What should you know about prostate cancer mets to bones?

Bone metastasis means prostate cancer cells have reached bone tissue. Affected areas may feel painful, tender, or weaker than before; some people have no symptoms. The pelvis, spine, ribs, and other bones can be assessed with examinations and imaging. Bone involvement does not describe the same thing as a primary bone cancer. Your clinicians use the distribution of disease, symptoms, and your general health to shape the care plan.

Report new pain, pain that wakes you, a change in mobility, or a recent fall to the oncology team. They may review medicines, scans, activity, and fall risk. Treatment can include systemic prostate cancer therapy, radiotherapy for a painful or threatening area, pain medicines, and bone-strengthening therapy. A physiotherapist can help with safe movement. Do not increase exercise or lift heavily until a clinician has considered fracture risk.

Seek urgent medical help after a sudden severe bone or back pain, a suspected fracture, new leg weakness, numbness, difficulty walking, or loss of bladder or bowel control. These signs can reflect a weakened spine, fracture, or nerve pressure. Difficulty passing urine should be treated as an emergency when it accompanies back pain or new leg symptoms.

Ask which bones are involved, whether any area is at risk of fracture, how to move safely, whether radiotherapy or bone-strengthening therapy is suitable, and how the team will monitor pain and mobility.