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Had Breast Cancer. CT Scan Sowed Myeloma. Chances Of Cancer?

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Posted on Mon, 3 Jun 2013
Question: My 76 yr old mother who is a breast cancer survivor recently had a CT scan after a fall. The "findings" seem to be opposities of each other. The findings states: 1. "No acute intercranial abnormality". 2. "Lucencies throughtout the calvarioum and skull base could be mets or myeloma XXXXXXX The first one seems to indicate everything is fine but the second refers to cancer.
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Answered by Dr. Rohan Khandelwal (26 minutes later)
Dear Ma'am,

Sorry to hear about your mother's condition. As the CT was done after a fall, the radiologist wanted to rule out any acute problem inside the brain like a hemorrahge (bleed) or a fracture and so he has reported that there is no acute problem.
In addition he has seen some lesions in the base of the skull and parts of brain which look like metastasis (chronic problem and not related to the fall). This must have certainly caused some confusion for you.
Now that some lesions have been detected, it is important to see whether they are actually mets (considering her history of breast cancer) or inflammatory lesions (due to cysticercosis or TB - which seems unlikely).
She should visit her oncologist and schedule a PET CT scan, which would give the definitive answer.
If it turns out to be mets, she would require chemotherapy and maybe hormonal therapy (depending on the hormone receptor profile).

Hoping for the best. Please feel free to clarify any other query.

Rohan Khandelwal
Breast Oncologist
WWW.WWWW.WW
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Follow up: Dr. Rohan Khandelwal (5 days later)
My mom (had an abnormal CT Scan) has an appt with an Onocologist Wednesday and her primary dr had drawn blood for possible cancer markers. We received the results today but I have no idea what they indicate.
Some are normal & some are abnormal.
results:
Caldium COPC: normal limits
Albumin COPC: normal limits
Total Protein: normal limits
CBCwith differential COPC: abnormal
Creatinine COPC: normal limits
Immunofixation, Serum: abnormal
CA-125: abnormal
CA27-29: abnormal
CEA: abnormal
Immunoglobulins, Serum: abnormal

All of the above summaries has more details of each and if you need to know a specific detail for any let me know.
When my mom had her abnormal CT Scan the radiologist thought the lucencies throughout the calvarium and skull base could be mets or myeloma. The drs office said thb MM test takes a week to get results. Does these test indicate any grounds for the original diag?
Thanks, Don
doctor
Answered by Dr. Rohan Khandelwal (4 hours later)
Dear Ma'am,

Thank you for sharing the reports with me. From the blood reports, it is is quite clear that she is suffering from metastasis and cancer but as most of her cancer markers are abonormal, it is difficult to comment what kind of cancer is she suffering from. It is for that reason that the doctor is ordering the MM test (be ause of abnormal immunoglobulins). This test would reveal the presence or absence of MM and the treatment can be started accordingly.
Treatment for MM is chemotherapy. Multiple myeloma is known to give rise to such mets in the brain and skull and it is better that it is ruled out.

Hoping for the best.

Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Dr. Rohan Khandelwal

Oncologist, Surgical

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 576 Questions

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Had Breast Cancer. CT Scan Sowed Myeloma. Chances Of Cancer?

Dear Ma'am,

Sorry to hear about your mother's condition. As the CT was done after a fall, the radiologist wanted to rule out any acute problem inside the brain like a hemorrahge (bleed) or a fracture and so he has reported that there is no acute problem.
In addition he has seen some lesions in the base of the skull and parts of brain which look like metastasis (chronic problem and not related to the fall). This must have certainly caused some confusion for you.
Now that some lesions have been detected, it is important to see whether they are actually mets (considering her history of breast cancer) or inflammatory lesions (due to cysticercosis or TB - which seems unlikely).
She should visit her oncologist and schedule a PET CT scan, which would give the definitive answer.
If it turns out to be mets, she would require chemotherapy and maybe hormonal therapy (depending on the hormone receptor profile).

Hoping for the best. Please feel free to clarify any other query.

Rohan Khandelwal
Breast Oncologist
WWW.WWWW.WW