The results of Ron’s PET scan were overall encouraging.
The bad news is that the cancer has metastasized. He’s been diagnosed with Stage IV cancer because of the metastasis, i.e. the cancer has spread to more distant parts of the body and and therefore can’t be treated with localized therapies such as surgery or targeted radiation. So the treatment is systemic rather than localized because of the spread. There’s lymph node, spine, collarbone and other involvement.
The good news is that it hasn’t invaded those areas drastically or fully, because so far he has zero symptoms other than an increased need to pee. That indicates that the disease burden, even if widespread on scan, is not yet causing structural damage or nerve compression. That’s important.
He has been prescribed testosterone suppression medication … Nubeqa and Elegard ..because testosterone drives prostate cancer in men. The former are daily pills, the latter is a shot every 6 months. We also have a referral to the Sarah Cannon Cancer center for an oncology consult for chemotherapy.
Doc says this is all very encouraging. The treatment isn’t a cure but the goal is to send the cancer into remission. He wants to manage the cancer so that Ron can continue is to have a good quality of life.
A retest of his PSA in the coming months will determine whether or not the treatment is working. Ideally his PSA number will show a drastic decrease. Here’s hoping!