Hallow Dear,
I am indeed empathize your feelings about your secondaries in the bones. You have been operated for
breast cancer three years ago. You have not mentioned whether you have received any
chemotherapy or radiotherapy after the initial surgery for the primary cancer.
Now metastasis in bone indicates stage IV cancer. Since it is localized only in one place; i.e. the vertebra, your
oncologist may prefer to give you radiotherapy to kill the cancer cells in the vertebra. You may be given chemotherapy after it.
In fact if you submit yourself for PAT scan, all the sites which cannot be seen in routine scan may be located wherever the cancer cells have spread and then the further line of action can be planned.
Please do not loose your heart. The doctors will do the best to offer you the most comfortable life in this situation. After all, no one is born with jacket of immortality. May be if this is the only place where the metastasis has spread, it can be controlled by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Then you can have more years to see. You have lived your life satisfactorily so far. Please do not think how many days are left since no one knows that. Think positively of the day you are living in. You will live happily with this attitude.
The palliative therapy you will be offered will keep you symptomless.
I hope this boosts up your moral.
Dr. Nishikant Shrotri