It seems like they did a bone scan and

That's right.
There were hot spots on on the spine at L4 and L5, several in the rib cage,
several in the pelvic area mostly on the ileum. My urologist said the
radiologist who read the pictures was very experienced and had been doing
the entire urology group's work for years. One of the things I'll ask next
week is if it is time to repeat the studies.

Ron's speculation is very interesting.  He's speculating that the
healing process itself could have stimulated the growth of new
cells in your body - including cancer cells.

Some factor in the blood you received compromising your immune
system would also be speculation.  I'm no expert, but I'd guess
that, even if it were true, it would have been a choice between
taking that hit, or dying on the spot from lack of blood.

Unfortunately, growing older is, all by itself, a major risk
factor for cancer.  It's probably the biggest risk factor of all.
Your immune system grows weaker with age while your DNA
accumulates 80 years worth of mutations that could be the
stimulus to cancer.  Some scientists believe that anyone who
lives long enough will develop cancer.  It's something that seems
to be a natural consequence of aging and the rough and tumble of
life.

It's very unfortunate that you got so little benefit from the
Lupron.  The remaining possible therapy - chemotherapy - is
usually even less effective and harder on the body.  It is
possible that some of the experimental therapies in clinical
trials could be of use, but they are, after all, experimental,
and a lot of the trials researchers prefer younger patients if
they can get them because the younger patients have fewer
complications.

I'm not a doctor and I am reluctant to speculate about what is
coming for you.  However I know that if I were in your shoes I
would want to know, and doctors are not always willing to tell
the truth when the news is bad and there's little to be done
about it.

My non-expert speculation is that symptoms, in the form of pain
in the joints, might begin to appear in anywhere from a few
months to 2-3 years.  After that, I would speculate that you
might get around another year before it kills you.  The last year
will be a tough one, but can be made much, much easier if you can
find the right medical care to help you with it.

At this point, I think you will be much better off if you can
find a good medical oncologist rather than a urologist.  Your
disease is no longer confined to the prostate.  The urologist's
specialty is becoming irrelevant to your problem.

A medical oncologist might have a better idea about what
treaments are useful for delaying progress of the disease, for
palliating symptoms, or for easing pain.  He might have some
opinion about whether you should stay on hormone therapy, and for
how long, whether different hormone combinations should be tried,
and if and when chemotherapy or experimental trials should be
attempted.  If he's good, he may help you to remain as functional
and pain free as possible, as near to the end as possible.

I'm hoping that the time left to you, and to all of us, will be
happy and productive, and that you have many good times to come.
If it is important to you, then this may be a good time to begin
writing down what you know about your early life and about the
people in your family that only you remember.  It may be a good
time to visit those places or people you've been meaning to see.
It might be smart to start simplifying financial affairs and
getting things in order.

My best to you and your family.

   Alan

(snip)

Thanks for the note.
Actually,  I was diagnosed with osteopenia in Aug 2000 and have been on
Fosamax plus 1500 mg calcium and 800 iu vitamin D ever since.  Annual bone
density tests have shown slow but continual improvement to the point where
the last one, in Oct 2005, indicated the spine assay was just into the
normal range and the femoral neck just slightly below it.  Overall
evaluation: low fracture risk.
Anyhow, you've provided more points for discussion with the doc. Might even
be able to teach him something  :-)
Jerry

<... PSA data deleted ...>

kh,

I wouldn't use Jerry's data as indicative of anything you
or someone else might experience.  The development of
cancer is highly individualistic.  "Prostate cancer" merely
names the tissue from which cancer develops.  The actual
cancer cells and the specific genetic mutations that make
them cancerous, can vary widely from person to person.

One fellow on this newsgroup had RP, went several years,
and then had a very slowly rising PSA that has gone up to
3.something over multiple years.  Another guy had RP,
had undetectable PSA for a number of years, then went
from undetectable to 744 in one year and died shortly
after that.

Similarly, some men, like Jerry, have gotten less than a
year of benefit from hormone therapy, while others, such
as Francois Mitterand, former President of France, is said
to have been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer
and managed it successfully with HT during his entire 14 year
term in office.

   Alan