Q: My father is a prostate cancer patient with bone metastasis. He is feeling pain in some parts of the body mainly lower rib and abdomen. He has undergone hormone therapy 3 and a 1/2 months back. After this therapy he was well, but recently has been feeling pain. The urologist who conducted hormone therapy prescribed Topcef 200 mg twice a day and calpol, for fever. Patients state of cancer/Gleasons grade is 4 + 4. Please tell me about the usefulness of hormone therapy and life expectancy of the patient and suggestions for better health.

A:Prostate cancer cells multiply under the influence of testosterone hormone that is produced from testis. If testis are removed the cancer cells will die. This is what is called hormonal therapy. Patents of cancer prostate with bone metastasis respond 90% + with this hormonal therapy. Cure is usually not possible. There are a large number of patients who go on to live for over 5-10 years. We need to follow up the patent with serial PSA levels and bone scans etc.