Prostate cancer in bones how long?

jean · New User Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

A loved one says his prostate cancer (treated with radiation 4 years ago and now age 7 Cool

has spread to his backbone. This was over a year ago. Not sure he is telling the truth as he has been saying he doesn't have long to live but been saying this for 5 years. Says he's never asked doctor about life expectancy. Does this make sense? What is life expectancy when yearate cancer shows up in bones? Don't know where to start looking for info----are we talking one year or 20 years?

swimom · New User Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 7 Location: Michigan

Jean,

No one can say just how long a person can live with bone mets. There is wide range for men with prostate cancer. Because of the different drugs currently being used and depending on the many different individual responses possible, time is just what it is...time. Some men live months, some a few years and some live for many years. If you're looking for a configured average I believe it is 5 years. The agressivness of prostate cancer can stay stable or it may change. The one thing we do know for certain is...If a man lives long enough, he will die from prostate cancer that has spread. Sooner or later the cancer will out-smart the drugs.
Hope this answers your question. Swim
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swim

ellie · New User Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

Hi, my husband who was 44 last year when diagnosed with PC. He has PSA of 170 and Gleason grade 9, T stage 3-4. It is in his breast bone ( which he has had radiation therapy) also in his lower spine, currently he is onto his 3rd chemo treatment. The chemo has helped with the bone pain but his PSA ( which originally wend down to 2 after his first drug casodex was given) is now back to 160. Things look pretty bleak at the moment and I/we don't know if we really should ask the doctor what the long term prognosis is.Any one got any suggestions as to what we should do?? I would really appreciate any input.

johnw100

Ellie,

Prognosis can vary a lot, depending on the individual and sometimes how he approaches things.

As you have found, medication can control progression of the disease and reduce PSA. Many people find some medications hard to tolerate, and so they do not use it continually. After some time the drugs usually become less effective.

Exercise, activity, diet and supplements can reduce drug side effects, and make a big difference to quality of life.

A friend found these lifestyle improvements very helpful in coping with his advanced disease and medication.

A website with lots of information and experiences of people including some who have used hormone and radiation treatments:

www.yananow.net

Trust you find it helpful.

Johnw100

ellie · New User Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

Hi John, I guess we know that everones cancer is different, just sometimes you are searching for answers that perhaps you don't really want to know, anyway, we joined our local health club, with the intention of swimming regularly, all good intentions, but sometimes Chris hasn't the energy to even go there, but the membership will remain, and whenever he feels better you can bet I will have him down there, because I know exercise is great medicine for the mind if nothing else.

Thanks,
Ellie

jean · New User Joined: 12 Apr 2006 Posts: 2

Hi again, I started this topic and thanks for answer about how hard it is to predict how much time a person has left on earth. What does it mean when the patient is getting Zometa infusion once a month for two years? Is this still experimental to give to prostate cancer patients who have cancer metastisized to the backbone? Is it used to prevent metastesis? Also received a Lupron shot and hadn't had one of those for a while, what does this mean?

Also I wouldn't mind knowing the best place to find the answers to these questions, I keep ending up reading an advertisement or a drug company site which I'm skeptical of the information since they want everyone to use their drug of course.......

johnw100

Jean,

Zometa has had long term results in breast cancer. More recently it has been used for prostate cancer to reduce bone pain and to prevent or delay spread of cancer to bone.

Lupron is often used in combination with other medication to reduce or eliminate testosterone production. It can be used in slow release form, so it might not necessarily be required every month.

Website I mentioned in a previous post, www.yananow.com under "mentor experiences" has about 20 men in the hormone treatment section who have used similar medications for periods of several months to 13 years.
You can read their details, or email them or Terry who manages the site for more specific information.

Trust they have some good information for you.

John

johnw100

Jean,

Correction, website address is:

www.yananow.net

br549 · Regular Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Pittsburgh

Metastesis is cancer of the bone. I have it in my scapula (shouldr blade) Casodex is a pill that costs 400.00 for 30 pills. it's purpose is to shut down the testicles to prevent the production of testosterone which prostate cancer feeds off of. Lupron is a female hormone injection that I get every three months to tell the body not to use any small amounts of testosterone that may still may being produced. Lupron has an average cost of 2500.00 per shot. If the Casodex stops working they may want to use castration as a way to stop testosterone. That's what they did in the old days before Casodex. Prostate cancer also feeds from alcohol so it is important to stop drinking if you are in fact a drinker.

JohnACE · New User Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Posts: 1

[quote="br549"] Prostate cancer also feeds from alcohol so it is important to stop drinking if you are in fact a drinker.[/quote]

Where did you get this information? I've been searching for more info on this but everything indicates the exact opposite.

See "Red Wine May Help Keep Prostate Cancer Away" at
http://psa-rising.com/med/prevention/red_wine04.htm.

Thanks.

johnw100 · Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2006 7:07 am Post subject: metastesis

Re: Wine and Testosterone

Let's hope PC isn't overly influenced by wine consumption, otherwise half of everyone in France, Italy and Greece will have big problems.

Testosterone declines with age, but older men get prostate problems and PC.

Have often wondered about this: perhaps someone knows the answers.

GottaHemi · New User Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Posts: 4 Location: E.Ky

Everone is different and all results are not the same.My Dad never told me much about his problem when he first had a high psa,I found out about his problems over 13 year period.He had gotten a positive test at around 60 and he never really had much of a treatment program until the last several years.Well of course by then it had spread into his bone marrow,lymph node system and was all over his body.

Long story short,he lasted well over 18 years.Me I showed a 4.0 psa at 60,now at 65 I popped out a 5.4.Went to a Ur.Dr.and had a biopsy and showed positive on 3 samples,all on right side.I'm not going to waste much time to have treatment.Already started with a Cancer Center and go for my blocking for radiation on 31st of this month and then 8 weeks of treatment.Just think of all the money I will save on my electric bill.I can turn my outside lights off,cause I'll be a glowing in the dark. Laughing

Sounds like he has been through a lot,hope all ends better for him than it did for my Dad and my Grand Dad as the same thing happened to him back in the mid 60s. Crying or Very sad

br549 · Regular Joined: 23 Jan 2006 Posts: 11 Location: Pittsburgh

John,
I haven't been here for a while, yes you are right a glass or two of red wine is good for you. I was talking about someone who is an avid shot and beer man or someone who spends alot of time at the local bar. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Greg.

lethalpt · New User Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 7

A case is always a different case.Exams work, if you do often.
Always have to be alert.

Bye
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