What does having advanced prostate
cancer mean?
Having advanced prostate cancer means that
the cancer has spread from outside the prostate,
to other parts of the body. Your cancer is not
curable but treatment can keep it under control
for months or years. Prostate cancer can
spread to any part of the body, but commonly to
the bones and lymph nodes. A bone scan can
help show whether your cancer has spread to
the bones. Your doctor may also use
other tests such as x-rays, CT (Computerised
Tomography) scans or MRI (Magnetic
Resonance Imaging) scans to find out if your
prostate cancer has spread.
What happens if prostate cancer
spreads to the bones?
Prostate cancer can spread to the bones.
This does not mean that you have bone
cancer, but that some of the prostate cancer
cells have spread to some areas of bone.
This is called secondary prostate cancer.
The areas of spread are called ‘bone
secondaries’ or ‘bone metastases’. We will
use the term ‘metastases’ to describe prostate
cancer that has spread to the bone throughout
this fact sheet. Up to eight out of ten men
(80 per cent of men) with advanced prostate
cancer will have bone metastases. The growth
of the cancer within the bone damages the
bone structure and tissue and can cause pain.
Finding bone metastases early helps your
specialist team work out the best way to treat
them and prevent new metastases forming.
The first areas of bone to be affected are likely
to be those closest to your prostate including
your pelvic bone, hips, lower spine and upper
thighs. Pain in these areas can affect how
you walk and move around. The pain may
only be in one area but over time it can spread
to several parts of your body. Men who have
bone pain often describe it as a dull aching
or stabbing that can get worse with movement.
The cancer cells affect the normal strength
and performance of your bones, leading to pain
and weakening of the bone. There are several
effective ways of treating pain caused by bone
metastases.