im a 79 year old male almost five years into long haul covid recently diagnosed with stage 4
prostate cancer spread to lymph nodes above and below diaphragm with one spot on bone
i have only been offered hormone therapy and so far refused
i would like to know the experiences of men in my age range and stage with any successful
treatments and in particular on adt-bicalutamide alone with side effects and adverse events
along with success thanks
I probably didn't understand your post... Are you betting that long covid will kill you before you have to deal with painful and crippling bone metastases?
no just contemplating hormone therapy and others experiences with it at my age and stage
So why have you "so far refused hormone therapy?"
I use hormone therapy, stage 4 and have been alive for 6 years
risk of adverse events heart, stroke,liver damage, osteoporosis. side effects exacerbating long haul symptoms-fatigue, muscle pain
At 79, what have you got to lose?
Frankly, I’d be tickled to live to 79.
I’d go full in on ADT, buy yourself some time for a cogent decision…. Any clue as to Gleason number? An idea of how aggressive it is would help.
best of luck, but do consider carefully and not with fear.
Maybe I would think differently at 79. I'm 65 Dx aggressive high volume. Married to my perfect woman with 7 grandbabies I love beyond words. I'm throwing the kitchen sink at my cancer hoping to reach 69 let alone 79 as the thought of not being around to watch them grow is crushing.. Long COVID got to suck but I would not fear treatment as it's all manageable at least for me. Good luck with your journey.
I was 76 and started Bicalutamide mono therapy 50 mg in August 2019 when PSA reached 65 after beginning to increase from < .1 in 2015 .
PSA fell to <.02 by April 2020 and has remained there. Very few side effects except loss of libido . You need to eat properly and exercise daily. My cancer was confined to the prostate area after proton beam treatment at Loma Linda in 2008.
Hi
I am probable close to you in many respects, pls read my Bio. Am 80 next month, dx with Gl 9 exactly 11 years ago, did radiation, 3 year of Lupron then had 5.4 year with no treatment whatsoever, then a PSMA scan in June/2022 revealed spots in the pelvic area and the para aortic node. Been back on the Lupron since Sept/2022 and undetectable since May/2023. Anticipate being on Lupron forever and maybe adding something else in the next year or so. Only annoying side effect is lack of energy/strength/stamina but that is better than pain. Heart, stroke, liver, osteoporosis etc can all be managed if and when they arise. A doctor's job is to prescribe a fix that will push out each ailment so that something else will kill you. At our age we should still get a good number of years from the medical system, whatever turns up. Go for it.
is your breathlessness severe, and just with exertion? Jk
Yes, but just with "exercise" of some sort e.g. carrying loads. I can walk reasonable distances (do 2km regularly) but once a slight incline is reached, I'm stuffed and need to stop for a few minutes. A large glass of shiraz several days a week probably does help but at 80 who cares.
81 early next year. Had high blood pressure for years before diagnosis of PCa Gleason 9 mets to spine /pelvis. Currently 3 monthly injections prostap (Lupron) half dose Aberaterone and Prednisolone daily, plus’s b p tablets daily. Initially hot flushes now gone. Very few side effects, still drink and smoke eat whatever I like. Works for me and still ALIVE !!
"... five years into long haul covid recently diagnosed with stage 4... spread to lymph nodes above and below diaphragm with one spot on bone... have only been offered hormone therapy and so far refused"
After prostate radiation at 78, I passed up hormone therapy because it sounded odd and the oncologist said it was not always "indicated" at my age. He handed me off to a urologist for PSA tests, who took over my treatment. When PSA rose again, he too did not push ADT. When scans showed Stage 4 at age 81, I demanded Orgovyx ADT, and to make a doublet I chose Abiraterone. The PSA soon fell to <.01, and with daily exercise, the side effects have been negligible. I am now 82 and feel great, but I regret the years of life I have lost by delaying ADT.
Doublet ADT therapy should not be too hard for post-Covid, and is your best hope of slowing or halting the spread of the cancer, which will otherwise have no restraint. ADT should work for 3-4 years before the cancer becomes resistant to it. Use spot radiation SBRT for bones as needed.
HT managed hubby’s progression for 5 years. Yes, there were side effects, but so grateful for that time and ability to delay more rigorous treatments.
The fatigue is a consideration. Long Covid is bad for that and so is ADT. I didn’t experience fatigue for about four years. I built my house over the first two years of being on ADT. Maybe the exercise (physical and mental) helped stave off the fatigue. I have fatigue now. I built another, smaller house on my property a couple years ago and, whereas I could do it physically, the mental part went out the window. I can only work a short day now but I got about five years before the fatigue set in. Do the ADT but exercise a lot if the long Covid will let you.
I’m 12 years out on lupron and Xtandi.
I'm 79 and been on Lupron for 11 years. I don't like the fatigue and hot spells but those are minor things. The important thing is am still here and my cancer is in check so far.
I don’t know much but it sounds like maybe your cancer is treatable. In some people if they get it (cancer) in the early stages I have heard it can be eliminated. I am not sure if this is what you have like cancer in its early stage. I wonder what stage did the doc say you were in? I have gone through these drugs you are speaking of. That is what they initially start with when you are first diagnosed or at least that is the drugs they put me on. Gen 1 and Gen 2 hormone suppressing drugs. I would reconsider taking these drugs you probably won’t be on those to long and they will put you on something else. Everything has side effects. If anything the most thing I realized about these type of drugs is fatigue and maybe hot flashes once in a while and a little sweating here and there but not a lot. These drugs prevent the cancer from spreading. I guess hormones are the cancer’s food. These drugs are pretty mild and if you eat healthy and get exercise that is a big plus. It sounds like they can attack your cancer and get it handled I think. What is your diagnoses? What stage? I am 67 years old been through triple therapy chemo that kicked my butt and I am about 4 months post chemo starting to feel better less tired but still have days where I just rest. They say for every one month of chemo you need two months to recover. I would rather extend my life on earth the best I can with these therapies. Who knows maybe one day a cure or a really good drug will come out with more durable results.
I was diagnosed in 2012 psa 31, stage 4, three bone Mets, suspicious lymph node Gleason 9 , doubling time 3 months. I started out on lupron and casodex ( temp for flair) lasted 2.5 years that way , then lupron and Xtandi.
Experiences with securing ss and private disability
Hey
Gleason 9, Age 72, stage 3 or 4 ?
Healthly before diagnosis 
I am new 
