Dad treatment plan

[Mish80]

Hi there,

We got through it. The MRI, the waiting, the anxiety... The plan for dad is to start hormone treatment in the next couple of weeks. He will also have radiation to the lesion on his spine for 2.5 weeks. The MRI showed that the lesion is not on the spinal cord but in between the vertebra at T12 vertebra ? I guess this is good news? The MRI also showed a small new spot close by at L1 vertebra which the radiologist thinks could be arthritis but will zap at the same time. Following this dad will have 6.5 weeks of radiation to the prostate bed. Even though the prostate was removed 9 years ago I guess this is an aggressive approach to try and get any cancer cells remaining there?

Any thoughts / advice? I think we have a suitable plan here?

[NPfisherman]

Suitable plan...he should be on ADT for 2 months before radiation is what I have read in some articles...synergy with doing that...I know the feeling though....get this out of me asap...reality is--- circulating tumor cells can not be dealt with like a tumor... I will get back to you---post lab visit and try and put an article regarding ADT and radiation...good luck

All the best,

Fish

[Tall_Allen]

The most recent STAMPEDE trial found that there was a survival advantage to irradiating the prostate (+ADT) when a man is newly diagnosed with less than 4 distant metastases. Perhaps there is still an advantage when he is recurrent, like your father. While no one knows whether there is any survival advantage to irradiating the spinal mets, it may prevent pain and spinal compression down the road.

Of course, lifelong ADT is necessary, and there may be an advantage to continuous ADT over intermittent.