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End Stage Prostate Cancer Signs

What Tests Will I Have

10 Warning Signs of Prostate Cancer

You may have tests to find out how far the cancer has spread. If you are generally not very well it may not be necessary to do extra tests. Your doctor will still be able to recommend treatment. Some of these tests can also be used to check how you are responding to treatment.

You may have some or all of the following tests:

PSA blood test

Prostate specific antigen is a protein that can rise due to disease in your prostate gland. A sample is taken from your blood and measured. A PSA test can also show how well your cancer is responding to treatment.

Biopsy

A biopsy is where a sample of your prostate tissue is taken and examined under a microscope. It isnt common to have a biopsy with metastatic prostate cancer, but if this is your first prostate cancer diagnosis it may be necessary. Treatment can still start without a biopsy.

Bone scan

Metastatic prostate cancer often spreads to the bones. Bone scans can find cancer spots before they show up on an ordinary X-ray. For this test, a tiny amount of radioactive liquid is put into a vein, usually in your arm. After the injection you will have to wait up to 3 hours. A scan is then taken of all the bones in your body. Abnormal bone takes up more radioactive liquid than normal bone. These areas will show up on the scan and are known as ‘hot spots’. The scan can also show bone changes like arthritis.

Read more about cancer tests.

These tests will help your doctor to decide on the best treatment for you.

Other Professionals Who Can Help

Your doctor, nurse or GP can refer you to these professionals.

  • Physiotherapists can help with mobility and provide exercises to help improve fitness or ease pain. This can help you stay independent for longer.
  • Counsellors, psychologists or psychotherapists can help you and your family work through any difficult feelings and find ways of coping. Many hospitals have counsellors or psychologists who specialise in helping people with cancer. You can also get free counselling on the NHS without a referral from your GP. Visit nhs.uk/counselling to find out more.
  • Dietitians can give you advice about healthy eating, which might help with fatigue and staying a healthy weight. They can also help if you are losing weight or having problems eating.
  • Occupational therapists can provide advice and access to equipment and adaptations to help with daily life. For example, help with dressing, eating, bathing or using the stairs.
  • Social services, including social workers, can provide practical and financial advice and access to emotional support. They can give you advice about practical issues such as arranging for someone to support you at home. Whats available varies from place to place. Your GP, hospital doctor or nurse might be able to refer you to some services. The telephone number for your local social service department will be in the phonebook under the name of your local authority, on their website and at the town hall.

Eating Problems And Weight Loss

Some men with advanced prostate cancer have problems eating, or dont feel very hungry. You might feel or be sick. These problems may be caused by your cancer or by your treatments. Being worried about things can also affect your appetite.

Problems eating or loss of appetite can lead to weight loss and can make you feel very tired and weak. Advanced prostate cancer can also cause weight loss by changing the way your body uses energy.

What can help?

If you feel sick because of your treatment, your doctor can give you anti-sickness drugs. Steroids can also increase your appetite and are sometimes given along with other treatments.

Try to eat small amounts often. If youre struggling to eat because of nausea , try to avoid strong smelling foods. Cold foods tend to smell less, or it may help if someone cooks for you. Try to eat when you feel less sick, even if its not your usual mealtime. Fatty and fried foods can make sickness worse. Drink plenty of water, but drink slowly and try not to drink too much before you eat.

Tell your doctor if you lose weight. They can refer you to a dietitian who can provide advice about high calorie foods and any supplements that might help. It can be upsetting for your family to see you losing weight, and they may also need support. Macmillan Cancer Support and provide support and information about eating problems in advanced cancer.

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Your Gp Practice Nurse And District Nurse

Your GP, practice nurse, and district or community nurse will work with other health professionals to co-ordinate your care and offer you support and advice. They can also refer you to local services. They can visit you in your home and also help support your family. They might also care for you if you go into a nursing home or hospice.

Understanding What Happens Immediately After Death

Prostate Cancer Stages

When death occurs, the person’s muscles will relax, breathing will stop, the heart will stop beating, and there will be no pulse.

Even when death is expected, it is commonand normalfor caregivers to feel a sense of shock and disbelief. Although home health or hospice staff and the person’s doctor should be notified, a natural death is not an emergency. There is usually no need to call medical personnel immediately. Many people find it comforting to take some time to sit with their loved one, perhaps talking quietly, holding hands, or watching their loved one at peace.

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What Does It Mean For Prostate Cancer To Spread

Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body. Doctors say the cancer has âmetastasizedâ or spread if this occurs.

Prostate cancer can spread to:

These symptoms can also occur with aging and an enlarged prostate. As a result, some people may ignore them instead of seeking medical attention.

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, age is the biggest contributing factor to prostate cancer risk. Doctors diagnose an estimated 60% of all prostate cancers in males older than 65 years of age.

It states that additional risk factors for prostate cancer include:

  • Family history: People with a close relative who has had prostate cancer may be twice as likely to get prostate cancer as those who do not.
  • Race: Males of African descent are about 75% more likely to develop prostate cancer than white males and more than twice as likely to die from the condition.
  • Smoking: A history of smoking is associated with a higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

Researchers are also studying a link between diet and increased prostate cancer risk. Diets high in calcium or low in vegetables may cause an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

End Stage Of Prostate Cancer

Christopher Mabary

Prostate cancer is a malignant tumor which generally affects men older than the age of 50. The tumor develops inside the gland located just below the bladder. The disease has its own specific course and goes through a few stages. Progression of prostate cancer is individual and first symptoms occur when the tumor becomes large enough and initiates compression or infiltrates nearby organs and tissues. It can be also diagnosed accidentally. Unfortunately, prostate cancer may remain asymptomatic for a long period of time. In such case it is diagnosed late, when it has already given bone metastases.

Life Expectancy for Patient with Prostate Cancer

End stage prostate cancer is advanced disease. It has its own symptoms and signs which may vary from patient to patient but what is common for all people with end stage of the disease is soon, inevitable lethal outcome. End stage prostate cancer is simply incurable.

End Stage Prostate Cancer Clinical Characteristics

End Stage Prostate Cancer Treatment

There are several treatment modalities for people suffering from end stage prostate cancer. There are hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, trans-urethral resection of the prostate, pain management and radiation therapy. All of the mentioned therapies are not engaged to cure the patients but to ease their pain and all the accompanying, unpleasant and unbearable symptoms. Therefore, this treatment is called palliative.

Side Effects of Treatment

Support Groups

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The Top 7 Signs Of Advanced Prostate Cancer

  • Advanced prostate cancer means your cancer has spread to areas outside of the prostate gland.
  • Some signs of spread may include changes in urinary or bowel habits, sore lymph nodes in the groin, unexplained weight loss, and pain in the hip or back.
  • Tumors may grow in other areas of the body, such as the bladder, bones, legs, or lungs.

In the early stages, you may not notice any symptoms related to prostate cancer. This is why screenings are important. Symptoms can sometimes be noticed for the first time when the cancer advances.

Advanced prostate cancer, also called metastatic cancer, means the cancer has spread to other areas of your body beyond your prostate gland. The most common areas for prostate cancer to spread are your bladder, rectum, and bones. It can also spread to your lymph nodes, liver, lungs, and other body tissues.

Whether youve just been diagnosed or youre in treatment, its also important to know the signs of advanced cancer. Cancer can behave differently depending on your genetics, so not every person will experience the same symptoms in the same way.

Read on to learn more about the seven top symptoms of advanced prostate cancer and how to spot them.

End Stage Prostate Cancer Or Stage 4 Prostate Cancer: A Major Fork In The Road

Understanding Late Stage Prostate Cancer

End stage prostate cancer also known as stage 4 prostate cancer or prostate bone cancer is defined by the medical industry as the most severe form of prostate cancer because it has spread outside the prostate capsule.

Once that happens, according to them, only radical treatments can delay the inevitable end. These interventions seek to radiate the body, treat with chemo drugs, remove the prostate gland with a radical prostatectomy, and often combine these treatments.

Unfortunately, there is no evidence to support added life expectancy with these treatments. My opinion is simply that the treatments weaken the body further and can hasten the end. Of course, there is no way to prove this opinion, but this is where I define the fork in the road.

The choice to me is clear: do everything you can to change the conditions that caused the stage 4 prostate cancer to become so extreme.

On this site and in my book, Healthy Prostate, you can read much, much more about the causes of prostate cancer and how to heal it naturally.

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Patients And Their Families May Have Cultural Or Religious Beliefs And Customs That Are Important At The Time Of Death

After the patient dies, family members and caregivers may wish to stay with the patient a while. There may be certain customs or rituals that are important to the patient and family at this time. These might include rituals for coping with death, handling the patient’s body, making final arrangements for the body, and honoring the death. The patient and family members should let the healthcare team know about any customs or rituals they want performed after the patient’s death.

Healthcare providers, hospice staff, social workers, or spiritual leaders can explain the steps that need to be taken once death has occurred, including contacting a funeral home.

For more information, see Spirituality in Cancer Care.

What Is The Treatment For The Final Stages Of Prostate Cancer

End stage prostate cancer means a person cannot be cured, and they will die from cancer. Palliative care, also called supportive care or comfort care, is used to help manage or relieve symptoms of end-stage prostate cancer.

The goal of palliative care is to improve a patients quality of life and relieve suffering. Palliative care can help patients cope with physical symptoms such as pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, constipation, and difficulty sleeping , and mental/emotional symptoms such as depression and anxiety.

Hospice care may also be an option for terminally ill patients with a limited life expectancy and may begin if a patients condition is unable to be cured or managed. The only goal of hospice care is comfort and quality of life. Palliative care may occur in a hospice, in a patients home, in the hospital, or a long-term care facility.

Palliative care may include treatment to alleviate symptoms and keep a patient comfortable, such as:

  • Help with medications

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Possible Changes In Circulation And Temperature

  • Arms and legs may feel cool to the touch as circulation slows down
  • Skin on arms, legs, hands, and feet may darken and look blue or mottled
  • Other areas of the body may become either darker or paler
  • Skin may feel cold and either dry or damp
  • Heart rate may become fast, faint, or irregular
  • Blood pressure may get lower and become hard to hear

Care That Supports A Patient’s Spiritual Health May Improve Quality Of Life

Stage 4 Prostate Cancer Treatment

A spiritual assessment is a method or tool used by doctors to understand the role that religious and spiritual beliefs have in the patient’s life. This may help the doctor understand how these beliefs affect the way the patient copes with cancer and makes decisions about cancer treatment.

Serious illnesses like cancer may cause patients or family caregivers to have doubts about their beliefs or religious values and cause spiritual distress. Some studies show that patients with cancer may feel anger at God or may have a loss of faith after being diagnosed. Other patients may have feelings of spiritual distress when coping with cancer. Spiritual distress may affect end-of-life decisions and increase depression.

Doctors and nurses, together with social workers and psychologists, may be able to offer care that supports a patient’s spiritual health. They may encourage patients to meet with their spiritual or religious leaders or join a spiritual support group. This may improve patients’ quality of life and ability to cope. When patients with advanced cancer receive spiritual support from the medical team, they are more likely to choose hospice care and less aggressive treatment at the end of life.

For more information, see Spirituality in Cancer Care.

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What Is Advanced Prostate Cancer

When prostate cancer spreads beyond the prostate or returns after treatment, it is often called advanced prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is often grouped into four stages, with stages III and IV being more advanced prostate cancer.

  • Early Stage | Stages I & II: The tumor has not spread beyond the prostate.
  • Locally Advanced | Stage III: Cancer has spread outside the prostate but only to nearby tissues.
  • Advanced | Stage IV: Cancer has spread outside the prostate to other parts such as the lymph nodes, bones, liver or lungs.

When an early stage prostate cancer is found, it may be treated or placed on surveillance . Advanced prostate cancer is not curable, but there are many ways to treat it. Treatment can help slow advanced prostate cancer progression.

There are several types of advanced prostate cancer, including:

Biochemical Recurrence

With biochemical recurrence, the prostate-specific antigen level has risen after treatment using surgery or radiation, with no other sign of cancer.

Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Non-Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer that no longer responds to hormone treatment and is only found in the prostate. This is found by a rise in the PSA level, while the testosterone level stays low. Imaging tests do not show signs the cancer has spread.

Metastatic Prostate Cancer

  • Lymph nodes outside the pelvis
  • Other organs, such as liver or lungs

Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer

Gleason Prostate Cancer Score

1960s as a way to measure how aggressive your prostate cancer may be.

A pathologist determines your Gleason score by looking at a biopsy of your prostate tissue under a microscope. They grade the cells in the biopsy on a scale of 1 to 5. Grade 1 cells are healthy prostate, whereas grade 5 cells are highly mutated and dont resemble healthy cells at all.

The pathologist will calculate your Gleason score by adding together the number of the most prevalent type of cell in the sample and the second most prevalent type of cell.

For example, if the most common cell grade in your sample is 4 and the second most common is 4, you would have a score of 8.

A Gleason score of 6 is considered low-grade cancer, 7 is intermediate, and 8 to 10 is high-grade cancer.

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When Cancer Reaches The End

Since your diagnosis, youâve been tested and treated to control the cancer in your body. When something worked, you stuck with it. If it stopped working, you and your health care team reviewed the options and perhaps tried a different treatment.

When you reach the end-of-life stage of cancer, there may be no more methods available to control your cancer or you are ready to stop all the testing and treatment.

Your care, however, continues. The focus shifts from trying to stop the cancer to focusing on helping you live as well and as comfortably as possible for the rest of your life.

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Supportive And Palliative Care For Adults With Cancer

What Are The Common Signs of Prostate Cancer?

The guidance on supportive and palliative care for adults with cancer was published by NICE in March 2004. It placed importance on the holistic approach to managing patients, their carers and relatives following a diagnosis of cancer. In particular, the multidisciplinary team was recognized as key in the process of providing continuity of total care. The importance of working as a multidisciplinary team cannot be stressed enough. To believe that the suffering experienced by patients with a terminal diagnosis can be solely managed by one professional body is foolish. Within the context of the Palliative Care Team, members of the MDT should include those who can deal with physical, spiritual, psychological and social needs. Rehabilitative and nutritional needs should also be recognized and addressed along with the provision of access to complementary therapies.

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