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Dad just diagnosed.

User
Posted 13 Nov 2020 at 14:59

Hi everyone, I have just got in contact with my dad, he is 79. So he has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer and now a week or so later (bit of blur) he has had a bone scan and he also has bone cancer. He tells me its not life threatening, that the injection he has every 3 months is doing the job ??? I feel I dont know him well and I need to be there for him so dont want to question him too much. Can anyone help me? He is in hospital at the moment to drain his kidney. Im just so confused and worried.

I would be so grateful if anyone can give me a bit more info on how things are.

Kind regards

User
Posted 13 Nov 2020 at 17:34
Reads like he is on HT (Hormone Therapy). The aim of it is to stop the cancer growing any further. He will have PSA checks to see how well it's controlling it. It if starts to fail other treatments are in the medics box.

Ray

User
Posted 13 Nov 2020 at 22:31
If his cancer has spread into his bones, then I’m afraid he’s either misunderstood the situation himself or he’s trying to protect you; it assuredly is life-threatening, regrettably. Hormone therapy and other treatments can give people a fair number of years of life, though, and given that he’s 79 it’s certainly possible that he’ll die with it rather than from it, but it is a very serious situation.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news,

Chris

User
Posted 14 Nov 2020 at 01:08
Just so that you are clear, your dad doesn’t have two cancers. From what you have told us, it seems the prostate cancer has spread to his bones so it is still prostate cancer but advanced and incurable. When he says it isn’t life threatening he is probably correct in that he isn’t about to die any minute but the hormone treatment will only control it for a time. If he has only recently been diagnosed then he may be around for a few years yet. If the hormone treatment is supposed to be working well, I would be worried about why his kidney needs draining though.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 14 Nov 2020 at 05:01
My friend is 85 with prostate cancer which has spread to his pelvis. He was diagnosed about four years ago when his PSA was 300-odd. Various hormone treatments have reduced his PSA to 12, and his oncologist, who I encouraged him to see, has discharged him back to the urology specialist.

Apart from the pain in his hip, he is doing fine. I think the doctors realise they are not miracle workers, and that most men in his condition die with PCa, not of it. 80% of men in their 80s have some prostate cancer!

I’m sure my 86 year old father-in-law has prostate cancer too, as he has urinary problems, but his GP won’t even give him a PSA test.

I think the pragmatic medical thinking is that if they get to that age, it ain’t gonna kill ‘em, they’ll die of something else. I am coming round to their point of view.

Don’t know if this gives you any comfort. The kidney problem is more concerning, but best of luck with your Dad.

Cheers, John.

 
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