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Posted 10/11/2010 9:40 PM (GMT -5)

Where besides bones does prostate cancer metastasize?   My father in law is now receiving Hospice care for his advanced prostate cancer which is in the pelvix, thoracic, lumbar spine as well as femurs.  It was in his lymph nodes when diagnosed 17 years agao.   He has done very well after having his testicles removed.  He has taken Casodex, Flutimide and Ketoconazole.  But his PSA was on the rise again.    The Hospice nurse told us that he may have brain metastisis.  I didn't know that was an area that prostate cancer invaded.  Is that true?   He is in his final days and that is OK.  He fought a good fight for 17 years which is amazing considering the lymph node involment when diagnosed. Thanks.  This site is very good at providing accurate information

Posted 10/11/2010 10:01 PM (GMT -5)
Hi caring wife, sorry to read about your father in law. Seventeen years! That does sound like a good fight. I don't have an answer for your question, but I did want to reply and tell you I've got you on my prayer list tonight.

Sheldon AKA Sleepless
Posted 10/12/2010 12:29 AM (GMT -5)
Hi Caring Wife: Seventeen years is a good run -- I would be happy to eke out 17 years after diagnosis!

I didn't know the answer either, but googled around and found that PCa commonly spreads to bones, lungs, liver and other abdominal organs. It is rarer for it to spread to the brain, but it still can happen. One source I saw quoted about a 2% chance of metastatic PCa appearing there.
Posted 10/12/2010 1:36 AM (GMT -5)
Hi
Sorry to hear about your father-in-law, but 17 years after Dx is not bad.

PCa typically spreads to pelvis, spine, hip bones, liver, lungs. It can I imagine spread to any where, but what I have heard of in relation to the brain is that it spreads to the skull and if it grows on the inside of the skull then it presses against the brain and damages the brain that way or by cutting off the blood supply to parts of the brain. What may thus be being noticed with your FiL are symptoms that are similar to what would happen if there was actually a tumour in the brain itself, the symptoms depend what part of the brain is affected, (similarly if it is in the bones of the spine it can press on the spinal cord and affect nerve transmission, but it has not actually spread to the spinal cord)

With my best wishes
Alf
Posted 10/12/2010 1:46 AM (GMT -5)
There is a rare form of prostate cancer, small cell carcinoma, that can spread directly into the brain:

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1611899-overview

It behaves differently from other kinds of prostate cancer, and doesn't produce PSA, but sometimes can be mixed with more common forms of prostate cancer.

So, it could be that, or, like Alf said, it could be growing from the skull. Or the nurse could be mistaken.
Posted 10/12/2010 1:52 AM (GMT -5)
http://www.topix.com/forum/health/bone-cancer/TB7MH4NR01303SP4G/p3

My thoughts and prayers are with you.. 

There is a natural hesitation to make comments on such matters because , well, "what the hell would I know?"

But - I have to say that I have heard just too much information from people who are surviving what doctors said was unsurvivable, and they are consuming OPC's.

It is such a shame that things so often progress to such an uncontrollable state, but were he just disgnosed with those mets, then I know what I would be doing.

There seems to be nothing to be lost and much to be gained..  Look at  Resveratrol, and OPC, and Anti-Oxidants etc. etc.   Do I believe -- YES !

I know people controlling and shrinking brain cancer, just via diet and OPC consumption.

YES - We (the bride and I and all my family) take OPC daily.

Had I been told that I needed Chemo after my RRP - I would have declined and just gone on large doses of OPC and Resveratrol, which is made from plant extracts..  "...and God gave man plants with which to heal himself..."

I feel concerned in expressing my opinion, but saying nothing is worse..

..

.

Posted 10/12/2010 11:54 AM (GMT -5)
Another man just passed recently whom dealt with his PCa for 17 yrs. and he was dealing with brain mets and even had radiation done in that area and did many protocols in his long fight. There is plenty of unanswered definitiveness in PCa issues, many variables and even PCa variant types, ploidy DNA types and ones one immune system. Anybody whom believes it is totally definable at this time is history will find the twilight zone makes more sense. (LOL)
Posted 10/12/2010 1:47 PM (GMT -5)
Caring Wife,

That is a great fight of 17 years and he must be ready for peace. I am glad Hospice is involved as that is a person friendly way to leave this earth. I did have a friend that had PCa which did spread to his brain in the last stages of his life. Blessings to you and your family.

Michael

Posted 10/12/2010 10:06 PM (GMT -5)

Thanks for all of your imformative replies.  Yes, 17 years is a long time following his diagnosis of lymph node involvement and he is very lucky to have lived this long...thanks to care received at the Universtity of Iowa Hospital and Clinics.   We will never know whether it had spread to his brain, but it sounds like it is possible and he has some symptoms.       Hospice care has been a blessing to us.  I highly recommend it.  My husband's cancer was diagnosed prior to lymph node involvement.  We are hoping for years and years of zero PSA's.  We have passed the two year mark of zero's.  

Posted 10/12/2010 10:24 PM (GMT -5)
Congratulations on the two years of zeros, caring wife. That's the way you get to 60 plus years of straight zeros, one year at a time, and your husband is off to a perfect start.

And, thanks for the further information on your father in law.

My best to all of you.

Sheldon AKA Sleepless
Posted 10/13/2010 2:10 PM (GMT -5)
I am also very sorry to hear the news of your father in law, but I thank you very much for the post. Seventeen years is a beacon and an inspiration for those of us with advanced PCa. I will keep him in my prayers as well
Posted 10/15/2010 9:40 PM (GMT -5)
As a new member I am sorry to hear the news. He put up a good fight.

May the peace of G-d which passes all understanding be with your family at this time.
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