Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : October 13, 2017 1:38 PM IST
Timely diagnosis and treatment can help get rid of breast cancer and also prevent a recurrence. The earlier you get it out, the less the chances are of the cancer cells moving through the bloodstream or the lymph nodes and metastasis in another organ or site, in other words, causing a recurrence. But there are times when a recurrence happens despite treatment and therapy being provided on time. It is usually picked up during a physical examination done by the doctor during a follow-up session or a scheduled mammogram test. However, there are certain signs and symptoms that could be indicative about the same. This is a reason why doctors always advise patients to report about any symptom that makes them suspicious repeated cough and cold, loss of appetite, fever, etc. Sometimes the symptom can be a bit unusual too, like having a back or spinal pain all of a sudden. Here are eight unusual signs of breast cancer recurrence that you should know.
Now, back pain is not considered to be a hallmark of cancer symptom, but this can be a sign that the cancer has spread from the local site to the spine. For a breast cancer survivor, any back and neck pain complain should be evaluated with urgency to check for a recurrence, especially if the pain persists in the upper back (thoracic spine) and not the lower back (cervical and lumbar spine). Breast cancer recurrence is most common in the bone, lungs, liver or the brain. Here is everything you needed to know about breast cancer recurrence.
Back pain and cancer recurrence
When it comes to back or spinal pain, the area of the origin, the intensity of the pain goes a long way in asserting the severity of the tumour progression. Precisely, the pain can manifest itself in three different ways being suggestive of a recurrence:
Local or biological pain: This kind of pain is generally characterised as a persistent deep aching which isn t triggered by any activity and gets worse at night. This kind of pain could be due to tumour growth or tumour-induced inflammation. It can also lead to tenderness in the area. This kind of pain can be treated with corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory medications, and tumoricidal treatments. Can breast cancer recurrence happen in the same breast?
Radicular pain: This kind of pain happens if a tumour has infiltrated enough to cause compression and or irritation of the never roots. It represents itself spreading like a band in the area where it has originated and is usually described as a burning or shooting pain. Effective treatments for radicular pain include surgical nerve root decompression, conventional or stereotactic radiotherapy, or even neuroleptic medications.
Mechanical pain: Mechanical back pain due to breast cancer metastasis causes spinal instability and is aggravated with movement, activity, or activities that puts a pressure on the spine, such as during sitting or standing. Mechanical pain is important to recognize as patients generally cannot find relief with medication or radiation therapy and often require bracing or surgical stabilization.
This is why it is important to report about your back pain during a follow-up after breast cancer treatment.
A CT scan, an MRI, a PET CT scan or skeletal scintigraphy is done to know the location and severity of a tumour. Treating metastasis depends on the diagnosis of a tumour and usually, a surgery or radiation or both are done to treat the cancer.
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Reference:
Ju, D. G., Yurter, A., Gokaslan, Z. L., & Sciubba, D. M. (2014). Diagnosis and surgical management of breast cancer metastatic to the spine. World journal of clinical oncology, 5(3), 263.
