Back ache and metastasis

tonybuxton
tonybuxton Member Posts: 88
in Prostate Cancer #1

I have developed really bad back ache in the center of my lower back. It seems much more severe and localised than my usual back problems which I have had for a long time

Is there any way my Pca could have spread to my back in such a short time.

My last PSA was 0.8 up 0.06 from 3 months ago and it is one year since I finished IMRT

treatment.

I know that a bone scan or MRI could tell if the cancer has spread but they are very costly procedures and I have no insurance ,

My last bone scan was a year ago.

Comments

  • Samsungtech1
    Samsungtech1 Member Posts: 351
    #2
    Backache

    I would recommend a chiropractor first.  I have a bad back, had surgery years ago, also have DJD in every joint in my body.  My back is hurting me differently, but PSA is stable.  Do not really trust PSA, but it is helpful.  

    Good luck.

     

    Mike

  • ralph.townsend1
    ralph.townsend1 Member Posts: 359 Member
    #3
    Samsungtech1 said:

    Backache

    I would recommend a chiropractor first.  I have a bad back, had surgery years ago, also have DJD in every joint in my body.  My back is hurting me differently, but PSA is stable.  Do not really trust PSA, but it is helpful.  

    Good luck.

     

    Mike

    Low back pain

    My psa is about 0.8 with alot hip and back pain. Just did the Bone and CT scan, bone clear and lypmh node tumor's still there. The Doctor's at MDACC said pain was related to cancer medicine Zytiga. Every prostate cancer medicine has side effect as they said.

    Your psa is still low as mine is!

    Mike is right on about psa, don't trust it totally and maybe massage would help?

  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,701 Member
    #4
    ralph.townsend1 said:

    Low back pain

    My psa is about 0.8 with alot hip and back pain. Just did the Bone and CT scan, bone clear and lypmh node tumor's still there. The Doctor's at MDACC said pain was related to cancer medicine Zytiga. Every prostate cancer medicine has side effect as they said.

    Your psa is still low as mine is!

    Mike is right on about psa, don't trust it totally and maybe massage would help?

    Guessing causes?

    Tony,

    I think you are overly judging your PCa case. Back pain could be from metastases at bone but it could be from other causes too.

    The PSA increase alone cannot diagnose you with metastases in bone. Image studies are the only way to locate the cancer but those tests are not that reliable when the cancer is micro. False negatives is common when the PSA is low. In any case, painfull metastases are usually seen in conventional bone scans (non expensive).

    Surely you could guess the reason to be cancer and restart HT or you may try ways to relief the pain. However, the best shot is to get an opinion from your oncologist.

    Best.

    VG

  • ob66
    ob66 Member Posts: 227 Member
    #5
    ralph.townsend1 said:

    Low back pain

    My psa is about 0.8 with alot hip and back pain. Just did the Bone and CT scan, bone clear and lypmh node tumor's still there. The Doctor's at MDACC said pain was related to cancer medicine Zytiga. Every prostate cancer medicine has side effect as they said.

    Your psa is still low as mine is!

    Mike is right on about psa, don't trust it totally and maybe massage would help?

    "Your PSA is still low as

    "Your PSA is still low as mine is".........Not sure if I am on the right page, but .06 to .8 is low??? Please explain. To me, .06 to .12 is doubling, and .06 to .8 is 13+ times the previous reading...I think I am missing something here, subjective pain readings aside. Please explain.

  • tonybuxton
    tonybuxton Member Posts: 88
    #6
    ralph.townsend1 said:

    Low back pain

    My psa is about 0.8 with alot hip and back pain. Just did the Bone and CT scan, bone clear and lypmh node tumor's still there. The Doctor's at MDACC said pain was related to cancer medicine Zytiga. Every prostate cancer medicine has side effect as they said.

    Your psa is still low as mine is!

    Mike is right on about psa, don't trust it totally and maybe massage would help?

    low back pain

    Yes massage helps a lot if you can find a masseuse who understands the problem as knows what to do. But th relief is only temporary.

    Occaisionally I find one. But where I live (Thailand) most of the masseurs are beautiful girls who offer a lot more than

    a massage.

    I don't  take any cancer medication so I am still not absolutely sure if my back pain is an any way related to my Pca.

    The pain is very localsed right in the middle of my lower back and other than NSAIDS (which I now can't take) nothing helps.

    Tony

  • tonybuxton
    tonybuxton Member Posts: 88
    #7
    VascodaGama said:

    Guessing causes?

    Tony,

    I think you are overly judging your PCa case. Back pain could be from metastases at bone but it could be from other causes too.

    The PSA increase alone cannot diagnose you with metastases in bone. Image studies are the only way to locate the cancer but those tests are not that reliable when the cancer is micro. False negatives is common when the PSA is low. In any case, painfull metastases are usually seen in conventional bone scans (non expensive).

    Surely you could guess the reason to be cancer and restart HT or you may try ways to relief the pain. However, the best shot is to get an opinion from your oncologist.

    Best.

    VG

    Back Pain

    Thanks VG

    The one thing I can never do again is to start HT. It alsmost killed me. My urologist put it down to my age. I was very strong before I had HT and now

    I am still very weak. I had many bad side efects too. Heart problems, diabetes, nausea, vertigo. My urologist said I can start 50mg casodex daily if the cancer spreads.

    So I will wait and see. 

    Tony

  • tonybuxton
    tonybuxton Member Posts: 88
    #8
    ob66 said:

    "Your PSA is still low as

    "Your PSA is still low as mine is".........Not sure if I am on the right page, but .06 to .8 is low??? Please explain. To me, .06 to .12 is doubling, and .06 to .8 is 13+ times the previous reading...I think I am missing something here, subjective pain readings aside. Please explain.

    Back pain

    Hi ob66

    I think that I did not make my PSA numbers clear in my post.

    I had HT with IMRT a year ago so the PSA readings are irrelevant until the effects of the HT wear off so I am told.

    9 months after my single thre month HT injevction my  PSA was 0.74 which my urologits said was good. Three months later (Jan 2013)it was 0.8

    which means a rise of only 0.06 over three months which seems good.  My next PSA test in April will be important and aferwards I will see my urologist

    Tony

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