Prostat Cancer After Years Of Kemo And Psa Going Up

My father has had Prostat cancer for ten years and had radiation, kemo for years and now the body is use to it and the PSA is over a 100 every week. The suber scan shows cancer in all the bones and the pain just started which has probably been there for years. My question is, is there anything out there that can slow this down?

depends on what you mean by "kemo". Normally a patient would start out on hormone therapy which basically reduces the testosterone level. If this fails, which it sounds like it did, then more standard chemotherapy is used along with a biphosphonate for bone pain. Other options include radiation, supportative care and clinical trials. Be sure to ask your doc about all options and God bless.

I am sorry to hear about your father. Our bodies work in strange ways and everyone is different. Perhaps one of the greatest discoveries possibly ever made is in the natural health industry and a nutrient called fucoidan. There are many medical, scientific research studies that have been done around the world and many have treated cancer with great success. There are many great sucess stories. Again it depends on how far the cancer has advanced, but anything is worth a try. Fucoidan is found in its natural state only in Original Limu. Write and I will give you more information: --- Message edited by CancerCompass staff: for personal protection, email address removed. Please review CancerCompass Member Guidelines at http://www.cancercompass.com/common/guidelines.html ---

I am sorry that your Father's prostate cancer levels are increasing and that it has spread to the bones.

I can only "share" my Father's experience with you. Chemo was never offered to my Father - until his final stages. The oncologist told him that it had a 10% chance of "extending" his life but 0% chance of a cure. I was under the impression that Chemo would not cure prostate cancer.

My Father was diagnosed w/ prostate cancer in 1995 at the age of 73. His original levels were 78.7 - they assumed he had this illness for many years before the diagnosis. He also experienced many other health conditions and they said - just do hormonal therapy - something else will get you first. He did several different kinds of horomal therapy (Eulexin, Prozcar, Casodex and finally Lupron 4 month injections) - these all kept his levels manageable for about 8 1/2 years.

Then the cancer became hormone refractory and spread to his bone and lymph nodes. They tried ketokonazole (spelling?) - which was too much for him to handle - but it does have a 25% chance of decreasing levels. His body at that point could not tolerate it. For the bone cancer pain they had him on Zometa - which did work wonders.

You mentioned nowhere in your post that your Father ever tried hormonal therapy. If he has not - that is a GREAT option - cause typically prostate cancer will respond for a certain period of time to hormonal therapy - until the cancer gets smart enough - but it can buy lots of time. I would mention that to your Father and his Oncologist.

When my Father's cancer turned "terminal" - his PSA levels were 2200 - they stopped doing levels in January - when they were 3750. He died in June. But overall he had great success from the hormonal therapy. And although I wish there would have been more they could have done - he did not suffer - like I would have expected a cancer patient to do so. The medications (zometa) and calcium supplements really decreased the bone pain. He died 23 days before his 10 year anniversary of being diagnosed with the disease.

Had he of had a radical prosectomy and radition followed by horomonal therapy - he would have more likely lived longer.

I hope this helps. I can only share my experience. Good luck and God speed.

Janet

Hi! I'm sorry to hear about your father's advancing prostate cancer.  I know how it feels when it seems like everything else had been done.My husband was diagnosed with cancer a little more than 2 years ago.  The biopsy turned out negative but he was treated as having prostate cancer because of increased PSA levels (80+). Several months had passed and his scans and MRI's showed the cancer had spread to his spine and sacrum so he had radiation.  The radiation's side effects almost killed his will to survive but thank God, it's over!  His most recent scan showed the radiation did wonders.  He was supposed to be started on Chemo but this Prostate CA specialist we went to see in NY suggested Ketokonazole which he just started. We were told it could go either way: slow down the growth or won't be of any significance.  We decided to try it but he's feeling the same side effects he had when he had radiation, only milder though. His Oncologist said he will take this for 3 months and depending on his body's response, he may or may not have to undergo chemo. The specialist we saw in NY said he has a couple of patients who have been on Ketokonazole for 2-3 years now and have been responding to it, they hadn't actually started chemo.