I'm posting a new thread. My husband, Irv, 50 years old, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. PSA - 32, 10/10 cores positive, 40% overall, perineural invasion present on both sides.
His PSA was tested during a routine physical. He had no signs or symptoms that he was aware of. That was only a few months ago.
He tried antibiotics first without much change.
Finally the biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of cancer. So, lately he's been noticing an ache on his lower back that seems to be more prevalent when he sits down and presses up against the back of his seat.
He's a painter and sometimes we wonder about aches in his legs, and his back. However, he's never had an ache in his lower back before. Now I have a new fear. His CT scan is set for September 2nd and the bone scan, on September 10th. I don't feel hopeful at all right now.
Has anybody here had spine metastasis (namely lumbar region)? How did the feelings start and are we looking at a grim prognosis???
I'm responding in green again, covering something that's been in the back of my mind for your husband's situation. I just was reading an article about Dr. Michael Hollick that reminded me what it was: vitamin D. Dr. Hollick is one of the pioneers in bringing this important vitamin, which is actually, technically, a hormone, to public and medical attention.
Here's what you wrote in part:
...
Finally the biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of cancer. So, lately he's been noticing an ache on his lower back that seems to be more prevalent when he sits down and presses up against the back of his seat.
He's a painter and sometimes we wonder about aches in his legs, and his back. However, he's never had an ache in his lower back before. Now I have a new fear. His CT scan is set for September 2nd and the bone scan, on September 10th. I don't feel hopeful at all right now.
..."
Vitamin D deficiency is epidemic among prostate cancer patients, probably partially causing both bone density loss and prostate cancer. (Deficiency is also very common among many adults of both genders.) Deficiency is increasingly common the further north or south you go away from the Equator. As you can guess, it's a problem in Canada.
Here's the sentence that triggered the thought I was trying to get to, from an interview with Dr. Michael Hollick: "... As a result, vitamin D defiiency in cancer patients not only can affect their bone health but also cause them to have a feeling of being depressed, having muscle weakness, and aches and pains in their bones and muscles. A lot of these symptoms that have been thought to be due to the cancer and the chemotherapy -- many of them may be due to vitamin D deficiency."
Guess what Canadian doctor treating prostate cancer is right on top of this: Dr. Klotz. He has teamed with Dr. Reinhold Vieth, also from the U. of Toronto, and, with Dr. Hollick, a leading pioneer in vitamin D research.
Your husband can have a blood test for his vitamin D level. The test is known as "25-hydroxy vitamin D." Sometimes another vitamin D test is done first just to make sure that the vitamin is being metabolized adequately.
Jim
Last edited by IADT3since2000; 08-28-2010 at 02:43 PM.
Reason: Added color at end; mentioned the vitamin D test name.
My goodness, Jim, you are such a wealth of knowledge...Wow. I'm so impressed.
My 20 year old son had vitamin D deficiency....I'd better get him to take supplements. Would not want him to go through this when he's older.
As for Irv, I don't think that Vitamin D deficiency was found in his blood test which wasn't that long ago, but it sure would be nice to blame his aches on that. His aches are strange. They move around....the lower back, the side, his legs....
Ok...here's a good question for you....with all those you've followed over the years, with the PSA level at 32 in a pretty much normal sized prostate, do you think there's still a reasonable possibility that the cancer could be localized in the prostate? That would be amazing. If Irv could have that situation and have a nerve-sparing prostatectomy, I think I'd feel like I died and went to heaven.
