My friend recently had a bone-scan which they said looked like cancer in her spine..The bone marrow biopsy says no cancer...There are tiny holes in her bones, now going to do other tests..She is in bad pain, is there still a possibility she could have cancer and the bone marrow test missed it? The Oncologist has no idea what is going on
Good-evening. Bone marrow usually have a patchy involvement with cancer, and it is quite possible for a marrow biopsy to miss the cancer. Ideal way is to do a CT guided bone biopsy rather than a marrow biopsy. Also, a PET-CT scan will be an ideal test to look out for the origin of cancer, that is, the primary site from where the cancer is originating as it will help the doctor to sort out the final treatment.