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This page gives only an overview of this topic. For more information see the links at the bottom of this page
Advanced cancer usually means a cancer that has spread from where it began to another part of the body. This could mean that your cancer has spread into tissue nearby or in the surrounding area. You may hear your doctor call this ‘locally advanced’ prostate cancer. Or it may have spread to nearby or distant organs. Doctors call this ‘cancer metastasis’ or ‘cancer secondaries’.
Cancer can spread to anywhere in the body but the most common place for prostate cancer to spread is into the bones. You may hear this called bony metastasis or bony secondaries. About eight out of ten men (80%) with advanced prostate cancer will have bone metastasis. The cancer cells in the bones are prostate cancer cells, not bone cancer. So the treatment is still the same types you would use to treat prostate cancer.
Being given a diagnosis of advanced cancer can be very difficult to cope with. It brings up a lot of uncertainty about your life and future. You may go through many types of emotions such as anger and shock. However, although the cancer is not curable there is still treatment that can help stop the cancer growing and control symptoms, sometimes for many years. Because prostate cancer is generally very slow growing, with the right treatment, many men live for years with advanced prostate. You may have treatment with
- Hormone therapy [LINK to Mr Phips fact sheet no 5]
- Bisphosphonates
- Radiotherapy
- Chemotherapy
Links:
Andrology Australia information on advanced prostate disease
http://www.andrologyaustralia.org/pageContent.asp?pageCode=ADVANCEDPROS
Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
http://www.prostate.org.au/questions.php
Mr Phip No 5: Hormonal Therapy
http://www.prostatehealth.org.au/phip_5.html
The Prostate Cancer Charity:Pain and advanced cancer
http://www.prostate-cancer.org.uk/info/prostate_cancer/manage_pain.asp
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