Prostate cancer and related treatment methods can influence your bones and bone strength. Maintaining strong, healthy bones is crucial for those with prostate cancer because it could put you at a higher risk for bone loss and osteoporosis. By understanding how prostate cancer affects bone health, you can proactively mitigate those risks.
Prostate cancer and bone metastases
The first way your bones might be affected is if your prostate cancer is at an advanced level and has metastasized to the bone. When prostate cancer spreads, the bones are one of the first areas of metastasis. The spine is most commonly impacted, but the legs, arms, pelvis, and ribs can also be affected.
Symptoms of bone metastasis
Symptoms can include bone pain as well as muscle weakness. While advanced prostate cancer that has spread to the bones is unlikely to be cured, treatments have advanced and you can still experience a strong quality of life and longer survival times – even decades in some cases.
When it comes to prostate cancer treatments and bone health, hormonal treatments can impact your bone health by blocking or reducing testosterone levels. This can cause thinning of your bones, so if you choose to receive hormonal therapies for your prostate cancer, be sure to ask your medical team about maintaining bone health.
How to maintain bone health
If possible, consider weight-bearing exercises, low-impact workouts, or gentle movement exercises. Talk to your medical team before attempting a new workout routine and avoid physical activity that could overwork your body like running, impact sports, or jumping.
Abstaining from tobacco and excessive alcohol might be something to consider, as both can negatively affect your bones over time. At the medicinal level, you might need the extra support of bisphosphonates, which are drugs that can help reduce bone pain and fight against bone loss sustained during hormone therapy or from prostate cancer metastasis.
If you’re dealing with prostate cancer and might have bone involvement, your medical team may ask you to undergo a bone density scan (sometimes referred to as a DEXA or DXA scan) to determine the extent of your bone risks. This test helps determine the level of mitigation you may need to implement to help keep your bones healthy during treatment.
In every case, speak to your medical team and let them know of any bone pain, muscle pain, or general concerns about your bones.
If you have additional questions about bone health or you’d like to speak with someone, you can connect with an Outcomes4Me oncology nurse practitioner at no charge through the Outcomes4Me app, using the “Ask Outcomes4Me” button.
