Prognosis for Stage 4 Metastatic Prostate Cancer

My path was very similar to your father's - went from very healthy to (within a couple of months) stage IV prostate cancer, similar Gleason and off the chart PSA. It has since metastazide throughout my bones. I light up like a Christmas tree.

I am now eighty years old and four years into this journey. My treatments of Elegard, Keytruda, etc. have basically all run their course and are no longer effective. I opted to not have chemotherapy because it made no sense to me to kill off the good with the bad and hope that the good comes back faster than the bad.

I have just had my first treatment of Pluvecto, the latest version of radiation treatment, which does NOT work like chemotherapy but instead is targeted to the cancer cells. This treatment is a painless IV but it makes you radioactive for a while and you need to pretty much isolate and quarantine yourself for a week or so . Treatments are once every six weeks for a total of six times. I got through the isolation period ok with the biggest problem being boredom and constipation. My pain level has gone from a constant four to just mildly annoying and negligible, so I have to say that for me this treatment is working well.

Mental attitude, diet and continued exercise all play a major role in your well being. I also do non FDA approved energy healing with the spooky2 rife technology. I value quality of life over quantity of life.

The cancer has taken my strength and stamina levels down to maybe 20% of what they used to be, but other than that I feel relatively ok. Just can't do a whole lot and need to be very conscious of pacing myself in any physical activities.

Hope my experiences are helpful to you.

Your story sounds just like mine I’ I had zovigo last winter,i get my 2 nd pluvicto on the 31 st so far so good zovigo was easy to take also I also lost my stanama I get tired easy I have to watch I don’t do anything physical because my bones can break easily I use to exercise 3 days a week now I’m afraid to because I might break something I have fractured vertebrae in my back and ribs it is a mess my spine dr said they will heal I can feel they r just don’t know how good,the spine dr said she had been doing this for 21 years and has never seen anyone as bad as me I was 6/1 now I’m 5/9 my disc and vertebrates have caused it,I’m lucky to be able to walk,I’m not complaining I know I’m never going to be any better than I am now I can accept that I’m still enjoying what life I have ,after pluvicto I don’t know how much longer I will be here they said I probably will not go back on chemo I had some breathing problems will on it ,I keep hoping for another drug when I’m done with this one,I hope I can work out again even if it’s a little I’m from Ohio in Florida for winter it might be my last one,I enjoy every day good luck keep fighting god bless Dave I’m going to be 70 in march

My path was very similar to your father's - went from very healthy to (within a couple of months) stage IV prostate cancer, similar Gleason and off the chart PSA. It has since metastazide throughout my bones. I light up like a Christmas tree.

I am now eighty years old and four years into this journey. My treatments of Elegard, Keytruda, etc. have basically all run their course and are no longer effective. I opted to not have chemotherapy because it made no sense to me to kill off the good with the bad and hope that the good comes back faster than the bad.

I have just had my first treatment of Pluvecto, the latest version of radiation treatment, which does NOT work like chemotherapy but instead is targeted to the cancer cells. This treatment is a painless IV but it makes you radioactive for a while and you need to pretty much isolate and quarantine yourself for a week or so . Treatments are once every six weeks for a total of six times. I got through the isolation period ok with the biggest problem being boredom and constipation. My pain level has gone from a constant four to just mildly annoying and negligible, so I have to say that for me this treatment is working well.

Mental attitude, diet and continued exercise all play a major role in your well being. I also do non FDA approved energy healing with the spooky2 rife technology. I value quality of life over quantity of life.

The cancer has taken my strength and stamina levels down to maybe 20% of what they used to be, but other than that I feel relatively ok. Just can't do a whole lot and need to be very conscious of pacing myself in any physical activities.

Hope my experiences are helpful to you.

Dear Phil,
I am about the same age as your father, but not as far along with cancer spreading and his pain levels, he has raised a good man in you. Perhaps you all may wish to research various clinical trials after having a face to face with his Doctor. God's Blessings and strength on all of you.

Phil,
I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer de novo July 27, 2022 - I am 61 years old now. I started out with terrible pain in my back that ultimately turned out to be from bone metastases in my spin and ribs. At first I thought it was my gall bladder and unaware I had cancer had emergency surgery to have it removed. After I was released from the hospital the pain in my back continued. It was the worst pain I had felt in my life and I could not sleep laying down. My doctors ordered an MRI which revealed bone metastases in my spin. Later a bone scan revealed bone metastases to my spin, ribs, and hips. The cancer only traveled to bone. Because the pain was so bad my Oncologist ordered palliative radiation to the spin (10 cycles) and ribs (5 cycles). I too did triplet therapy like your father: Eligard (ADT), Darolutamide, and 10 cycles of Chemotherapy (Docetaxel). My PSA initially dropped to 0.238 at the end of chemo and continued to drop after Chemotherapy. I am now undetectable. What I want to share with you is that after radiation I had no more pain and I still do not have any pain. I also think that me getting radiation first to bone metastases shrunk and damaged the DNA of the cancer cells. I believe the 10 cycles of Docetaxel Chemo did even more damage to the cancer and just knocked the hell out of the cancer. I was very aggressive in my treatment. I agreed to 10 cycles of chemo but had my doctors allowed it I would have done 12 cycles. My wife just found a study that shows Darolutamide continues to enhance the chemotherapy death cycle (apoptosis). That should encourage your father as well.

I am also getting Zometa infusions every month. After every infusion I experience some bone and muscle discomfort - not pain. During Chemo I ran to the ER worried the cancer was spreading because I felt some discomfort in my back - only to find out it was pain and discomfort from Zometa. Every time the CT scans came back stabilized metastatic disease. I did this 2 times and my doctor had to sit me down and tell me that not every pain is not from or is (in my case) from the cancer. Everyone with this disease is different and reacts differently to treatment. Regardless, every PSA check is stressful and scary for all of us. But I am encouraged your father received triplet therapy and responded well to the treatment. You should know, Men are living longer with the disease. Some do have more struggles if they have genetic or genomic markers (i.e., BRAC1 and BRAC2). Those of us that received triplet therapy based on the ARSENS trial are being watched closely - because there has been great success with triplet therapy. There is hope. Trust in Jesus.

As a final note my oncologist will not tell me how much time I have because she does not know. Everyone is different. Initially I did get a second opinion at Hopkins and that doctors said the average is 7 to 8 years but that does not mean I would die is 7 to 8 years. He said he many patients that have been living with stage 4 prostate cancer 10, 15, and 20+ years. He said this before triplet therapy was approved as the standard of treatment. So be encouraged.

Phil,
I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer de novo July 27, 2022 - I am 61 years old now. I started out with terrible pain in my back that ultimately turned out to be from bone metastases in my spin and ribs. At first I thought it was my gall bladder and unaware I had cancer had emergency surgery to have it removed. After I was released from the hospital the pain in my back continued. It was the worst pain I had felt in my life and I could not sleep laying down. My doctors ordered an MRI which revealed bone metastases in my spin. Later a bone scan revealed bone metastases to my spin, ribs, and hips. The cancer only traveled to bone. Because the pain was so bad my Oncologist ordered palliative radiation to the spin (10 cycles) and ribs (5 cycles). I too did triplet therapy like your father: Eligard (ADT), Darolutamide, and 10 cycles of Chemotherapy (Docetaxel). My PSA initially dropped to 0.238 at the end of chemo and continued to drop after Chemotherapy. I am now undetectable. What I want to share with you is that after radiation I had no more pain and I still do not have any pain. I also think that me getting radiation first to bone metastases shrunk and damaged the DNA of the cancer cells. I believe the 10 cycles of Docetaxel Chemo did even more damage to the cancer and just knocked the hell out of the cancer. I was very aggressive in my treatment. I agreed to 10 cycles of chemo but had my doctors allowed it I would have done 12 cycles. My wife just found a study that shows Darolutamide continues to enhance the chemotherapy death cycle (apoptosis). That should encourage your father as well.

I am also getting Zometa infusions every month. After every infusion I experience some bone and muscle discomfort - not pain. During Chemo I ran to the ER worried the cancer was spreading because I felt some discomfort in my back - only to find out it was pain and discomfort from Zometa. Every time the CT scans came back stabilized metastatic disease. I did this 2 times and my doctor had to sit me down and tell me that not every pain is not from or is (in my case) from the cancer. Everyone with this disease is different and reacts differently to treatment. Regardless, every PSA check is stressful and scary for all of us. But I am encouraged your father received triplet therapy and responded well to the treatment. You should know, Men are living longer with the disease. Some do have more struggles if they have genetic or genomic markers (i.e., BRAC1 and BRAC2). Those of us that received triplet therapy based on the ARSENS trial are being watched closely - because there has been great success with triplet therapy. There is hope. Trust in Jesus.

As a final note my oncologist will not tell me how much time I have because she does not know. Everyone is different. Initially I did get a second opinion at Hopkins and that doctors said the average is 7 to 8 years but that does not mean I would die is 7 to 8 years. He said he many patients that have been living with stage 4 prostate cancer 10, 15, and 20+ years. He said this before triplet therapy was approved as the standard of treatment. So be encouraged.