If one has just bone mets with nothing in organs , bone marrow, etc. will that eventually cause the end of life? If so how? It’s intuitive if the cancer invades organs that eventually the result will be end of life. But with bone mets only is not clear to me. I understand that there could be related problems resulting from bone mets and there could be extreme pain requiring heavy medication that can also cause problems but I’m not clear how/if bone mets directly can cause end of life?
Thanks
Discuss with your Radonc getting that one leasion radiated.
Already did. They zapped what they could see, including the prostate itself.
Yes, it will cause end of life eventually. There are many causes of death just from bone invasion including infectious disease, internal hemorrhaging, and anoxia from bone marrow depletion. However, it isn't only in bones and doesn't stay only there. Detection on imaging is not the same as the actual presence of the cancer.
Though it may be true, that's a depressing answer to read for those of us with bone mets. On the brighter side, some bone mets can be zapped and current protocols/treatments/medications can manage the disease and prolong spreading for a long time. I hope 🙏🤞
I hope it will be for a long time, starting treatment tomorrow.
Thank you, Tall_Allen, for an honest and forthright answer. We have to know and understand the enemy to wage battle.
Bone mets can cause spinal cord compression which can cause death when it continues to progress. prostatecanceruk.org/prosta...
Bone marrow infiltration from the cancer will eventually lead to suppression of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, predisposing to infections, hemorrhages etc.
I had a small tailbone met nine years ago; hormone therapy, (Lupron) cured it as far as I can tell. I have a rib lesion that seems close to kidney, now for five years, seems to be under control with hormone therapy. Everyone is different. Skull lymph nodes mets I treat with very hot showers. They seem gone.
PC grows unless treated. It does not stop growing from wishes. It grows until/unless it dies, spreading from one place to another. Sooner it is killed the better your survival. T-cells, radiation, surgical removal, chemo, hormone therapy can control it somewhat.
Thank you for this question.
Ok, in March of 2003, I researched and talked to 19 patients when I had PCa diagnosed to determine which primary treatment to take. I ended up with Brachytherapy and 25 sessions of IMRT.
In May of 2004, I also researched and talked to people when diagnosed with mets to L2 and T3 of my spine. I received an injection of a Lupron and my RO told me that I didn’t need to drive 400 miles round table for my injections. I asked a question what would he do in my shoes. The answer was find the best damn MO who specializes in Prostate. Not any MO, not one who does breast, lung, etc. you want someone who is on top of their game. He did not know one.
I asked my second RO, they same question. Same answer. This time he knew one. And I met with a research MO in academia teaching at a major medical school. It was important for me to seek out a person who gave me (in 2004) better than 2-4 years; maybe 5 to live. I was 57 years old.
To me the key was not palliative treatment, but aggressive systemic treatment with chemotherapy, etc. My body was strong and I felt I could withstand the rigors of an aggressive treatment. Hence a six month chemotherapy trial with Lupron.
It worked for me. Today I remained undetectable and have not had any treatment (Lupron/ Eligard) since 2010. At 74, some say antidotal; I say kill the little bastards, especially if there are no co-morbidity factors.
I have written extensively on my treatment. I credit, the Good Lord, Prayer from all religions, and the best damn MO available who specislized in genitourlogical cancer. The last factor: I am a Statistic of One - positive thinking that I can beat this crap. I took heart during the chemo that although I felt like crap, the little bastards were dying.
Good luck, stay positive, and find a real pro; in my book, that is someone young, aggressive, and listened to his/her professors or simply find someone still in academia.
Gourd Dancer
👍👍💕
My understanding is that bone mets can cause hypercalcemia, which can be fatal: healthline.com/health/hyper...
That is a difficult question because I'm sure just about everyone on here has been told that our cancer is not curable. As much as I respect TA's wealth of knowledge that is much more than mine, here is my point of view. No one knows when, where and what will be our demise on this earth (I believe only God knows). Do we all have a pretty bad hand dealt to us with our diagnosis? Yes. Can we still live with cancer? Yes. Everyone reacts and responds differently to treatments. I've read of some younger than me (I'm 49) on this site who have passed, and I've read of some who have lived 10, 15 and more years with apc. My original Urologist told me this would kill me and his words took more life out of me than actually having cancer. I have since been treated at Duke by Dr. Armstrong and yes I still have cancer, but I am, with strength from God, living. As Matthew McConahey would say, I'm L-I-V-I-N. I've got kids to raise, and friends and family to spend time with. Maybe one day, the cancer takes me out, or maybe it's an accident, or other illness.....but with current treatments and all I can do to live now, I try not to think about the future too much. I appreciate the bluntness of TA's answer. As Judge Judy might say, don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining. But a blunt yes is something I still don't accept. I prefer "probably" but I am hopeful for more options, treatments and again, none of us, including those without cancer are getting out of here alive. I do believe mountains can be moved for those who believe. I have lived more in the last 2 1/2 years since my diagnosis than the previous 10 years. Best of luck to you.
I myself dont like gods sense of humor......
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