Could I have bone mets?

[leach234]

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March by biopsy.. No symptoms, just PSA of 5.2 ng/ml. Bone scan and CT scan negative. Prostate removed in April. Pathology report - pT2. Gleason 8 Ductal Adenocarcinoma < 2mm posterior focal margin on prostate but posterior fat negative for cancer. Gleason 3+4= 7 Acinar Adenocarcinoma fully contained. July 3 month PSA <0.02 ng/ml. Surgeon said everything looked great and to get next PSA test in November. Now in August have had constant pain in lower back and pelvic area for 3-4 weeks. Could I have bone mets and not know it with PSA of <0.02 ng/ml?

[Tall_Allen]

It's possible, but highly doubtful. Especially since your bone scan in March, and with an original elevated PSA and no detectable PSA now. It's very common to interpret every ache and pain as due to the cancer.

[Hidden]

There are a lot of reasons why you could have lower back pain that are not metastases from cancer. The obvious thing to do would be to get a bone scan which you have already done. Also your PSA is very low which also makes it unlikely that you have bone mets. Do you have a recent blood test showing your Alkaline Phosphatase level? If that's low, it would be another indication that you are unlikely to have bone mets.

[leach234 in reply to Hidden]

Alkaline Phosphatase level taken a week before surgery (4/12/18) was 74 U/L.

[Hidden in reply to leach234]

I can't see you having any bone mets, but if you are having a lot of pain it's worth further investigation IMO.

[softwaremom00]

If you worried about your prostate cancer being neuroendocrine.. have them check your Chromogranin level.(Just a blood test) There might be other types of prostate cancer that do not raise the PSA but Neuroendocrine is the one that I know about. It is a very rare cancer. Unfortunately my husband has it. Although the Chromogranin test is not 100% accurate for neuroendocrine it can be helpful. That said, the CT scan and Bone scan would have likely shown it.

I know that the different curcumin supplements help my husband and I with our pains. I like both Bosmeric-Sr and Rev Genetics Curcumin supplements. The Bosmeric-Sr is just a C3 supplement with Boswellia and Ginger and there are a lot of less expensive ones out there that only have the Curcumin .. Doctor's Best and AFI Super Curcumin are two others.

I hope you feel better soon. Being in pain is not fun. Sending lots of hugs and prayers!

Softwaremom

[HopingForTheBest1]

If you have had blood work, check to see your alkaline phosphatase level. This is an indicator for bone issues. I have bone mets and my level was 248 the day before I started Zytiga on 7/23/18. Just 2 weeks later on 8/6, it dropped to 163. My MO told me it will keep dropping as I continue on Zytiga. Normal range is 45-115. Having updated blood work Monday 8/20.

[tarhoosier]

When one hears hoofbeats think of a horse and not a zebra.

Have someone check the source of the back pain for its own sake.

Congratulations on a successful treatment.

[j-o-h-n]

It's like a boyfriend's response when his girlfriend tells him she thinks she's pregnant: WHEN IN DOUBT CHECK IT OUT!

Good Luck and Good Health.

j-o-h-n Saturday 08/18/2018 11:54 AM EDT