I'm interested in conversations about and I want to talk about
Know exactly what you want?
Show search

Notification

Error

Anxious wait

Email this conversation Print this conversation
User
Posted 07 Jan 2017 at 10:19
Thank you for reading this. We are in the very early stages and prostate cancer hadn't been confirmed yet but my heads spinning and could do with advice. My dad had vowel cancer two years ago and had everything removed (no chemo as it hadn't spread to lymph nodes) he's been suffering with sudden pain and numbness in his hip/leg and had an MRI before Xmas. It showed a lesion on his spine and they queried bone mets. He's just had a bone scan which shows hot spots on his hip, leg, one bit of his rib and two spots on his spine. They're questioning prostate cancer at the moment. Dads had a PSA blood test and gets results Wednesday. He hasn't been referred yet to see a consultant bug I'm assuming GP will wait for PSA results. Dad can't have a prostrate examination because he no longer has a rectum. I'm confused as to why this hasn't been picked up earlier because he had a CT and MRI 12 months ago as screening following his bowel op.

Feeling so worried for dad, as I've read if its spread the prognosis is not good. My dads been through so much I can't believe it. Mum also had lymphoma last year (she's in remission) but my family have had just about enough of cancer.

Sorry for rambling. Any advice about what we should ask next week when dad gets his PSA result. I just want him referred to hospital now, as there's obviously something and I would feel better once it's out of the gps hands and with oncology.

Thank you for listening, Amanda

User
Posted 07 Jan 2017 at 10:59

Hi Flora, the quickest way for them to determine whether the mets are from his bowel or prostate (or somewhere else entirely) will be that PSA test so the lack of a DRE is not going to make much difference. Presumably you would want dad to go back to the same oncologist that treated his bowel cancer, in which case you may not have to go through a new referral - only. 2 years on from the surgery I imagine he is still on their books? Or perhaps that oncologist doesn't deal with urological cancers?

I can understand why you are so devastated but in a weird way it may be a blessing if it turns out that these are prostate cancer mets as the treatment is quite different to bowel cancer spread. We have men with bone mets who are still here 4, 5 or even 10 or more years after diagnosis - hormone treatment (HT) doesn't work for every man but it does work for most.

If the PSA is high, they may bypass doing a biopsy and go straight for hormone treatment and if the hospital is involved with newer treatment regimes they may also offer early chemo which seems in trials to be making the HT more effective.

How old is he?

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 07 Jan 2017 at 22:06
Thank you for responding. My dads 69 years old. Hopefully once the PSA is back he'll get referred to the appropriate team. He wasn't under an oncologist for his bowel cancer. A colorectal surgeon took care of him and sees him every six months. He didn't need chemo as they said the cancer hadn't spread to lymph nodes. Dads feeling really tough right now. He's been given morphine for the bone pain he's having, although some days he says it feels ok. I'm struggling to get my head around how it could be prostate cancer because he had screening ct and MRI scans after his op 18 months ago and I thought prostate was slow growing. Once we know Wednesday about the PSA result at least we'll be clearer whether it's prostate or something else not picked up. Things just seem so slow at this point and it's frustrating. Just want a diagnosis and treatment plan for dad. Thank you again, if it is prostate then at least I'll have somewhere to come for advice andinformation for him. Appreciate you reading this X
User
Posted 07 Jan 2017 at 22:18

It is often but not always slow growing - bear in mind that millions of cells are needed to make a tumour large enough to show on a scan so it could have been there 18 months ago but too tiny to show up.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 12 Jan 2017 at 20:23
Hi all

My dad saw his GP today and his PSA was 195. GP said they're 99.9% certain it's prostate cancer. He's had a two week referral now to Oncology. GP was surprised dads having no symptoms, other than the aching due to bone mets. I'm really scared at how high the PSA is. I'll be going to the Oncology appointment with dad and will be finding out as much as we can. Thank you Amanda

User
Posted 12 Jan 2017 at 20:56

Yes, they may decide that there is no need to put him through a biopsy and will perhaps put him straight onto hormone treatment (HT) instead. It is high but it isn't dreadful and since you already know it is in the bones, it isn't that surprising - we have had members up in the thousands (in one case 13000) who are still around - for some men the HT is very effective for a long time.

The HT will stop testosterone production which in turn starves the cancer and makes the tumours shrink. No food = no growth. Starving the cancer should also reduce the bone pain. Eventually the cancer learns to survive without testosterone but hopefully this will be many years down the line for your dad and even then there are other treatments that can be used.

They may also offer him early chemo as said above.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 12 Jan 2017 at 21:27
Thank you so much. I really appreciate your response. In passing this info onto my dad, as he's not tech savvy so relies on me. I'm just relieved he's been referred onto a specialist now, so they'll get some kind of treatment plan in place. He seemed in a better mood this afternoon, despite the bad news, and said he feels better that he knows what it is now. Thank you again for replying, it really means a lot. I've used various forums for my dads bowel cancer and mums lymphoma over the last few years, they're invaluable! Take care Amanda
 
Forum Jump  
Email this conversation Print this conversation

Similar Topics

Anxious wait for biopsy results by EB100
in Being diagnosed with prostate cancer

Join the online community now.

Click through to become a member and gain access to support, information and real time replies.




MenuTop ▲
©2024 Prostate Cancer UK