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Breast Cancer (Expert Forum)
Can FEC chemo reduce mets to bone?
Questions posted in the Breast Cancer Forum are answered by medical professionals from The Cleveland Clinic. Topics include Breast Biopsy, Chemotherapy, Hormone Therapy, Lumps, Lumpectomy, Lymph node dissection, Lymphedema, Mammograms, Mastectomy, Radiation Therapy, Reconstruction, Self Breast Exam, and Surgery.
Can FEC chemo reduce mets to bone?
by Inge, Sep 18, 2005 12:00AM
I am a woman of 45. Was operated in May for 3.3 cm invasive ductal carsinoma, hist.grade III, some vascular invasion. Full axilla toilette found clean, but tumor was close to breastbone and parasternal lymph node status is not known. HER neg but oestr+ and prog+. I am now on 5th round of FEC and will go on to radiation and hormone theraphy.
Feb/March through June my left hip was increasingly painful, to the point where getting out of bed could be difficult. I had a full bone scintigraphy and the result was "some degeneration in lower spine, probably age-related" and "no certain indications of mets". My onc refused me CT or MR on the grounds that the results wouldn't affect my treatment anyhow. Well, ok.
But only two weeks after my first FEC treatment my back/hip improved vastly. I'm hardly ever bothered by the pain nowadays.
I realize that this may be due to luck, coincidence, or the fact that I've had to reduce my work-outs from 3-4 per week to some 1-2 per week. But I can't help wondering: Is it possible that the FEC-treatment so quickly can have shrunk - and thus reduced the impact of - any mets to my spine?
Regards,
Inge
Feb/March through June my left hip was increasingly painful, to the point where getting out of bed could be difficult. I had a full bone scintigraphy and the result was "some degeneration in lower spine, probably age-related" and "no certain indications of mets". My onc refused me CT or MR on the grounds that the results wouldn't affect my treatment anyhow. Well, ok.
But only two weeks after my first FEC treatment my back/hip improved vastly. I'm hardly ever bothered by the pain nowadays.
I realize that this may be due to luck, coincidence, or the fact that I've had to reduce my work-outs from 3-4 per week to some 1-2 per week. But I can't help wondering: Is it possible that the FEC-treatment so quickly can have shrunk - and thus reduced the impact of - any mets to my spine?
Regards,
Inge
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-RN,MSN-rf, Sep 20, 2005 12:00AM
Dear Inge: Bone scans can frequently identify lesions that look degenerative and differentiate them from lesions that look metastatic, but no imaging test is 100%. Two weeks sounds a little fast to have resolution of pain from bone metastases from a single dose of chemotherapy, suggesting that the pain may be unrelated to cancer. It would be appropriate, however, for you to discuss your concerns with your physician.
