Will they be able to treat my dad?

User

Posted 03 Feb 2022 at 13:01

Just after some advice to stop my endless doom scrolling. My dad's just been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, no symptoms until December when he started getting back ache. He's now in loads of pain, has lost loads of weight and is barely eating becausehe feels sick. We're still waiting for first appointment. I'm just so stressed at how fast he's going downhill. Is this normal? Will treatment reverse this? His PSA level is sky high. Has anyone else seen this? I live nearby but I'm not seeing him much as really worried about giving him covid.

Edited by member 03 Feb 2022 at 13:43 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 03 Feb 2022 at 14:39

It depends on a number of factors but generally speaking, once he starts on hormone treatment, his symptoms should reduce significantly. You say his PSA is sky high - it would be useful to know the exact reading. The highest we have had on here was 13,000 and he lived for a good 5 years, most of which he was really quite well. Also, where the mets (spread) is makes a difference - if it is to bones and he responds well to the hormones, he could be around for many years - if the spread is to his brain or liver, surviving for many years is less likely.

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

User

Posted 03 Feb 2022 at 15:06

Thank you, that's what I'm really hoping, it's just shocking how quickly he's gone downhill. I was told his PSA, can't remember it but it was four figures. It's in his bones, liver seemed normal on last blood test. Do most people respond well to hormones? Can't find any stats. Massively appreciate you replying, it feels very lonely.

User

Posted 03 Feb 2022 at 18:59

We have members here who were diagnosed with bone mets 14 years ago and more. Pain can make people appear to be deteriorating rapidly - hopefully one the HT starts, the pain will reduce quickly and he will feel like eating again.

Once he starts on the HT, it will be important to have lots of contact with him - for some weird reason, men on HT seem not so vulnerable to Covid.

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

User

Posted 10 Feb 2022 at 14:26

Hi, your dad's doctors will do everything possible to help him with his bone pain and everybody responds differently to hormone treatment.

Some therapies your dad will be offered are Enzalutamide, Abiraterone, Zoladex. I'm sure there are other hormone therapies but I can't think what they are at the moment. He may well also be offered radiotherapy and chemotherapy to help with his bone pain.

My dad has been living with advanced metastatic cancer for the last four years almost and his very first oncologist told him that he could have been living with the cancer for maybe five years before it started making it's presence felt with the bone pain. When he was first diagnosed he was told that provided he did everything he was told to do by the doctors there was a good chance he would live for a long time.

There are always medical advances in prostate cancer and neither you or dad should give up hope.

User

Posted 10 Feb 2022 at 15:25

Bookster,

Sorry to hear about your dads situation. I am in a very similar position myself having just been diagnosed with advanced PC in late November, with spread to Bones and Lymphs.

My PSA then was 215.

Now not even a full 3 months later, hormone treatment has reduced the PSA down to 0.2 which as you might know means that I am no longer producing the testosterone that the cancer requires to live.

I consider Firmagon (the hormone treatment I had) to be nothing short of a miracle drug and it has given me hope that I can survive for several years with my family.

It has put the fire out and although I understand that the embers of that fire will never totally go out it has given me hope.

I have just started on Enzalutamide tablets as well, and am shortly changing from monthly Firmagon injections to 6 monthly Deceptacyl injections (sp?).

I have hot sweats and occassional bone pain, but other than that I am living my normal life, going to work every day (albeit I am very careful physically).

Although like every human is different, everyone's cancer is different, your Dad might do better than me or might do worse than me, but there is definitely hope for him.

User

Posted 30 May 2022 at 20:39

How is your dad doing? My dad has recently been diagnosed at 7897 psa. It dropped to 139, unfortunately started rising again 2 months after his first injection.

we are undecided on either enzalutimide or chemo. What treatment option did you go for?

hope you’re ok. It is very lonely isn’t it.

Wish I could do more

User

Posted 01 Jun 2022 at 16:40

Really sorry to hear that, hope he's doing OK, and you too, totally get what you mean about the loneliness. Hope you can take time for yourself.

Dad's been having firmagon injections and apalutamide tablets, think it's recently licensed but seems to be working well for him so far. It does feel like there are lots of treatment options out there, it's just a matter of finding the right one.

Stay positive

User

Posted 01 Jun 2022 at 17:56

We live in France so have no treatment options. We are told what we are going to get because they know better than us!!! Not sure on that one but hey ho we have to have trust in them.

Hubby diagnosed November 2021, PSA 587, with bone mets. No symptoms, just pain in shoulder, which we thought was through too much golf.

Was put on Fimagon injections straight away. Then we were going to have docetaxel chemo, at least 6 cycles. Apparently here in France over 60% of patients diagnosed at stage 4 cannot have chemo, as the side effects are too severe for patients or there are other underlying health considerations to take into account. They said hubby was fit, healthy, and on no other medication. Only route they wanted to take.

After 3 months psa was down to 1.41. We get next result on 8th June. We get where we go from here on 13th.

Chemo has made hubby loose hair, nails have discoloured. Over the 6 rounds he has become more tired from each consecutive cycle. On a scale of 1 to 10 on how his has managed over the 6 he would give an 8, 1 being crap 10 being fab. He thought it was going to be a lot worse than it actually was.

Hope the above helps a little

Gin Gin

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