A patient undergoes prostate Cancer brachytherapy at the Nairobi Hospital. [File, Standard]
Former US President Joe Biden's illness has renewed public discussion about what happens when prostate cancer spreads to the skeleton.
Biden's prostate cancer has metastasised to his bones, which is described as painful and debilitating.
The discussion comes as experts raise concerns that many Kenyan men are diagnosed with prostate cancer at an advanced stage, when the disease may already have metastasised.
Dr Catherine Nyongesa, a consultant clinical and radiation oncologist and Director of Medical Services at Kenyatta National Hospital, explains that bone is the most common site of metastasis for advanced prostate cancer.
Studies suggest that bone involvement may occur in up to nine in 10 men with metastatic prostate cancer.
The spine, pelvis, ribs, skull, and upper thigh bones are among the areas most frequently affected.
“Cancer cells can travel through the bloodstream and through the veins around the spine, which is why the backbone is often involved,” says Dr Nyongesa.