Question on why a bone scan

My last blood work with my old oncologist was October last year and was clean.

Last week I went to my new oncologist, got 5 or 7 tubes of blood taken, today ct scan of lower abdomen, chest xray, ultrasound of reconstructed breasts.

I came home to a message they had my test results and wanted to schedule a bone scan.

Background I have low calcium, I produce none, I have to take 16 calcium pills a day. I have Cowden syndrome, not BRCAA.

I've had overgrown gums, fibroid tumour of uterus, graves disease(thyroid removed), breast cancer. All our things you get with Cowden.

I am freaking out. I've looked up symptons of bone cancer, I have none, I want to scream and cry but I have a 6 year old. I will be 4 years out this August.

A bone scan may be useful if metastases are suspected after a thorough history and physical examination and evaluation of laboratory studies. If the clinical evaluation is negative, the likelihood of finding metastases appears to be low.

However, a "regular" bone scan cannot distinguish what a lesion represents and cannot differentiate between a tumor, an infection or a fracture. A "triple phase" bone scan may occasionally be helpful in determining benign from malignant lesions. "Enhanced" (contrast) agents increase the sensitivity, conspicuity and accuracy of an exam. The agent most commonly used is Gadolinium.

With the introduction of the Pet Scan, it is useful in a variety of therapy-monitoring applications, including distinguishing between radiation necrosis and recurrence, determining the resectability of a recurrence and evaluating response (after the fact) to chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

turns out an abnormality in the bone/joint area showed up on my ct scan which they more than likely is the beginning of arthritis, thus the bone scan to make sure.

Thanks

Kermane I wish you strength. You sure had your portion of illnesses This is arthritis in your shoulder you are talking about?

Yes, I was in a car wreck like 20 years ago and messed my shoulder up, I'm not surprised it shows abnormalities and the possible start of arthritis.

Kermane, strenght sister You're gonna be OK. Physically "messed up" or not, it's the spirit that counts, and you got it

Kermane? How are you? How did things turn out? Are you OK?

I'm good. Everything turned out great, stress fracture in my left rib, and just a bone growth I was born with on my hip, thanks!

Oh, strange as this might sound to be, I am so relieved to hear that.