Hi Sam. I'm so sorry your wife is going thru such issues; much more than I had imagined. Having a bit of her history now it becomes much clearer. I've had the same base of skull and C2 - C7 issues. They have waffled between 2 spots that lit up on my bone scan, thinking metastasis to arthritis. I also have compressed discs but have not, thankfully, suffered any fractures. I don't have any real experience in that area but it sounds like her doctors are on top of it with treatments to try to control the pain. As far as the radiation, they were thinking of doing my neck but decided to wait and see if there are any changes. They had forewarned me that there would be some temporary side-effects to the Esophagus (a couple weeks of a burning type feeling). I know others who have had radiation to other areas of the spine/ribs that unfortunately have that same effect along with some heartburn type feeling. We are all different though and as such may or may not suffer the same effects.
I do not have LDH or CEA tests. Also, I was diagnosed stage 4 in April of 2019 although I had never been early-stage.
Feel free to communicate if you like or if your wife would like someone to talk to.
Peggie