Marion’s bone cancer scare

Marion shares her relief after a cancer scare turned out to be Paget’s Disease.

In 2019, I had a routine x-ray to identify the cause of chronic back pain. I was getting on in years and thought it was quite normal to have aches and pains, especially in the spine. You can imagine my shock when the radiology report stated that the degeneration in my T7 vertebrae could be lymphoma or cancer that had spread from another part of my body (metastasis)! I was sent for further CT imaging which also showed metastasis, possibly Paget’s Disease, and was recommended further imaging plus a bone scan.

It wasn’t until 2022, after two cancer diagnoses quite unrelated to my spine, that the imaging in my T7 vertebrae was finally identified as Paget’s. I was very happy to finally get this diagnosis as I didn’t have to go through a spinal biopsy! Since then, I have had three zoledronic acid infusions, which also treated my osteoporosis. So far, I am happy to report that my Paget’s disease is in remission. 

I am so grateful to the Paget’s Association for being there for me during this very stressful time in my life. I live in Canada and my family doctor had never had a patient diagnosed with Paget’s, but I have been able to access ongoing support through Zoom meetings and emails with the Association, for which I am very grateful!

Sincerely,
Marion