I am not aware of any connection between lytic lesions and anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications. If in addition to blood and urine studies, a bone marrow biopsy shows no evidence of multiple myeloma, the diagnosis of multiple myeloma would be highly unlikely, and other potential causes should be investigated. Lytic lesions — spots where bone tissue has been destroyed — can be seen in other cancers, including breast cancer, lung cancer and kidney cancer. They can also be seen with infections of bone and even in some benign conditions. Taking a biopsy of one of the lytic lesions may help with your diagnosis. Q2. After a stem cell transplant, I had three and a half years of complete response. As there was no detectable disease during this time period, why did my body not repair the many lytic lesions I have? Yearly skeletal surveys showed no further degradation but no improvement was noted either. Pathological fractures have healed so something’s still working in there. Lytic lesions are essentially the hollowed-out holes where your cancer formerly existed. They are created when the cancer cells stimulate normal cells called osteoclasts to break down bone tissue in a process called resorption. After your cancer is gone, it is the job of the osteoblasts to rebuild the bone. This process can be very slow, taking possibly decades. It is very likely that the lytic lesions in your bones may never disappear completely on your scans. Learn more in the Everyday Health Multiple Myeloma Center.
