I have had a bad back for over 4 weeks now and had an x-ray Monday. It showed one of my vertebrae to be a bit brighter than the others and my oncologist is suspicious and wants me to have a CT scan and Bone Scan. I have the CT scan tomorrow morning. I was diagnosed with BC in Oct 2010 and had a Mastectomy, Chemo and Radiotherapy and have been on tamoxifen ever since. I thought Tamoixfen was meant to PROTECT you and stop it returning. I am trying to remain positive but its SO hard. Is there treatment for cancer in the spine? Or will I end up with a few months to live? If ANY of you have any info and are experiencing something similar please let me know - I am really scared by it all 
Dear Lucky Gal
Welcome to the BCC forum. I am sure other members will soon be along to offer you support. You could also give our helpline a call to talk over your concerns. They are open from 10-2 tomorrow and 9-5 on weekdays. The number is 0808 800 6000.
Take care
Very best wishes
Janet
BCC Moderator
Hi,
I just wanted to respond because you seem so frightened. I can totally understand although I’m not in in that situation, so hardly an expert!
I’m sure some of our ladies who have direct knowledge of bone mets will be along soon, but meanwhile I wanted to say that from what I have read so far, bone metastases are normally treatable, and secondary cancer, especially in the bones is no longer the terminal condition it once was in many cases, and considered more of a chronic health issue.
So, IF it IS determined to be so, there will be treatment options available, and many people on this site will be able to offer you hope and support. So sorry to hear you have this worry though. 
Hang on in there … xxx
As Morwenna said, bone mets are very treatable.
Once your doctor has the results of CT & bone scan then a suitable treatment plan can be put in place.
Metastatic breast cancer is rarely able to be cured, but often it can still be controlled for a long time - treatment aims to shrink, stop, or slow its growth.
The course of anyone’s illness can’t be predicted - metastatic disease is very unpredictable. The goal is to put cancer into remission and to keep it there as long as possible in order to prolong your life.
At the moment, the medical profession doesn’t know of anything that can guarantee a cure for metastatic breast cancer. However, new therapies are continuously being developed, so there’s reason to hope that one day metastatic breast cancer can be converted into a chronic disease.
You don’t know yet what the x-ray ‘bright spot’ on vertebra is… if it does turn out to be mets only in that area, then there is a good chance it can be effectively treated.
Very best wishes,
Jen x
hi Lucky Girl,
There are a lot of us ‘boney girls’ on the forum and we have a special thread going where a number of us post. You may find i helpful to read through some of them - but a warning: there are hundreds of posts!!! But they will lift your spirits and the strength and hope and courage you will find there. Some of us have been living with secondary bone mets for many years now. Like yourself I can remember as if it was yesterday the feelings that I had when I was told I had bone mets. I really thought like you that this was it - my days were now numbered. But I can tell you I have been more surprised that I could ever have imagined. I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1990 and did have many recurrences up until 2002 when I was then diagnosed with bone mets. They had spread throughout my body and were very extensive and yet I am still here. I hope the new will be the very best for you and that it might not be bone mets at all - but if your worst fears are confirmed then take courage from those of us living with this.
The link to the bone mets thread in case you can’t find it is:
Dawn
xx
Thank You Ladies for all your kind words of support. I am pleased to hear there are treatments and will try to keep positive and hope for the best.
Hi Lucky Gal, sorry that you are going through such a worrying time. Can I just add that I was found to have “hotspots” on my spine after a bone scan. These were investigated with an MRI - I was told that if you have had bc they have to do this, just to find out whether the hotspot is related.
Mine, very fortunately, was not. They told me it was slightly collapsed discs and osteoarthritis - general wear and tear with age.
So, just to say, hope this is the outcome for you. Not all hotspots turn out to be mets. Bone scans are notoriously over-sensitive and produce lots of “false positives” (things which look as though they may be something so need investigation, but turn out to be something else).
Fingers crossed for you x
Hi All
I had a bone scan last week after having niggling back pain since October. I just got in from work tonight when I had a call from the breast clinic to let me know there were abnormalities on the scan on my ribs and spine. I have to have a CT scan next. I was diagnosed first in 2008 and had mastectomy with recon, was diagnosed with local and regional recurrance 12 months later and had chemo, rads and been on tamox since. I thought I was heading towards the 5 year landmark with flying colours! It’s nice to know I’m not alone, at these times it’s easy to feel that way, and very reassuring to read all the positive posts.
Thanks everyone
Kirsten
Hi
Just to echo all the others. I was diagnosed with bone mets (in my spine) in October last year. I did have a bit of excitement with spinal compression, but now I am on an oral chemo and some bone strengthening meds. My back is feeling loads better.
I was on Tamoxifen too, but I think my cancer wasn’t ER+ enough for it to do what it was supposed to. The onc did try me on Letrozole (and an implant to stop my ovaries), but that didn’t make things better, so it is the oral chemo.
When I was about to have surgery for spinal compression (the excitement in my first paragraph), the lovely surgeon said that the surgery was worth it becuase I could have 10, 20 or more years of active life. I like those numbers (and my surgeon for saying it). I haven’t asked my onc for a prognosis, but from reading on here, it is difficult to guess anyway and there are many ladies on herre who have had bone mets for years.
Sue
Hi to anyone newly diagnosed with bone mets or anyone going through the awful time of waiting for scans and results. I have been living with bone mets for ten years. I was diagnosed with bone mets and breast cancer at the same time when I had a spontaneous hip fracture in my early 40’s. Had a marvellous, trouble free hip replacement. I had bone mets to my spine and elsewhere…still here and I have had years of stability at times, take care…xx
Well, I have my bone scan tomorrow, 12.15 for the dye injection then 4pm for the scan. Think I am going to have to have lots of pain killers and diazepam to get me through it. I have felt SO grumpy today and am so stressed! I have the results this Thursday to the bone and CT scan and I just feel like not going for the results and running away instead. I don’t want to burden my Husband with all this again. It’s so unfair. We are such a happy couple and have been together for 23 years and this is horrible. I have to find the strength to get through this somehow. If any of you have any tips I’d appreciate them xx
Thinking of you Lucky Gal x