Need advice. Lesion found at T9

Hi,

Stay calm. Can you tell me/us where you are?

Cindy Caporaso

Don't panic, but act quickly, especially if you have symptoms like numbness or trouble balancing

I had a spinal lesion at T3 in 2021, and it rapidly compressed my spinal cord and left me paralysed from the ribs down (it took emergency debulking surgery, metal rods and cement in my spine, and 2 years of hard rehab to recover about 80% of my previous mobility and sensation).

After wasting a month on GP and physio appointments and x-rays as my back pain and balance got worse, the way I got help was limping into the emergency room at the hospital and telling them I had trouble balancing and was losing sensation in my toes.

Things happened fast after that — CT, x-rays, MRI, biopsy, bone scan, and in a few days (when I suddenly lost use of my legs completely) the emergency surgery and post-op radiation to clean up the rest of the lesion (followed by radiation to the primary cancer 6 months later)

I didn't leave hospital for 3½ months, which was tough, and I spent 9 months in a wheelchair, but going into the ER and insisting on help saved a lot of my mobility and probably saved my life.

I do have to live with stage 4 prostate cancer, which isn't curable, but the latest meds are keeping it in full remission. I'll never go jogging or run up the stairs again, and I still have a lot of numb spots below my ribs, but I can walk, shovel snow, garden, and even ride a bicycle, all thanks to getting help quickly and a very good cancer centre in my (Canadian) city, I'm looking forward to a long and happy life ahead.

I'm not saying this will happen to you, but definitely take it seriously.

@5333 I imagine the news about hypodense lesion in your spinal T9 was shocking and upsetting for you. Since the radiologist did not make a diagnosis from the MRI (is that correct? Or is there a diagnosis?) I am going to presume that cancer could not be ruled out and so this is why additional testing was likely recommended. This does not mean that the hypodense lesion is cancer - it means that the radiologist is alerting the doctor who ordered the MRI (your GP) to follow up with a referral to a specialist who will examine you and do more testing.

Now the question is where to go next. I'm surprised that your GP did not make a referral to a specialist. If cancer is suspected then it would make sense to refer to oncology.

You did not mention your symptoms and why the MRI was ordered by your GP. Are you having pain? Numbness? Tingling?

Knowing your location will help me and other members make suggestions on where to seek out specialist care to follow up on the MRI finding. Do you reside in the U.S.? Canada? Overseas?

Laramie Wyoming

Thanks, ER ordered the MRI - symptoms are pain headache extreme weakness, dizziness, inability to stand long periods, painful in Tspine to walk much, bladder issues. Primary diagnosis is axial psoriatic arthritis so these symptoms have been explained by that to this point for months now but it’s worse. The ER is small, hospital has not many doctors/we are rural. They told me GP needed to take over but she said she doesn’t know where to send me. I have a doc that does pain steroid injections but his office says he doesn’t handle this. I’m in Laramie Wyoming. A nurse at the hospital has ordered a bone scan for tomorrow, I spoke with them and they were able to get one thru insurance stat.
I’m not sure if that’s all the info you asked ?

Hi in Laramie:
Since you know that you have a lesion but don’t know if it is cancerous, you need an excellent clinic like Mayo to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. If it is cancerous you have no time to waste, and since you don’t know, you have no time to waste waiting for your primary care doc to make a referral. At least go to some of the best to determine what you are up against. Best wishes and don’t let your anxiety rob you of your ability to take action.

@5333, the scintigraphy (bone scan) tomorrow will let you know. https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-a-lesion-296957 There are too many choices. I'm voting for the simplest and the most easily resolved cause. Find out how soon the film will be read and ask for the CD right away. Results generally take several days. You could ask if there is a way to expedite the reading. The wait can drive you mad ! with research and guessing. I would retrieve the reading from the hospital as soon as it is read.
wishing you luck

Thanks. I was told by a nurse that MRI shows more than bone scan but bone scan will show spread. But that’s nurse comment only so thx. It seems that may have been inaccurate on her part. I think the most difficult part is lack of seeing a qualified doctor which is the case in rural spots sometimes. Appreciate ur input. I’m learning more here than at my GP office actually. Luckily the film will be read same day they said.

@5333 I also live in a rural area and so some of my choices are limited. I got to Green Bay, WI (3 hours by car) for some of my care however my cancer care was set up at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN where I continue to go.

I agree with some of the other members who have suggested that you should consider going to a larger medical center. Laramie, Wyoming is just about 2 hours away from Denver. If you were my relative then I'd be strongly suggesting you go to Denver for speciality care. Quite frankly I don't even get an MRI or CT scan at my local hospital because the radiology services are contracted outside of the area by our for-profit hospital system. So, I don't trust the radiologist's reports. I do trust the radiology reports I see at Mayo Clinic.

You are already scheduled for the bone scan. Depending on what that shows, if you decide on getting additional care please ask your GP to locate a medical practice in Denver where you can be referred. The University of Colorado is an NCI (National Cancer Institute) designed comprehensive cancer care center.

University of Colorado Cancer Care Center:

-- https://www.cancer.gov/research/infrastructure/cancer-centers/find/ucolorado

Will you please come back and let me know the results of the bone scan?

Yes thanks so much.