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Having Pain In Hip, Ibuprofen Did Not Help. X-ray Showed Spot On Pelvic Bone. Is It Cancer?
Posted on
Wed, 22 May 2013
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 22 May 2013
Answered on
Wed, 19 Jun 2013
Last reviewed on
Question : I have been having pain in my hip for about two months. It does not get better or worse. I cannot produce the pain; it does not appear to be positional, and it is worse at night. It wakes me up while I am sleeping. Ibuprofen does not help much. The pain wells up deep inside the joint and then subsides many times throughout the night. Less during the day. I am 64, in good health except high cholesterol. Only take Estrace which I apply twice a week. Went to the doctor for my hip and xrays showed a "spot" on my pelvic bone. I have to get more tests. Now I am getting uclers worrying that I might have cancer. Can you tell me what could cause a "spot" on my xrays?
Hello and welcome to XXXXXXX
Thank you for writing to us.
Do not worry, I will help you through this with as much information as you need to best understand your condition and situation. The 'spot' is referred to as a hypodense region on an x-ray film. A hypodense region is most often non-cancerous. Let me list some of the most common causes for a hypodense region on an x-ray film are:
-Infections
-Bone cysts
-Gas from the bowels causing a shadow
-Bone ossification center
-Avascular necrosis (loss of blood supply to bone)
-Bone infarction
-Multiple myeloma
-Cancer (eg. osteosarcoma)- although rare, they can easily be identified on an x XXXXXXX as they appear differently (eg. without clear margins)
Do not worry, cancer is most rare possibility from all the conditions I have listed above. Your doctor has asked for more detailed investigations, go ahead with this, as these will be very helpful in completely ruling out cancer.
I wish you lots of luck. Please do write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you.
Best wishes.
Thank you for writing to us.
Do not worry, I will help you through this with as much information as you need to best understand your condition and situation. The 'spot' is referred to as a hypodense region on an x-ray film. A hypodense region is most often non-cancerous. Let me list some of the most common causes for a hypodense region on an x-ray film are:
-Infections
-Bone cysts
-Gas from the bowels causing a shadow
-Bone ossification center
-Avascular necrosis (loss of blood supply to bone)
-Bone infarction
-Multiple myeloma
-Cancer (eg. osteosarcoma)- although rare, they can easily be identified on an x XXXXXXX as they appear differently (eg. without clear margins)
Do not worry, cancer is most rare possibility from all the conditions I have listed above. Your doctor has asked for more detailed investigations, go ahead with this, as these will be very helpful in completely ruling out cancer.
I wish you lots of luck. Please do write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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