Do This, Now Do That.

Thank goodness I am not a worrier- After all, I think I am done with this Cancer stuff- right. Well my very good doctor noticed that the radiologist said something about T11 being cloudy which meant that I needed further examination so he ordered a bone scan  to rule out metastasis---which I got Friday the 24th of June - Results- inconclusive. Which I now know is common- So now I am getting a MRI of my Lumbar spine so they can see L 3 and 4 and also T11 will be squeezed in. I know for certain that I do not have Osteoporosis because I took a bone density scan just prior to starting my estrogen lowering medication because that medication is known for damaging your bones. A likely explanation for the cloudiness on my scans at the above mentioned locations is Arthritis or inflammation. My appointment for the MRI is next Friday, July 8 at 430 pm. I am certain I will not get the results of that for almost a week. If that is also inconclusive- I will then get a bone biopsy. I promise to stay in touch. 

Bone scan

This test shows the entire skeleton, and can sometimes show a bone metastasis that’s not yet causing symptoms. It’s best at showing metastases that are blastic (where bone is denser).

Bone scans can usually find metastases much earlier than regular x-rays. Bone scans can also be repeated over time to track how the metastases respond to treatments.

Sometimes bone scans fail to find cancer that has spread to the bones. Bone scans have a harder time detecting metastases that are purely osteolytic (where bone is less dense).

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

MRI scans use radio waves and strong magnets instead of x-rays to make very detailed pictures of parts of the body. Like a CT scan, MRI produces detailed cross-sectional slices of the body.

Because an MRI scan is very useful for looking at the spine and spinal cord, it’s the standard test used if spinal cord compression is suspected. MRIs are also good at finding problems in bones and joints. Often an MRI scan is done to better define a bone mass seen on an x-ray. MRI scans can usually tell if the mass is likely to be a tumor, an infection, or some type of bone damage from other causes.