no_bear, I have metastatic prostate cancer so I have to correct some of the things you said in your post. The fact alone that it is metastatic (spread to lymph node and/or bone) is not necessarily "a very bad thing". I know men that have lived with prostate cancer bone metastases for 12 years and I hope to live for at least that long with my bone mets.

You also describe the treatment as castration, radiation, and chemotherapy. Lest people on the board be jumping up and down at the thought of Hugo's balls being cut off, let me point out that we are probably talking about temporary chemical castration by hormonal therapy. This therapy is designed to reduce the patient's testosterone to very low levels so that the cancer cannot "feed" on the testosterone. This treatment may be discontinued if the patient improves and wants a better quality of life.

Radiation is only given in these cases as palliative care for localized pain. I do not have any pain from my bone mets so radiation has not been discussed. I haven't followed Hugo's treatment closely. Has he been given radiation? If so, the doctors may be thinking that the cancer is contained enough that radiation will eliminate it. Do we in fact know that his cancer has metastasized?

Chemotherapy for prostate cancer is only given as a last resort to prolong life for a few months. It is not a primary line of treatment except in very advanced cases.