advanced prostate cancer

[imhungguy]

I am not sure this is the place to bring this up, but I do so knowing how many helpful and supportive members are here on Frank Talk.

I have had an implant for 14 years (two revisions), and am not unhappy with the results. I had no obvious physical problems leading to e.d., but nothing else helped so I went with an implant. Now, however, I have just been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. The metastasis has gone to the bones in my spine and ribs. I begin hormone therapy on Friday to reduce my T-levels to as low as they will go. As far as the metastasis goes, I see my oncologist tomorrow to discuss therapy for that part of the problem. Radiation has been mentioned.

Before I go ahead with treatment for this most unwelcome development, I am wondering if there are any other men out there who have advanced prostate cancer and if so, what their experience has been. I am quite a bit older than I have let on to most people and to all you guys (85 last week), but am not ready to throw in the towel. However, if all this proposed therapy is not going to make me feel a LOT better, I wonder if it's worth going through. I am not so concerned about adding a few years or even months to my life as I am about the quality I can expect. The uro was unhelpful on this subject (I have never had a urologist who had much bedside manner, to say the least), but my oncologist is terrific and I expect he will be able to guide me a bit when I see him tomorrow.

So, the implant is in place after my testosterone is close to zero, but what about the rest of my life beyond sex? Any comments would be MOST welcome, men. Thanks for listening.

Bill

[Andy425]

Me: 64, diagnosed with PC (Gleason 7) in March 2012, prostatectomy in June '12, PSA still undetectable.

All things considered, you might get better answers and support from a prostate cancer forum. Here is one I used to post at: http://www.cancerforums.net/forums/14-P ... ncer-Forum . I haven't posted there since surgery.

Some random thoughts:

I was told that no matter what treatment I chose -- surgery, radiation, or seeds -- the side effects in the end would be about the same. I guess you're not worried about ED, but incontinence is not fun. It may resolve itself (but never fully) in a few weeks, months, or you may always have some problem with it. They can give you the odds, but there is no way of knowing ahead of time where you will end up. I was pretty bad for about three months (gradually tapered off) and I didn't care about ANYTHING ELSE during that time. I still have some trouble with it, but it is manageable. Nobody, as far as I know, is quite the same without that sphincter muscle that comes out with the prostate (or is destroyed by radiation).

You feel lousy, and they told you it was because of advanced PC, and that they can reverse that? I don't know, I don't trust doctors anymore, especially ones who are set to make $20,000 -- give or take -- to do something to me. The first uro I went to told me that as far as incontinence or ED went, "We can fix that now." Haha, sure. Having another surgery ("loop?") to hopefully correct incontinence, stabbing your dick with a needle so you can get a phony, unnatural hard-on, or getting an implant isn't "fixing" the problem. But I believed them. And it goes back farther than that to a pointless neck surgery I had in 2011. In three years I went from 99.99% trusting doctors to about 1%.

On the bright side: My 70 year-old neighbor had an RP in 2000, but the cancer came back twice. He's been on hormone therapy for three years or so, his PSA is undetectable, he feels good and looks normal. So, that's all I know. Good luck to you, and let us know how it goes.

[imhungguy]

Thanks for your response, Andy. My Gleason score is 4+5=9.

Treatment has now been determined, and I start on Zometa (to prevent osteoporosis) tomorrow, and Firmagon on Friday to bring my T-levels down as low as possible. Then, in a month my oncologist will start me on shots - not sure exactly what - to treat the metastasis in my rib and spine area. None of this is curable, but it is treatable, so that is at least something, and I am assured that I will be much more comfortable as treatment progresses.

My docs assure me that prostate cancer that has spread to bones is far better than bone cancer would be. The latter is not treatable.

You are right. I will make all further comments to one of the prostate cancer sites.