my dads prostate cance

Hi,

I'm so sorry about your dad's situation. I can only imagine how shocking it must be to have learned all of this 4 years later. I'm sure your parents were trying to spare you any unnecessary anxiety.

There are many treatments than be effective on prostate cancer that has spread to the bones. I am not very familiar with all of the particular details, but you will find many people here that will be jumping in with their own experiences & knowledge.

Be assured that, with today's treatments, there is a very good chance that your dad will be with you for many years to come.

Hang in there!
Chuck

Resident of Highland, Indiana just outside of Chicago, IL.
July 2011 local PSA lab reading 6.41 (from 4.1 in 2009). Mayo Clinic PSA Sept. 2011 was 5.7.
Local urologist DRE revealed significant BPH, but no lumps.
PCa Dx Aug. 2011 at age of 61.
Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma in 3 of 20 cores (one 5%, two 20%). T2C.
Gleason score 3+3=6.
CT of abdomen, bone scan both negative.
DaVinci prostatectomy 11/1/11 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), nerve sparing, age 62.
My surgeon was Dr. Matthew Tollefson, who I highly recommend.
Final pathology shows tumor confined to prostate.
5 lymph nodes, seminal vesicles, extraprostatic soft tissue all negative.
1.0 x 0.6 x 0.6 cm mass involving right posterior inferior,
right posterior apex & left mid posterior prostate.
Right posterior apex margin involved by tumor over a 0.2 cm length, doctor says this is insignificant.
Prostate 98.3 grams, tumor 2 grams. Prostate size 5.0 x 4.7 x 4.5 cm.
Abdominal drain removed the morning after surgery.
Catheter out in 7 days. No incontinence, occasional minor dripping.
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, PSA <0.1. PSA tests now annual.
Semi-firm erections now happening 14 months post-op & VERY slowly getting a bit stronger.

Hello Kennye,

If you could tell us what sort of chemo we could tell you more about what to expect. There are lots of different drugs and they have different uses and side effects.

Did he ever have any treatment besides the hormone therapy? Any surgery or radiation?

Do you know what sort of hormones he is on? The name of the drug? Is it a pill? or a shot he gets every three months? or both?

Whatever he doing there will be some guys here who have done that and can tell you what to expect.

The good news for you to take away from all these questions, by the way, is that there are guys who have done what your dad is doing and will be doing and they are still here on the forum swapping stories years and years later.

hi everyone thank you so much for your input. i am actually the only girl in the family and my two brothers are aged 30 and 41. my dad was on ant-androgens hormone pills that he took daily. the name of the chemo is docetaxel and he is now on prendnisone steriods. i live in the us but my parents are back in ireland which makes it harder. also we are wondering how hard on the body will this chemo be and we are afraid to think of the approach after that is this the last road for him or will he have a lot more years ahead of him.
leah

Hello Kennye,

I sense something similar in your Dad's case. Look up my posting under Bermin and you will see certain similarities with the hormone treatment to the chemotherapy. Good luck.