"Docetaxel" on 'bone metastasis'

[nadhhere]

How effective is 'docetaxel' chemotherapy on "BONE metastasis" ?

Please share your experience

[LearnAll]

This is not like one treatment works better for one type of metastasis. You have to see metastatic prostste cancer as one entity which you are trying to defeat.

Any treatment..I say..any treatment which successfully kills most of or all of cancer cells is going to work fine for any type of metastasis.

When prostate cancer cells travel in blood and go stick to bones and starts scratching bones, it is called bone metastasis. If the same cancer cells travel and go start living in your lungs,its called lung metastasis. Wherever they go and live,they are still prostate cancer cells. Mostly, prostate cancer cells like to live on and feed on bones.

[Tall_Allen]

Very effective, unless it's not. Some bone metastases are more chemo responsive than others. The only way to know is to try it. If it works, it does a good job of relieving pain too.

[Shooter1]

Worked fine on mine. They show up on scans as scar tissue and no activity on bone scans.

[Annie1373]

Unfortunately there are few chemotherapy drugs that is beneficial for PC and Docetaxcel is considered as a win_win chemotherapy medicine for advanced PC .Although it varies individually , for my Dad who had super advanced cancer was so effective his lesions refuced up to 35% but I think it’s more effective alongside ADT .At least we are sure that Docetaxcel can give the patient more time to live

[john205]

I had my initial diagnosis in July 2018 with Gleason 8, metastatic prostate cancer with bladder, pelvic node and bone involvement, with “high burden” bone mets. I began Lupron, then had 6 cycles of docetaxel ending in January 2019. I had mild nausea and fatigue for about a week of each chemo cycle. My PSA of 148 dropped to a low of 0.16 in April 2019. It has been creeping up slowly, 0.33 in mid November 2019 and is still low. A bone scan in December 2019 showed no activity, stable since February. A CT in December 2019 showed resolution of node and bladder Mets, no new bone Mets, and decreased size of the existing bone Mets compared to February. For me, docetaxel has been a great success. I know it won’t last forever, but for now, I have been feeling well with no symptoms for about a year and look forward to more good time before the next round of treatment.

[6357axbz in reply to john205]

Congrats. Happy for you.

[Grizzly_Bear]

To Answer Your Question – My Experience with Docetaxel

Knowing what I know now after 6 infusions of Docetaxel over 6 months, I would not elect to have the treatment if I could go back in time.

My Cancer

Stage 4 Prostate Cancer – diagnosed – Feb. 2018 – metastasis bones, lymph nodes, lungs.

Why?

Or course, everyone’s experience is different depending on: age (I am 76), general health, strain of cancer, family support network, working/not working, reaction to medications/drugs, etc. I was hospitalized after the 1st infusion because my white blood count plummeted (Neutrapenia). I was on 24 hour anti-biotics for 5 days. When released from the hospital, I was so debilitated (mentally, physically), I could hardly walk, think. I have not been able to come close to how I was feeling mentally, physically before staring Docetaxel. The infusions lasted 6 months and may have increased my longevity by that amount of time; however, in my opinion, the debilitating side effects during the infusions and after, didn’t justify the increase in longevity (at least for me).

Is it important to note that everyone has a different experience depending on the factors mentioned earlier. Also, I am not providing a medical opinion, only my experience, thoughts pertaining to my treatment choices.

Best,

Griz Bear