This sounds similar to my first bone scan. Mine is probably worse. But my mets have healed significantly since I started treatment 2 years ago this week. I had a lot of pain at diagnosis, but almost none after just 3 weeks of treatment.
Don't be scared by these descriptions, there are guys diagnosed with extensive bone mets who live years. Even at stage 4, prostate cancer is very treatable.
Early chemotherapy or Zytiga improves overall survival according to three clinical trials. Something he can discuss with his doctor. I did early chemotherapy, the side effects are very tolerable for most so it's nothing to be afraid of. I'm glad I did it and would do it again. I wanted to go agressive on the cancer, give myself the best chances.
I had a similar bone scan around 5 years ago in late 2013, with bone mets to about 25 comparable bones, and a PSA of 5,006, and lots of pain in the lower back near mets at L4-L5. I was lucky and got a great response to ADT with Lupron, and an added bone agent, Zometa. The pain quickly went away, and the PSA went down to 1.0 within a few months.
(Were I similarly diagnosed today, with newer results from later clinical trials, I probably would have done either ADT with early docetaxel chemo or early Zytiga, along with either of the bone agents Zometa (zoledronic acid) or Xgeva (denosumab). )
Although Xofigo (Rad 223) might still be a future option, last year there were warnings issued about using it concurrently with Zytiga.
After a couple of years on treatment, my bone scans showed an approximate 50% reduction in general overall appearance. Many still there, but not symptomatic or getting worse per the imaging. Life has gone on.
Keep asking your doctors about all your next available treatment options. Keep consulting with the best doctors you can find who specialize in advanced prostate cancer. One thing and one day at a time. Good Luck to you!
As I read your previous posts. At age 71 your dad had Brachytherapy. He would have had at a minimum a nuclear bone scan and a soft tissue abdominal CT scan. Four years later he went in Lupron at age 75. Something spurred this. Probably another set of scans. I am unclear on his current age and what treatment he has had beyond age 75 and Lupron.
What is his current age? Age and health dictates what metastatic prostate cancer treatment he is given. We are all different. What does his Medical Oncologist say?
In 2004 at age 57, I started a six month long very aggressive chemotherapy trial. This is not typical though. Nor may current infusion chemotherapy agents be appropriate for your dad.
If he is not seeing a Medical Oncologist, I encourage him to do so. If he is, then hopefully his MO specializes in geniturlogic cancers and a generalist who treats all types of cancer. Systemic cancer calls for systemic treatment anything else is palliative. Most guys in this group are treated with the intent to delay onset. A large number are doing very well with the new silver bullets being developed.
In another post on another day let us know his age, location, treatment center and Doctor(s) name(s) - their specialties. This info help us to help you both. If you don't wish to divulge this information, then No Problem.
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Merry Chemo Christmas!!
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