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Lesions on the back

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User
Posted 08 Dec 2020 at 10:20

Hello,

My 61 year old father has been told he has an enlarged prostate and lesions on his back.

He has an MRI this weekend. And will have a biopsy. Just waiting for that appt to come through.

What do these back lesions mean? Could they be unrelated? Or is it likely the cancer has spread? And does this mean it's incurable?

Any advice welcome.

User
Posted 08 Dec 2020 at 11:50

melbabes,

Sorry to hear about your father.

I don't think anyone can say much without more information. "back" isn't a very precise location, and nothing you've said confirms prostate cancer at all. Lots of men have enlarged prostates, but don't have cancer.

What symptoms did he have, or what caused him to go for investigations in the first place?
If they have any slight suspicion of prostate cancer, he woul have had a PSA blood test. Do you know what the result was?

User
Posted 08 Dec 2020 at 18:25

PSA was 200

Dr has prescribed bicalutamide and 3 monthly injections.

MRI has been cancelled as he now needs another type...? We have confirmation that it's spread to the spine and hips. They now need to see where else it's spread to.

Biopsy still being done to determine which stage of cancer it is.

What kind of expectancy do people have if it's spread to bones? Weeks...months....years!?

User
Posted 08 Dec 2020 at 18:51
In rare cases months but the majority of men diagnosed with bone mets seem to survive at least 5 years and many are still here living a reasonably normal life 10 or even 15 years later. Different if there are mets to soft organs such as the brain, lungs, liver and / or extensive spread to the lymphatic system where 10 years would probably be optimistic.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 08 Dec 2020 at 22:33

melbabes,

sorry that's not the news you want.

I'm guessing they're scheduling either a nuclear bone scan (if he hasn't had one) or a PET scan. I'm a bit surprised they're bothering with a biopsy, since they already know it's metastatic.

User
Posted 09 Dec 2020 at 08:18

Thank you.

They say the biopsy is necessary to determine which stage of cancer it is.

 
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