Rib Metatarsis

User

Posted 23 Feb 2020 at 17:49

Hi all,

I would be grateful for your thoughts and knowledge if anyone can assist.

Dad was diagnosed with Gleason 8 in 2010. He had a prostatectomy in 2011 and has since been on zoladex/casodex until 2017 when they decided to bring him off it. Roll on 2019 and the cancer has spread to the 6th rib. He has been getting a burning pain in his right side by his chest and sometimes round to his back.

The GP sent him for an ECG/X ray incase it was the heart but they have ruled that out. He has thrown everything at it, rennies, omeprazole, pain killers and gel but its still there. Has anyone had experience of this, the hospital doctor said it could be related to the nerves around the rib, either way he still has this issue about 2 months on.

If anyone could assist that would be great.

Thanks

Tracey

User

Posted 23 Feb 2020 at 20:19

Hi, I'm not well up on this but with one metastasis they can often treat it with Radiotherapy or other similar techniques either to reduce the pain and/or reduce it substantially in size.

Also I read that pain can spread beyond where the lesion is although it doesn't mean the lesion has spread there. It's a common effect with pain by other ways as well.

Someone with more knowledge will answer I'm sure.

Your dad is a good source of optimism for us all as he's done very well. Thanks for posting the profile information. All the best. Peter

Edited by member 23 Feb 2020 at 20:23 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 23 Feb 2020 at 20:36

Tracey, has he been referred back to oncology? I think he probably needs to be back on the hormone injections asap - when he stopped them in 2017 that should have been on the understanding that he would need to go back on them when his PSA rose again. The HT should reduce the pain quite quickly. Mets in the ribs are often very painful.

Has he had a recent PSA test?

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

User

Posted 24 Feb 2020 at 10:49

I also have extensive mets, including my 6th rib. Pain and discomfort was eliminated with a dose of palliative radiotherapy to the area. I have also had same thing done to upper arm and hip. It is a very effective treatment option and eliminates need for painkillers.

I would advise having it done as a matter of urgency to save unnecessary discomfort.

Best regards

User

Posted 01 Mar 2020 at 17:27

Hi all,

He was put back on the casodex and zoladex in October when his psa was rising and the scans showed that it had now spread, he has since had a psa test in January and it has come down so they didn't want to see him until July, but this pain/burning has increased since then. Luckily his GP is on top of it, he had previously sent him for heart tests/chest X-ray which are fine so has now done a load of bloods inc his psa again.

I will let him know about the radiotherapy. We should know more come Tuesday but its really getting him down now :-(

Thanks
Tracey x

User

Posted 02 Mar 2020 at 13:06

Hi Tracey

ask about SABR treatment which is a more intense and focused radiotherapy. I had SABR to one of my ribs and it sorted the problem.

Roy

Edited by member 02 Mar 2020 at 13:07 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 03 Mar 2020 at 21:02

I am not sure if things have moved on again - Dad went back to the GP today for his blood results, all ok although PSA has gone up slightly to 0.161 from 0.135 since end of January. He had an X-ray about 4 weeks ago because of this burning pain in his chest which they thought may be heart related. At the time the hospital did an ECG and chest xray - he then went back in after the tests to see a consultant who said the ECG and X-ray were fine.

Today when he went to the GP he is saying from the results of this X-ray he has a nodule on the lung and started mentioning 5 years survival. The GP got in touch with the hospital so the urology/oncology team can now look at it. Mom and Dad were naturally totally confused and have come out in a bit of a daze.

Ok - so if it is now in his lung, does anyone have any ideas of what to expect treatment wise?

How was this missed!!

Thanks
Tracey

User

Posted 03 Mar 2020 at 23:23

The nodule may or may not be cancer, and if it is cancer it may or may not be a prostate cancer metastasis so I am not sure that anything has been missed that could reasonably have been spotted.

i think the most important thing is for him to see the oncologist to get some answers and hopefully, some reassurance.

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

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