It looks like all the tests have come back today. My dad (68) has mets to the bones, liver, lungs and pelvic lymph nodes, PSA 113, Gleason 4+5. They have scheduled us in for a medical oncologist this afternoon. Things are looking as bad as they can be based on what I can research. What can we expect? Any positive stories out there? Thanks.
Update: Took a few days to take everything in but my dad will be getting 1 injection of Docetaxel every 21 days for a total of 6 cycles. After 3 cycles, they'll redo all the scans to see if the chemo is working. If chemo fails, they said my dad will go very quickly (months). Is that actually the case?
He received 2 shots of Firmagon and will be getting a maintenance shot in a month. The oncologist had told us that his cancer is a typical of behavior of prostate cancer. He only has 1 bone met in the sacrum however it is all over the liver and few small spots on the lungs.
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dch1953
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Hello, Don’t give up, don’t ever give up. Find a medical oncologist who you trust and have your dad become knowledgeable about various treatment options. I was diagnosed in May, 2013 with extensive bone metastasis (albeit no soft tissue involvement) and a PSA just under 1700. Eight years and two months later I am still here. First step is to get on an ADT (androgen deprivation therapy) drug and then see what you can add to it. Lots of options! Hope that helps.
Ryderlake2 I find your story so inspiring my par as quite wide speed mets to his bones, and your story gives me much hope and positivity, may you live many more yrs with happiness x
I strongly agree with RyderLake2. Similar story with extensive bone Mets and rising PSA and I’m still here 6 years later and approaching 70.
Meds will work to a great degree but a positive attitude, lifestyle changes and the help of a competent Oncologist, family and friends will do just as much.
Learn to live in the present and treasure each day.
Same as the other posters …. I have mets and micro mets in every bone and joint in my body, even mandible and skull. I immediately went on adt therapy when diagnosed …. Lupron Xtandi Zometa and here I am three years later still going pretty strong. Feels like I might have two or three or even more years left. Of course each of us are different, but I think that after you see the oncologist and get the treatments started …that you’ll feel much better …both of you … things will be happening that will, hopefully , give you all those extra years to spend with dad. It seems scary , filled with uncertainty, right now …..but that will wear off and be replaced with joy and comfort for the extra time with dad . Good for you for bring so involved in your dad’s treatments at this rough time for him. He’s lucky to have someone like you loving and advocating for him. Big hug out to both of you.
The oncologist will start hormone therapy which will stop the tumor growing further. He will probably recommend to add a chemo therapy to that. I know a patient who's lung metastases vanished after the chemo.
Thought I had the best treatment for >70yr olds: docetaxel & Firmagon NEJM 2015. My MO gave me a photocopy of the article before he even said a word (which I had already read anyways) ! My Pembro trial with Abiratorone had to be stopped because my liver couldn’t break it down (the Abi) after the chemo. In a trial with a Pololike Kinase inhibitor now : CFI-400945.
I believe I am a very lucky man (sorta).
Whoops I realized now dchen511 is 68yrs old. so again you are right.
Starting to wonder if we need PLK4 for maintaining the synapses in the brain. Memory lapses and dreams that even become hallucinations on opening my eyes occur more and more!
I am sorry about your father. Oddly enough my dad also got it at 68. I got it at 53 .. How does he feel? Any symptoms? How are his emotions towards treatments ? Try to keep him strong and cheered any way that you can . Love and compassion are needed to fight this . And he can . Many here have surpassed bad predictions of death given by doctors . He will be weakened by any treatment. But it’s possible to stuff the pc for many years . I’ve been almost six years clear after being told I had 36 months . So please don’t feed into or take to heart anyone that is given an expiration date or bad stats . He can do better than told . My dad first got bladder cancer and beat it then pc but died a year after Radical prostatectomy of a heart attach. Cherish your time together . Love is key . My best to you all . 🙏
He feels fatigued and has to pee frequently. He has some abdomen pain from the injection sites of the Firmagon but he said it isn't too bad. He has some pain in his tailbone (likely from the tumor) which happens once a week or so. He's been taking some pain meds which helps.
Apalutamide is a very effective way to go especially during a pandemic since there are no hospital visits required to take it. My oncologist told me that he had a couple of guys go the chemo route instead and it didn't work out well for them. I went with Eligard and apalutamide/Erleada right off and even with the slight side effects, I couldn't be happier with an undetectable PSA (from 113 originally with bone met in spine and mets in lymph nodes). The Titan trial results speak for themselves. YMMV.
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Mets to lungs
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Scan back moved to lymph nodes
Advice on Treating Liver and Lymph Node Mets
UPDATE on my dad. A story of hope.❤️ #advancedPC
