Is a bone abnormality ever NOT cancer?

[Beckadillo]

I'm in a state of dizzying panic and am looking for anything to pin my hope on right now.

I've had mild, throbbing arm pain for a couple of months, which I assumed was something muscular and passing. Finally asked GP who said it's bone pain and sent me for an x ray. I was called yesterday to be told that an area of 'abnormality' has been found, and that I've been referred for an MRI, which will probably take a couple of weeks.

I'm not by nature a panicky person, and am aware that google always dishes up the worst news so have been avoiding the bone cancer pages, but when I tried to find anything at all that this could be, other than cancer, I couldn't find a thing. No heat or fever so not an infection, no injury or fracture, and bone spurs seem to be for youngsters only (I'm early-forties), wrong symptoms and age for a cyst.

Does anyone have any experience of this situation, that didn't result in a bone cancer diagnosis? I didn't sleep more than a few minutes last night, and am finding it very hard to hold it together. I have three young DSs who are very demanding (naturally) and we're moving house in a few weeks (out of the area entirely, to a new town with no support network) but the idea of cracking on with all that's needed with this hanging over me is currently unbearable.

Advice or hand holding very much appreciated...

My friend had a large benign tumour in her thigh, mid thirties. All tests were pointing to cancer until the biopsy.

I hope you get your appointments through quickly, the waiting is agony.

autumngold was it in his bone, do you mind me asking? If so, was it found due to pain?

Bravas glad your friend was ok, wish I could skip to the biopsy part (if needed). I'm pretty good at acting on things that are negatively affecting/worrying me, this helplessness is so frustrating!

I had bad pain in both arms, doctor wasn't concerned but was baffled to what it was. Lasted about 6 months at its worst, now it's only mild and manageable.

My son had similar and the dr even said in the appointment when we saw him it might be a tumour! X-ray showed a mass. Clearly we went in to panic mode, anyway scan showed it to be a dense part of his bone that will always cause him pain on and off and it's called 'Boney island' there was a proper medical term but that's the slang for it. There are so many other things that the big C. Hand hold for you though - keep us posted

osteomyelitis
osteoporosis
calcinoma
stress fracture...

You could have a non displaced stress fracture which would cause pain and would only show up on XRay after it had begun to heal.

oh and tubercolosis.
hope the reason is found and it's benign whatever it is.

I have to ask, what's it like living with a GP Diane? Is it as good as I'd imagine having a health guru on tap?

troubleatmill would you mind telling me how/why it was found? Sounds like it's unusual for bone islands to be symptomatic (though you do say it's caused your son pain, is there a pattern to that?). How horrible for you to have thought that a DC had cancer, that must be a particularly vile circle of hell...

A typical displaced fracture is unlikely as the pain was slow-building, and I can't think of anything that would have caused it (also the x-ray didn't show a fracture).

Stress fractures are apparently extremely rare in the humerus, but am now wondering whether my summer health kick, which involved many, many plank exercises might have been enough to do some weird-looking damage, especially if I've had low calcium levels in the past? I have a phone appt booked with GP in the morning, shall definitely ask about stress fractures and bone islands.

Thanks again to all you kind folk, for hand-holding and advice

My colleague at work had pain in her upper arm for months and it turned out to be coming from her neck. I know there is something on the X-ray but could turn out to be a normal anomaly.

I had a lot of pain in my lower shin when I was at university. Years before I had injured that leg and wondered if it was still affected. GP did X Ray and found abnormality, referred for I think a CT rather than MRI scan. Turned out to be what they described as a hole in the bone, they said nothing to worry about and not related to either the injury or the pain. I never found out the cause of the pain. That part of my leg still feels a bit funny sometimes. So in the absence or presence of pain, or previous injury, you could I think still have a benign abnormality in the bone. This is the thing about investigations...they reveal all kinds of things that often turn out to be red herrings.

Hi , Beckadillo, no problem at all. Found after he was suffering pain in his lower arm and he had it x-rayed to determine if any small fracture as kids can be rough and tumble obviously. No fracture but GP called us in as they saw a mass on the X-ray and he said could be a tumour, he was so matter of fact in front of my DS I was distraught! We were referred to a specialist who scanned and confirmed Boney island. He was suffering pain on and off local to that area like he has fractured it. He hasn't complained of late so I think it is something ad-hoc. There can be some many other things and bone cancer as i understand is fairly rare. Hugs and

Hi Beckadillo, sorry for the delay in replying. My husband's benign bone tumour was in his tibia. It was diagnosed after pain. It was an osteochondroma which is usually more common in young people but he was 51. Try not to worry, easier said than done I know! Hope all goes well for you, keep us updated.

Got an enchondroma tumour in one of my bones. It's a benign tumour. Since it broke the bone there's been no issues x

I meant to add that my husband hasn't needed any treatment. The benign tumour stopped growing. He finds that his leg aches occasionally in that area but other than that he is fit and well. Six years on he's still very active, a keen cyclist who regularly does 100 mile rides! He had the area re scanned fairly recently and the tumour hadn't grown any further.

Thank you troubleatmill, goodness me some GPs could do with a lesson in bedside manner... you'd think there would be strict policy on how to deliver diagnoses like that when kids are involved! What a relief that it wasn't too serious after all.

autumngold good to hear (though very sorry for what your DH went through, obviously) that benign tumours can on occasion be linked with pain, and in those over 30, those two factors had me particularly worried.

baylisiana I've never heard of holes in bones like that, it's good to be reminded that there are masses of things I've never heard of, that could show up on an x-ray and be totally unrelated to the pain (which I'm still hoping could be to do with the stiff neck I've been suffering from for ages, as with PJ67's friend).

WiMoChi, must have been pretty alarming to have to cope with broken bone plus tumour discovery at the same time, glad to hear there have been no further issues.

You've all done a great job at reminding me there's so much that I don't know and that google can't tell me (preferring as it does to dish out doom-laden prophecies for any given symptom). Even though I'm still loathing this terrible waiting, and know that cancer is a bastard that can spring on any of us at any time, your stories have stopped me focussing only on worst-case scenarios, so I can crack on with making the kids' tea! Thank you...

My dd had a lot of pain with her benign tumour so they definitely can cause pain.

DD has a bone spur in her leg, no idea of proper medical name. It feels like a hard lump under her skin and causes occasional low grade pain.
Good luck with your tests

Glad we've been of some help Beckadillo, I've found with Google I can match my symptoms to almost anything!! I've done so, on so many occasions over the years. Pls let us know how you get on

Beckadillo

Did you find out what was wrong with your arm in the end? Hope you're okay.