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← Return to 11 anniversaries since diagnosis of stage 4 prostate cancer
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11 anniversaries since diagnosis of stage 4 prostate cancer
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: 2 days ago | Replies (83)Comment receiving replies
The pain in my back wasn't horrible, but the balance problems were really getting me.
The cancer was oligometastatic (stage 4b) to my thoracic spine — just one metastasis, thankfully — and my PSA was 67 at diagnosis. I had emergency debulking surgery (over 10 hours on the operating table), radiation to my spine after the surgery healed, then radiation to my prostate 6 months later. I've also been on ADT (first Firmagon, then Orgovyx) and ARSI (Erleada) continually since diagnosis, and I get tested every three months.
The news has stayed good (PSA < 0.01) since my onco team "threw the kitchen sink at it" (their words). I did suffer some permanent radiation damage to the bottom of my bladder and my rectum, but it's not all that serious, and if even I knew I'd have these complications I'd still make the decision to fricassee that prostate to give me a chance of living many more years.
Replies to "The pain in my back wasn't horrible, but the balance problems were really getting me. The..."
Stage 4b oligometastatic is curative. Deep remission. Unfortunately, I am high volume. I had my recent checkup and I am still < 0.100. I also meet with our :Life with cancer" group and I was encouraged and also discouraged by the meeting. Basically, they told me that I need to accept that the cancer will return some day. They do not know when but it is inevitable that everyone becomes resistant (castrate resistant). Resistance occurs because you already have resistant cancer cells that are not killed and left over after radiation and or chemotherapy. My strategy was also the throw the kitchen sink at it "Carpet Bomb" the cancer with radiation to the spin and ribs and enduring 10 chemotherapy cycles instead of 6. I told my wife I did not want to leave any resistant cancer cells behind and give them a chance at returning and causing resistance sooner rather than later. I had quadruplet therapy not triplet. Radiation, ADT (Eligard), ARSI (Darolutamide), 10 cycles of chemotherapy (Docetaxel), and Xgeva injections for my bones every 6 weeks. I did 22 infusions of Zometa before being switched to Xgeva. I do not want to accept that I will become Castrate Resistant.
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I surrender, I can't figure out the difference between 4a and 4b, I guess it really doesn't matter at this point but I am still curious.