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Advice and help to stay positive

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User
Posted 17 Mar 2020 at 18:24

Where do I start? My father has just been diagnosed with prostrate cancer at the age of 82. He has been scanned and I have been told it has spread to his bones. He had a PSa level of 6000😞He is on the hormone implant. He is extremely fit for his age and still works. I would just like to hear from Other people that are in the same situation or any advice

User
Posted 17 Mar 2020 at 19:07

Okay, that is very high but fortunately, the hugeness of the PSA doesn't indicate how well the treatment might work. The highest reading we have had on here was Trevor with 13,000 and he lived for 5 years (but did have other complications like his heart) and we have seen men live a good active life with PSA around your dad's level for a number of years.

One indicator of how things will be in the future will be his next few PSA tests. The hormone implant should starve the cancer very quickly, which means it can't grow - if the PSA drops quickly and then stabilises over the next 3 / 6 / 9 months that will be a really good sign.

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

User
Posted 17 Mar 2020 at 18:47
With a PSA of 6000, a diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer was inevitable, I’m afraid. I’m sure you know it’s incurable, but “incurable” does not mean “terminal” and there’s a wide range of treatment options available which could keep him around for many years to come.

Your dad will stay on hormone therapy until that becomes ineffective (sooner or later the cancer adapts and starts feeding on the hormones). This may be a matter of months or may be years away - there’s no way to know. After hormones stop working there are a number of other treatments that can be used.

If you’ve not already done so, I’d suggest downloading the information sheets that are available from this site. They give a lot of useful information about the different treatment options that are available. If you have any medical questions, give the PCUK nurses a ring on the Freephone number at the top of the page - they are friendly and knowledgeable.

Hope that’s of some help.

Best wishes,

Chris

User
Posted 03 Aug 2020 at 23:36
It could be the cancer in his bones that is causing the backache, if he has mets on his spine? Alternatively, it could be because the hormone injection relaxes his ligaments and will be making his pelvis and hips looser ... or because one of the side effects of the hormones is muscle aches.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 04 Aug 2020 at 13:01
I’ve had some success with using an infrared lamp both on my lower back and hip, this has reduced the ache and reduced my need for pain killers. I have spoken to my oncology nurse and she sees no problem if it helps.
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User
Posted 17 Mar 2020 at 18:47
With a PSA of 6000, a diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer was inevitable, I’m afraid. I’m sure you know it’s incurable, but “incurable” does not mean “terminal” and there’s a wide range of treatment options available which could keep him around for many years to come.

Your dad will stay on hormone therapy until that becomes ineffective (sooner or later the cancer adapts and starts feeding on the hormones). This may be a matter of months or may be years away - there’s no way to know. After hormones stop working there are a number of other treatments that can be used.

If you’ve not already done so, I’d suggest downloading the information sheets that are available from this site. They give a lot of useful information about the different treatment options that are available. If you have any medical questions, give the PCUK nurses a ring on the Freephone number at the top of the page - they are friendly and knowledgeable.

Hope that’s of some help.

Best wishes,

Chris

User
Posted 17 Mar 2020 at 19:07

Okay, that is very high but fortunately, the hugeness of the PSA doesn't indicate how well the treatment might work. The highest reading we have had on here was Trevor with 13,000 and he lived for 5 years (but did have other complications like his heart) and we have seen men live a good active life with PSA around your dad's level for a number of years.

One indicator of how things will be in the future will be his next few PSA tests. The hormone implant should starve the cancer very quickly, which means it can't grow - if the PSA drops quickly and then stabilises over the next 3 / 6 / 9 months that will be a really good sign.

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

User
Posted 15 May 2020 at 18:19

I have p. Cancer. Psa now at 365 from 265 since my radiation on my pelvic where it. Spread. I was struggling to pee. Up most of night and now I. Have bag which is unpleasant but still in pain when I pee and I am 55yesrs old and I can't cope. Worry far to much as life is not worth living but hearing an 85 year old with 6000 Psa. I take my. Hat off to him. 

User
Posted 16 May 2020 at 18:20

Hi, I’m so sorry to hear this. It must be incredibly hard to stay positive but please try. My father is the most positive person I know. He is going out for bike rides most days, cycling up to 15 miles at a time! It’s his positive attitude that drives him. He is due for another PSA test soon so hopefully with the hormone treatment it should have dropped a bit as 6000 is very very high. Please try to stay positive because anything is possible🙂

 

 

User
Posted 03 Aug 2020 at 21:20
Belated update...My father has had a second PSA test with a reading of 289. Although this is still high, it’s a massive drop from 6000!

He is keeping really well, still working (just turned 83!) and went on a 10 mile bike ride with me🙂

The only thing he is suffering with is lower back pain, this could be caused by the bone cancer or maybe something else?

Does anyone else suffer with this?

He has tried ibuprofen gel, heat pads etc does anyone else have any other suggestions?

Many thanks🙂

User
Posted 03 Aug 2020 at 23:36
It could be the cancer in his bones that is causing the backache, if he has mets on his spine? Alternatively, it could be because the hormone injection relaxes his ligaments and will be making his pelvis and hips looser ... or because one of the side effects of the hormones is muscle aches.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 04 Aug 2020 at 13:01
I’ve had some success with using an infrared lamp both on my lower back and hip, this has reduced the ache and reduced my need for pain killers. I have spoken to my oncology nurse and she sees no problem if it helps.
 
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