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Dad recently diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer - what happens now?

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User
Posted 29 Jan 2017 at 20:52
Hi everyone, my dad was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer last week, he's 58 years old and in pretty good health. He has had a bone scan which showed that the cancer has spread to his bones, he has had an MRI scan today and is having a biopsy tomorrow. Does anyone know what we can expect to happen in the coming weeks? I imagine that he will be put onto medication and will start chemo as soon as possible, but at present we have no idea of any of his scores so we feel completely in limbo with what to expect. We know that the cancer is not curable, and on the surface we are trying to stay positive but the unknown is terrifying.

Thank you all in advance for any advice!

Sarah

Edited by member 29 Jan 2017 at 21:07  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 29 Jan 2017 at 21:05
Hi Sarah

I'm sure this is a worrying time for you.

I'm a relative newbie to this forum and have been on a steep learning curve since November last year. Your dad's circumstances are different than mine so I don't have the relevant knowledge to comment. What I would say though is to make good use of the specialist nurses from PCUK. They are caring and informative people who will take the time to listen to your worries and answer your questions.

There are splendid people on this forum who will also share their thoughts with you. You've come to the right place.

Ulsterman

User
Posted 29 Jan 2017 at 22:22

Check out the profiles of some of the members who were dx with advanced PCa and are still here and doing well some years after dx e.g.

Yorkhull
SiNess
Irun

Trevor Boothe

Hopefully their stories will offer some reassurance

Bri

Edited by member 29 Jan 2017 at 22:29  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 30 Jan 2017 at 00:41

There is a common assumption out there that chemo is a suitable treatment for all cancers but that is not the case. Until recently, chemo was only used for men with prostate cancer (PCa) at the very end of their life, to help reduce pain and make them more comfortable for a while longer - this is because chemo cannot cure hormonal cancers. Recent research has suggested though that for some men, having chemo can make the hormone treatment work better and for longer. It is quite a new approach and is not available at all hospitals or to all men.

So don't assume he will be offered chemo - he may not. Hormone treatment is most likely starting point - PCa feeds on testosterone so they need to stop dad producing testosterone asap - this will starve the cancer and hopefully shrink it, which in turn reduces some of the symptoms. They may also give him another kind of hormone that disguises whatever testosterone is still there, tricking the cancer into thinking there isn't any.

Interesting that they are doing a biopsy - sometimes they don't bother if the scans have shown it is already in his bones. Do you at least know what his PSA measured?

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

User
Posted 30 Jan 2017 at 10:44

Your dad has been diagnosed in an unusual way - usually a bone scan is done after a PSA test came back as high, triggering the biopsy and MRI and then a bone scan. If you don't know the PSA level, it would be helpful to us to know what led to dad having a bone scan?

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

User
Posted 30 Jan 2017 at 17:19

Hi Sarah
My husband was diagnosed with Advanced PCA after a very very high PSA test in October.
Treatment varies but at our local hospital they follow a protocol of hormone treatment starting as soon as possible and then chemo starting within 12 weeks. It seems that if the cancer has spread to bones the only time that this particular hospital doesn't offer early chemo (after the recent research trial which showed that this could be beneficial) is when the patient is either too weak for the chemo or they have other medical conditions which make it particularly risky.

Even if it is offered, however, it is the patients choice as to whether they go ahead. My husband decided to have it because we have two two teenage sons and he wants to throw everything at it. Other people, for completely valid reasons, have decided that it's not the right thing for them.

(Just for info - in our case we were told that he had PCA which had spread to his bones before he had an MRI or bone scan because the PSA test result was so high. The scans etc were just to confirm locations etc.)

I hope you got useful info today. I found the specialist nurses from this charity really helpful in those first few weeks. Its definitely worth giving them a call if you have any questions x

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User
Posted 29 Jan 2017 at 21:05
Hi Sarah

I'm sure this is a worrying time for you.

I'm a relative newbie to this forum and have been on a steep learning curve since November last year. Your dad's circumstances are different than mine so I don't have the relevant knowledge to comment. What I would say though is to make good use of the specialist nurses from PCUK. They are caring and informative people who will take the time to listen to your worries and answer your questions.

There are splendid people on this forum who will also share their thoughts with you. You've come to the right place.

Ulsterman

User
Posted 29 Jan 2017 at 22:22

Check out the profiles of some of the members who were dx with advanced PCa and are still here and doing well some years after dx e.g.

Yorkhull
SiNess
Irun

Trevor Boothe

Hopefully their stories will offer some reassurance

Bri

Edited by member 29 Jan 2017 at 22:29  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 30 Jan 2017 at 00:41

There is a common assumption out there that chemo is a suitable treatment for all cancers but that is not the case. Until recently, chemo was only used for men with prostate cancer (PCa) at the very end of their life, to help reduce pain and make them more comfortable for a while longer - this is because chemo cannot cure hormonal cancers. Recent research has suggested though that for some men, having chemo can make the hormone treatment work better and for longer. It is quite a new approach and is not available at all hospitals or to all men.

So don't assume he will be offered chemo - he may not. Hormone treatment is most likely starting point - PCa feeds on testosterone so they need to stop dad producing testosterone asap - this will starve the cancer and hopefully shrink it, which in turn reduces some of the symptoms. They may also give him another kind of hormone that disguises whatever testosterone is still there, tricking the cancer into thinking there isn't any.

Interesting that they are doing a biopsy - sometimes they don't bother if the scans have shown it is already in his bones. Do you at least know what his PSA measured?

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

User
Posted 30 Jan 2017 at 07:41
Thank you all so much for your advice and tips!

Hi Lyn, as far as I'm aware he doesn't know any of his scores yet. Hopefully after today we will have a better idea. I'm not sure why they are doing a biopsy, I think my dad has the impression that is a standard procedure?

Thanks again.

Sarah x

User
Posted 30 Jan 2017 at 10:44

Your dad has been diagnosed in an unusual way - usually a bone scan is done after a PSA test came back as high, triggering the biopsy and MRI and then a bone scan. If you don't know the PSA level, it would be helpful to us to know what led to dad having a bone scan?

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

User
Posted 30 Jan 2017 at 17:19

Hi Sarah
My husband was diagnosed with Advanced PCA after a very very high PSA test in October.
Treatment varies but at our local hospital they follow a protocol of hormone treatment starting as soon as possible and then chemo starting within 12 weeks. It seems that if the cancer has spread to bones the only time that this particular hospital doesn't offer early chemo (after the recent research trial which showed that this could be beneficial) is when the patient is either too weak for the chemo or they have other medical conditions which make it particularly risky.

Even if it is offered, however, it is the patients choice as to whether they go ahead. My husband decided to have it because we have two two teenage sons and he wants to throw everything at it. Other people, for completely valid reasons, have decided that it's not the right thing for them.

(Just for info - in our case we were told that he had PCA which had spread to his bones before he had an MRI or bone scan because the PSA test result was so high. The scans etc were just to confirm locations etc.)

I hope you got useful info today. I found the specialist nurses from this charity really helpful in those first few weeks. Its definitely worth giving them a call if you have any questions x

 
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