Breast Cancer / Brittle Bone

[nailit]

A few weeks ago my mum broke her humerus bone. She did nothing more strenuous than turning around to flush the toilet and it snapped. She had an op and spent a couple of weeks in a care home (came back home on Monday).
Ive since been told that having had breast cancer (which was diagnosed and treated 4 years ago) that she would also be more likely to develop bone cancer around the upper arm area. (first time ive ever heard of that) She has had some tests done while been treated for the broken bone and has an appointment on Friday to go back see the surgeon and (hopefully) the results will be back.

Given the ease in which the bone snapped, is it looking likely that it IS bone cancer? If so what would be the likelihood of any further cancer treatment at her age (84) and the fact that she also has kidney failure and heart problems?

Not looking for any kind of sympathy here BTW, just need to be prepared.
Thanks guys.

[nailit]

Thank you for additional replies, much appreciated guys.

[237SJ]

Was it a bone scan your Mum had (not DEXA scan)? Has she had tests to check her blood calcium levels? Those tend to be the defining tests to see if there is breast cancer in the bones

[nailit]

Thanks for reply 237, not sure what the scan was. Shes up the hospital this morning to see the surgeon and hopefully will get her blood results at the same time, presumably they have tested for calcium levels as well.
Thanks for reply.

[NoMercy]

It's usually nuclear medicine bone scan to determine if there's any cancer in the bones.

Dexa scans do not look for cancer in the bones, they measure bone mineral density and tell you if you are osteopaenic or osteoporotic.

[waterboatman]

Correct NM, Vera had both, but didn't develop bone cancer, but did have a secondary to the first cancer. Being a secondary, it's not treatable.

[Peter Pedant]

I think at least someone should say
merci - no mercy

as in thx for posting a clear position on where treatment of ca breast is now - twenty years ago my mother only had tamox. - oh and a lumpectomy which just about killed her - as she also had aortic stenosis from rheumatic fever she had forgotten about in 1915. - and wh they found post op.......

[Sqad]

WBM.....metastatic breast cancer IS treatable, but not curable.

[waterboatman]

That's correct sqad. She did indeed have treatment, until she'd had enough. I could have phrased that better. Thanks for doing it for me. :o}