Dad just diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer

Hello Djquestioner 

Welcome to the group although i am so sorry to find you here. You have given us your dad's diagnosis but not any PSA figures or any MRI details - you said

Djquestioner said:

Obviously it is not a nice diagnosis

Are you aware of what Gleason 10: T3 N1 M1B means?

Prostate Cancer is a very treatable cancer and 98% of men with a diagnosis die WITH it not OF it.

Dad's been started on Hormone Therapy - in a nutshell this puts the cancer cells to sleep before any further treatment kills them off. Hormone Therapy comes with a range of side effects fatigue being one of them so dad needs to keep as fit as possible. It also weakens your bone structure so he should have a prescription for calcium and Vitamin D tablets.

There are plenty of community members here with a diagnosis similar to dad's who are doing well - I am a Gleason 9 (5+4) T3aN0M0 and in the 4th year of my cancer journey - having a great holiday in Turkey . If you click on my avatar you can read my full journey.

Feel free to ask any questions, however trivial - you will get answers.

Best wishes - Brian.

I am a year on from diagnosis and I can confirm that things do settle down. At this time you will be suffering from what I have come to think of as a convulsion in my life.

There have been unavoidable changes, but those changes have been, in the main, minor. I have adapted and life is good.Each treatment has its side effects and difficulties, but almost no one suffers from all of them. Indeed, "suffer" is probably the wrong word. I have "coped with" rather than "suffered from".

This illness, even if not cured, can be managed over years, often many years. Improvements in treatment have been happening so fast that it is quite likely we will be delivered of new ones even in a year or two.

Once this period has slowed down and the whole treatment plan is known, you will have a much clearer way forward.

Thanks so much for the reply. His PSA is 667 - so, quite high and he has bone Mets in his ribs, pelvis and legs. The doctors have said chemo will follow, but hoping that HT will bring the PSA down fast. Because my dad’s cancer is so aggressive, I worry that it will become resistant fast but I’m trying to live in the moment and pray for a limited amount of side effects. When you Google the stats look quite grim! But I try to comfort myself with the fact treatment is always getting better

Hi Djquestioner, and a warm welcome from me, I'm Gleason 10, T4 N1 M1b, and well over 3 years post diagnosis, sure I've slowed down, but I'm still enjoying life, despite also having an aggressive variant, bone mets and unable to have surgery or chemotherapy.

I do have side effects, mainly due to having aggressive radiotherapy to my whole lower pelvic area, but none that stop me from getting on with living, PS, my cancer is hormone resistant, but it's still effective today.

Eddie xx 

Hello Djquestioner 

Life is for living - me and the cancer share the same body but it's me who makes the choices of where I go, what I do etc - it's not in control.

Yes the HT will bring the PSA down fast and the Chemotherapy will kill the cancer off - if it doesn't there are still more tools in the tool box.

Last time I looked cancer Research UK there were 280 trials running and things are improving all the time.

I would try and keep away from Dr Google, I know it's tempting but there's a lot of incorrect information out there. Any questions you have there will be someone here who can give you an answer.

Best wishes - Brian

Hi Djquestioner not a good time for you both, but I am with Eddie and Steve, things do get better with time.  I am G9 T3bN1M1 and have been on this journey for over 8 years.  The hardest times have been when under intense treatment but most of the time life has been good.  Just about to go on a cruise next week and other holidays planned.  We all react differently to the treatments but HT generally contains the beast (in my case for 5 years) so there are lots to be positive about.  Please ask any questions and as others have said already, stay away from Google.

Wow, i'm so pleased to hear you're managing to live life. I live in hope! What treatment have you gone onto now? How have you found it? 

Hi Djquestioner , you can read any bio (if it has been added by the individual to their profile) by clicking on their name or avatar.  At present I am in remission and just on Zoladex.