infusions of ibandronate. There are some side effects including joint pain but these can be managed with medication. Hope this helps. I was really scared when first diagnosed and didn't expect to still be here now. I have 3 monthly scans amd so far have shown stable disease. They will find the right drugs for you so please don't worry.

Sorry that you have found yourself here, it's not a place anyone WANTS to be, but is very a supportive and knowledgeable place once you're on the journey! 

As far as I am aware, there are lots of people on here who have had bone mets for quite a long time and are able to carry on reasonably 'normal' lives - the mets aren't curable, but can be stabilised with various meds and  sometimes surgery or radiotherapy.

As for the bone scan - I find them to be one of the more relaxing scans - you have a radioactive isotope injected into a small cannula and then you have to wait for 3 hours for the scan so that the isotope can migrate to the bones. The scan itself is slow - about 30 minutes -  but silent and not enclosed - I usually have a nap! 

Bone activity shows up as black areas on the scan - not all areas shown are necessarily mets as bone activity from other causes also shows up e.g. I have a degenerating lumbar vertebra which is not cancer based but still shows up! 

I have 4 weekly bone strengthening injections (along with vitamin D and calcium tablets) , which for me don't have any side effects, and I was told last week that the multiple bone mets I have in spine, ribs, hips, clavicles and sternum actually look better than they did on the last scan ( I'm also on chemo for lung mets).  Other people have different types of drugs for their bone mets. 

It's a frightening time between diagnosis and having a 'plan', and reading up on the internet often doesn't help as you can get worst case scenario articles or reports. 

Hope the scan goes well and that you get a plan from the oncologists very quickly. 

Best wishes

Cathy

Hello there

i have been daignosed with breast cancer bone mets.I do know lots of women who are doing well with new drugs coming out evry year. How are you doing. My first scan after chemo showed bone schelrosis. Will be having second scan soon. Now on tamoxifen and zomata