Is there ever a cure for stage 4?

Look up the latest I saw on yahoo news. MACROPHAGES May contribute to prostate cancer hanging around the body, preventing a CURE. Intensely complicated to me- studies about THIS SUBJECT- this year.

Isn't Pruvicto a potential last ditch cure option to track down and irradiate distant PC cells anywhere in the body? That was my understanding from the latest online info about this radiopharmaceutical treatment option?

“Cure” is not possible but “keep it from killing me for 10+ years” would be a de facto cure, particularly if side effects were tolerable and bones remained strong enough for a long walk.

My doctor used the word cure in this broader definition. But my PSA is already increasing 6 1/2 weeks after my last Degarelix injection so I’m anxious. More anxious than usual I should say.

Why not discuss adding a course of chemotherapy as a kill agent. I believe after reading Dr. Kwons theory prostate cancer is treated more on the palliative level, ADT puts prostate cancer to sleep does not kill it. Radiation to spots are also a kill shot. Chemo should work as a kill agent, especially if there are micro metastases that could later flare up. Research shows just about all prostate cancer cells will ultimately become resistant to ADT, the question is when though differs for each person.

Re: Being "cured" of stage 4, gleason 9, castration sensitive, metastatic prostate cancer:
I had stage 3 starting in 2014, Stage 4 since about 2017. You name it, I've had it. Now on Pluvicto, which is successfully kicking the can down the road. As other have noted, I'm unaware of anyone being "cured" at this stage. There's a lot that can be done to bye time and maintime a quality life, so be informed, stay positive and take action. Complacency will get you nowhere.

I think you mean Pluvicto, a radioligand that uses a radioactive isotope (Lutetium 177) which attaches to cancer cells which express PSMA anywhere in the body and damages them. But Pluvicto ONLY targets PSMA-positive cancer cells--it is not effective against cancer cells which do not express PSMA. Also, Pluvicto was not described to us as a "cure option" by the team at Mayo. It is generally accepted that Stage 4/metastatic prostate cancer cannot be cured, only controlled and sent into remission, though sometimes for many years.

I was diagnosed with stage 4 at age 56, so I need to keep it from killing me for at least 30 years.

4 down, 26+ to go… 🙂

As you know if your PSA starts to rise, even though you’re on ADT, you have become castrate resistant.

The thing is, you don’t give any numbers. If your PSA went from .001 to .003 well, that’s not really a much of a PSA rise and it may go down as much the next time. If you have a significant rise, then you will need to get on an ARSI (Zytiga or a lutamide).

I was diagnosed at age 61 with stage 3 / suspicious for 4. I’m 64 now. RP 12/24 but LNs still not addressed.

I also want to live to 80 but right now I fear dying in 5. My recent retinal detachment led to 2 mini strokes & suspicion of diabetes so currently I’m very down. I was flying high, swimming 4-5 times per week, averaging 6 miles walking per day. Then I was thinking 15. Hoping to regain optimism but wallowing currently.

Technically I’m not sure that I’m castrate resistant.

The ominous fact is that my PSA went from undetectable to 0.05 while I was on a full course of DEGARELIX.

My next reading of 0.09 occurred 46 days after my last dose of DEGARELIX. The half-life of that drug is 28 days so more than half of the drug was out of my system by the day of that PSA reading.

I may be splitting hairs, but because my oncologist didn’t say maybe we should go two more months two more doses because that move from undetectable to 0.05 hints a at castrate resistance, but does not prove it.

My total time on degarelix has been 24 months, but in two very distinct one year periods. My first stint also included about six months of Lupron instead.

Also, my last stint that just ended included Diarlutimude, up until early June. So I’d be a little surprised to find that I was castrate resistant after only 24 elapsed months total and with the last six months with no prostate.

If you detect some grasping for straws, here you are correct

* I’m getting a little exasperated by the iPhone, not understanding the names of any prostate cancer drugs. So please forgive all caps and egregious misspellings of various prostate cancer drugs.

My phone keeps interpreting “DEGARELIX” as “the garlic”, but rest assured, I am not yet trying any crockpot home remedies.