MRI Results

[Prostate_1234]

I did a MRI today since I had some throbbing in my back, they gave me the disk and I saw some hot spots on the images, does that mean the cancer has metastasize to the bone? I don't meet with the doctor for a couple of days. Can anyone share there experience with cancer spreading to the back. I really don't understand how can I feel so good but have more than likely stage 4 prostate cancer. I'm still fighting this battle. I know it just got tougher. Statistics say I want live 5 years. Has anyone beaten that statistic once cancer spread to bones?

[Tall_Allen]

Even trained radiologists misinterpret MRIs. You have no idea what any of it means.

[Prostate_1234 in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks for the all the advice, I did get some good news today. My first PSA reading was <.05, Allen do you think it's still possible to have something that has spread to my back and come back with undetectable PSA. I here it's the second PSA reading that's probably more important.

[Tall_Allen in reply to Prostate_1234]

I think it's important to deal with facts and not conjecture about possibilities.

[tom67inMA]

I'm rubbish at reading my own scans. I do find it helpful, or at least entertaining, to look at them in detail after the doctor has explained them to me, as now I know what they're looking at. The difference between a normal and abnormal scan is usually very subtle.

Survival statistics are usually medians. By definition, 50% of patients will love longer than the median. We have members here that have lived 5, 10, or even 20+ years with bone metastases. Some have made dramatic lifestyle changes, others haven't. My personal advice would be to stay as active as possible to help fight the fatigue, muscle wastage, and bone loss associated with treatment, and let the treatment fight the cancer.

[Schwah]

Those statistics are looking in the rear view mirror years before the latest treatment options shown to extend life by many years.

Schwah

[LearnAll]

Your length of survival depends on multitude of factors and can be anywhere from 5 to 15+ years.

Where you will fall in this range of 5 to 15+ years will depend on the following factors: (FACTS) (Assuming you are on standard medical treatment)

(1) Race: Asians: longest . African Americans : shortest, Caucasians/hispanic..intermediate.

(2) Gleason Grade.. 8 or more ..shorter, GG less than 8 longer.

(4) Type of cancer cells: Acinar adenocarcinoma Longer... Ductal, Small cell or Neuro-endocrine type ..Shorter.

(3) Only Bone mets longer....Bone Plus visceral (organ) mets..shorter.

(4) Performance level: Fully physically active: longer....Partially active: shorter.

(5) Ideal Body weight and fit : longer, Overweight/Obese and unfit ..Shorter.

(6) Absence of bone pain/any pain: Longer. Presence of bone pain/any pain: shorter.

(7) Many co-morbid diseases: Shorter Few co-morbid diseases: Longer

(8) Good food habits: longer .......Bad food habits :shorter.

(9) Good financial resources: Longer .............Weak finances: shorter

(10) Loving wife/girlfriend: longer No supportive wife/girlfriend : shorter.

So, In order to calculate length of survival properly, you need to put all these factors together..And only then you can get an approximate idea where you stand on the timeline.

If you want simplified calculation..give one point for each positive factor and that probably your number of years. But nothing is set in stone....God can change anything,anytime

I deliberately did not consider PSA at diagnosis as new research has clarified that initial PSA is not a predictor of length of survival. In fact, some cancers with very low PSA can be very aggressive and some with very high PSA are less aggressive.

However, PSA level after treatment predicts survival length...In people with intact prostate PSA less than 2 and in ones with no prostate ,a PSA of less than 0.2 indicates longer survival.

[Hidden in reply to LearnAll]

I learn all from you . Pretty good stuff! Thanks ..

[Hidden]

Waiting is hell , but you must . Have an expert interpret it.. don’t jump ahead .. not knowing is the worst . Tell us once you know. Please don’t feed too much into dismal stats..You can do better with effort .

[j-o-h-n]

A little knowledge is worse than no knowledge at all... I'm an expert at that.. so wait till you see your Doc and you'll be around until you're _5678.....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 01/30/2020 8:25 PM EST

[nobaday]

How old are you? We all can get aches and pains EVERYWHERE as we grow older! As replies have said wait for the radiologist report on the MRI before jumping to potentially WRONG conclusions.

But FYI:

When I had spine tumours the MRI or CT scans identified masses of 1 to 2cm. In my neck I had low pain when I turned my head even though low PSA. In my back at T9 I had severe intermittent pain and loss of mobility in my legs as a tumour compressed my spine... the MRI subsequently showed the mass and a biopsy confirmed prostate cancer. I recently had another small pain in my neck... after playing soccer...but it went completely away after a couple of weeks... so pretty sure not cancer related!

I think Learn_All is on the right track if we want some sort of life expectancy but it’s a bell curve and a moving one to longer years as treatment plans and new treatments appear. I’m 26 months in and playing soccer ...2 years ago I thought 2 years survival would be good!!