Can someone have stable bone mets?

[BarronS]

I haven't seen too much in the research but I was wondering if people have stable bone mets?

I was looking at my Dads 5 scans and they seem to be a mess. A mess in as the people reading them don't seem to be consistent so it's hard to gauge what he started with and where he is at now. His bone scan came up negative but multiple PET/CT scan shows a persistent met on his t10, one on the rib and one on his ilium. The next one doesn't say anything about his ilium but indicates t10, sacrum, and one on a spinous process. So total he has anywhere from 3-5 persistent mets.

His PSA was checked 5 weeks ago and it was less than 0.02. I don't think any of this is progression, but was there the entire time from the start of treatment. Initial PSA 5, but shot up to 11 post radical prostectomy.

So anyone have low PSA with bone mets that haven't resolved but is still doing well?

[Tall_Allen]

PSA may not be a good biomarker for him

[BarronS in reply to Tall_Allen]

Is there "stable disease". Because when looking at everything, it seems that the hot spots around his bladder have resolved but the bone mets have persisted, but not gotten bigger. It explains it as "not significant uptake" and no neoplastic disease observed.

I can't find any additional spots within the last 9 months.

[EdBar in reply to BarronS]

If I recall correctly, my early scans would show continued improvement with “less uptake” when compared to previous scans, this was treated as good news and a response to treatment. Eventually those areas ( which were many) were deemed “sclerotic” or scarred with no active disease.

That’s where I am now and have been for quite a while. My situation is much like gregg57, it is likely there are still some dormant cancer cells present that have been beaten into submission. I track PSA and Alka Phos monthly for any sign of progression. I still get scans regularly but my PSA is undetectable and most scans are not very accurate until PSA reaches 2.0.

Ed

[Hidden]

I currently have an undetectable PSA and appear to have stable bone mets that have slightly healed over the 2 1/2 years I've been treated. I had a bone scan at diagnosis and one at 1 1/2 years in. You can definitely see an improvement after treatment. They are not gone, but are currently "dormant" and could erupt at any time.

I think my case is typical for most who have had significant bone mets at diagnosis followed by successful treatment. I also did early chemotherapy, hopefully that helped to stop the progression.

They only way to know this for sure is to do imaging when progression is suspected either from rising PSA, ALK Phos, new pain symptoms, etc.

[BarronS in reply to Hidden]

PSA is 0.02 and ALK Phos is around 45-47. He claims that he has no pain. He is going in on Tuesday for another PSA test and 3 months lupron shot so I always get myself sick and upset.

[Hidden in reply to BarronS]

That's why we call it Prostate Specific Anxiety. I'm going through the same thing myself with my blood tests coming up in around 10 days. Is he doing blood tests every 3 months? That's what I'm doing. It is very stressful.

[BarronS in reply to Hidden]

Yes. He does his PSA every three months, whenever he goes in for a shot of lupron. He had a bad reaction from Reclast (zoldronic acid) 6 weeks ago and had to be hospitalized for 3 days. I requested a PSA then and it was less than 0.02. He's 68 now and his birthday is December 23rd. I just want to see him make 70.

[larry_dammit]

My PSA has stayed at <0.05 for the last 2 years. Had my ct and mri in June, meeting with the oncologist he used that word on me. Stable. Not as good as remission but guess I’ll take it 🙏🙏

[CalBear74]

My two pelvic bone mets have not been stable but seem to have become micro at the least as of July 2017 with a scan at Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL. In late 2012 my dx scans identified two bone mets. I started Eligard and Casodex immediately. In the summer of 2015, I found Dr. AKM Shamsuddin's book on IP-6 and after approximately 8 weeks of heavy doses of IP-6 the dull ache in my pelvis disappeared. My PSA also dropped and at my next office visit a DRE, first since 2012, revealed no prostate nodules were detectable. (My urologist would not remove my prostate or recommend radiation because of the bone metastases.) The lack of any nodules really surprised my urologist!. It was confirmed when I moved to FL in 2016 and a skeptical urologist insisted on his doing a DRE. He agreed there were no discernible nodules.

My alk phos is now in the normal range and no bone mets have been detected anywhere. I have only one metastatic lesion on my left pelvic lymph node. I now am on Lupron receiving 6 month shots continuously.

I should add that my niece suffered from multiple breast cysts and had a small tumor in her throat. She took IP-6 for three months and everything disappeared. Her ENT was taken aback and wanted an explanation of what she had been doing.

Good luck.

[tom67inMA]

If you're looking at the text summary of the scans it can be deceiving. My original scan and another one about six months later had very similar summaries saying I had increased uptake in all the same places. But...

.. When my MO showed me the two bone scans side by side on his computer monitor they were nothing alike. Originally, I was lit up from shoulders to hips with some super bright spots on the ribs, backbone, and hips. After Lupron and Docetaxel (but before Zytiga), in my more recent scan the super bright areas are now merely bright, and the rest of the skeleton looks normal. It was a very dramatic difference.

My guess based on your dad's blood results, lack of pain, and no new spots on the scan is that he will easily hit 70 and with any luck will go years beyond that.

[Hidden in reply to tom67inMA]

My 2 bone scans are similar to yours. It's like someone turned down the brightness on the second one and clearly shows improvement.

[tom67inMA in reply to Hidden]

I can't remember the details, but recall that somebody here saw gradual improvement in scans over a 6 year period, until there was nothing left to see.

[j-o-h-n]

70? make it more like 90...... With the stress you're feeling you might not make it to tomorrow.... So cool down... stress will only bring you mess. One day at a time... more than that is a gift for every human being on this earth.... So please chill.....(and laugh)...

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Monday 07/29/2019 1:14 PM DST

 

[monte1111]

Yeah. One scan report will mention something and next scan report nothing. One scan report a couple of sentences. The next one three paragraphs and a real eye opener. Did refer to extensive bone mets as stable. It was the list of other issues I had that was an eye opener. I should begin to treat this 69 yr. old body as if it is 69 yr. Sounds like things are going to work out for you. Enjoy.