Understanding Metastasized Prostate Cancer: Diagnosis And Treatment

When you are facing a prostate cancer diagnosis, either for yourself or for someone you love and care about, your main focus is on making sure that treatment begins right away. And because prostate cancer is relatively common with a high treatment success rate, you tell yourself not to worry. As such, you may not be thinking about the possibility that the prostate cancer could metastasize outside of the prostate and into the bones. In order to be prepared for such a possibility, you need to understand the diagnosis process and the treatment options available if the prostate cancer metastasizes.

Diagnosing Metastasized Prostate Cancer

Oftentimes when prostate cancer metastasizes into the bones the symptoms still have to do with the functioning of the prostate and the pelvic area. As such, problems with urination including urinating too frequently or being unable to urinate at all or blood in the urine are often he first signs that something is amiss. Other signs often include aching or severe pain in the pelvic, abdominal, or lower back region. However, generalized aches and pains can also indicate an issue.

Once symptoms appear and you go to your doctor, there are numerous tests that they can run to see if your prostate cancer has metastasized. A CT scan (computed tomography scan) is a non-invasive body scan much like an X-ray. However, unlike an X-ray, this scan provides detailed cross-sectional images to get a full picture or what is going on inside the body. These images can detect tumors (metastases) throughout the body).

Sometimes a contrast material is also used to make the images even clearer. These materials can be taken orally or injected intravenously. Other tests that can be done include standard x-rays, PSA level testing, MRIs, and PET scans.

Treating Metastasized Prostate Cancer

Treating metastasized prostate cancer is often about preventing the further spread and growth of metastases. This maintenance treatment can include surgery to remove larger or more aggressively growing tumors or those that are causing the most pain.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are also commonly used either together or separately to treat the metastases. Hormone therapy that reduces the levels of testosterone in the body is also commonly used when prostate cancer has metastasized. This form of treatment uses drugs to block the prostate from making and distributing testosterone throughout the body. Numerous other experimental treatments are also in development to better treat metastases.

Now that you better understand the diagnosis and treatment of metastatic prostate cancer, you can prepare yourself in case this situation affects you or someone you love. For more information, talk to a professional like Kinston Medical Specialists PA.

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