How is metastatic breast cancer in bones diagnosed?
In most cases, your doctor will begin with a discussion of your symptoms and a physical examination.
Diagnostic testing may include blood tests to know if your blood contains excess calcium or alkaline phosphatase (ALP), either of which can be increased because of bone metastasis. But this can also be caused by other conditions. It is impossible to confirm metastatic breast cancer from blood tests alone.
In some cases, an X-ray can reveal bone metastasis. But other times, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following imaging tests to look for signs that cancer has reached bone:
- Bone scan: A bone scan is a form of nuclear medicine test. Prior to the scan, a little amount of a radioactive substance is injected into a vein. This allows cancer to show up as dark areas or “hot spots”on the scans.
- Computerized tomography (CT) scan: A CT scan combines X-ray and computer technology to give cross-sectional images. It can show the inside of a specific bone or area of bone.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. MRI uses radio waves and a magnetic field instead of X-rays to develop detailed images of specific bones.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) scan. A PET scan is a nuclear imaging test. Radioactive tracers allow cancer cells to appear as bright spots on the scans.
- Bone biopsy. In some cases, your doctor may recommend a bone biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and get more data about cancer. Metastatic cancer in your bones may have different attributes from primary breast cancer. This information can help know which treatments can offer lasting solutions.