casodex

tonybuxton

I haven't been on this forum while because perhaps my prostate cancer was the least of my worries. And the fact that taking 50 mg of bicalutamide per day for a few months on and off has kept my PSA down. however, it looks as though the bicalutamide is not working so well as befor. This is usually the case with this medicine. Normally I would take it for two months and then off it for four months. but now I have reduced this to only about two months because the PSA rises much faster now. I guess I could be on it perhaps another six months to a year and then it would not be of much use. I will have to find another drug to replace it. There are of course plenty like Xandi but they are all too expensive because I do not have any insurance. There is no free health treatment where I live. Does anyone know what drug I could take instead of bicalutamide that costs about the same? 

VascodaGama

Cautious with any refractory status

Hi Tony,

I am so glad for your news. I wonder how life in your side of the world is. Are you still living in Thailand?

I hope Guys here provide you with ideas but they should know your story. You are a 87 years old young survivor avoiding LHRH agonists (like Lupron) and controlling the bandit with the daily pill 50mg bicalutamide. You got your prostate in place as you chosen RT for treatment back in Jan 2012. After RT and clean from HT the PSA was at 0.75 ng/ml, probably the bicalutamide has lowered it to less than 0.1 along this 4 years period on intermittent administration. I wonder what the PSA level is at two months while off drug. Can you tell its levels when on drug period?

You can try other similar cheap antiandrogens (Flutamide or Nilutamide) but these work equally to Bicalutamide which do not assure a better result. A different working approach antiandrogen is the Cyproterone acetate. This is also cheap and probable the oldest pill used in the treatment of PCa. In some cases, oncologists decide to increase the dose of bicalutamide when this still works but not as efficiently. For instance, increasing from 50 mg to 100/150 mg daily.

In any case, one should be careful testing the PSA frequently and stop the drug immediately if, while on the drug, the PSA increases constantly. The problem is that the cancer has modified its AR (androgen receptors, the mouth of the bandit) and now is feeding on the antiandrogen pill. Antiandrogens are made of the same biostructure as the real androgen (the testosterone) with the intent in faking the cancer to absorb it. Once at the bandit's AR, the androgens stuck it and do not allow real androgens to glue and be absorbed.

Xtandi as you may know is cheaper in India/Bangladesh, but still a considerable amount when comparing with Bicalutamide. You can try finding its price at Thai's black market. Please read this;

https://thewire.in/188045/xtandi-ucla-patent-india-cancer-drug/

I hope all goes OK in your home and that you are enjoying life at your tropical place.

Here are some of your previous links;

https://csn.cancer.org/node/248203#comment-1293493

https://csn.cancer.org/node/253065

Best wishes,

VGama

Old Salt

Financial support for Xtandi

There's a financial support program for people who can't afford Xtandi. Don't know if this would apply to patients who don't live in the USA. But I recommend that you explore that possibility.

https://www.xtandi.com/financial-support?

tonybuxton

VascodaGama said:

Cautious with any refractory status

Hi Tony,

I am so glad for your news. I wonder how life in your side of the world is. Are you still living in Thailand?

I hope Guys here provide you with ideas but they should know your story. You are a 87 years old young survivor avoiding LHRH agonists (like Lupron) and controlling the bandit with the daily pill 50mg bicalutamide. You got your prostate in place as you chosen RT for treatment back in Jan 2012. After RT and clean from HT the PSA was at 0.75 ng/ml, probably the bicalutamide has lowered it to less than 0.1 along this 4 years period on intermittent administration. I wonder what the PSA level is at two months while off drug. Can you tell its levels when on drug period?

You can try other similar cheap antiandrogens (Flutamide or Nilutamide) but these work equally to Bicalutamide which do not assure a better result. A different working approach antiandrogen is the Cyproterone acetate. This is also cheap and probable the oldest pill used in the treatment of PCa. In some cases, oncologists decide to increase the dose of bicalutamide when this still works but not as efficiently. For instance, increasing from 50 mg to 100/150 mg daily.

In any case, one should be careful testing the PSA frequently and stop the drug immediately if, while on the drug, the PSA increases constantly. The problem is that the cancer has modified its AR (androgen receptors, the mouth of the bandit) and now is feeding on the antiandrogen pill. Antiandrogens are made of the same biostructure as the real androgen (the testosterone) with the intent in faking the cancer to absorb it. Once at the bandit's AR, the androgens stuck it and do not allow real androgens to glue and be absorbed.

Xtandi as you may know is cheaper in India/Bangladesh, but still a considerable amount when comparing with Bicalutamide. You can try finding its price at Thai's black market. Please read this;

https://thewire.in/188045/xtandi-ucla-patent-india-cancer-drug/

I hope all goes OK in your home and that you are enjoying life at your tropical place.

Here are some of your previous links;

https://csn.cancer.org/node/248203#comment-1293493

https://csn.cancer.org/node/253065

Best wishes,

VGama

Hi VG

Hi VG

it's nice to see that you are still with us. I believe your cancer is worse than mine, but you are coping with it very positively. Yes, I am still living on a beautiful beach in Thailand. This time of the year the weather is perfect. I have kept myself busy writing books so as I don't go senile. You have been very kind and helpful to me on this forum and if you can somehow give me your address I would love to post you a signed copy of one of my books its called "A charmed life in Ceylon' Your ancestors ruled the island for 200? years. I was born there. My grandfather died there. 

Best regards

Tony

best regards

Tony

VascodaGama

Different nationalities but similar genes

Hi Tony,

This is an interesting little bit more about you. I am curious of your descendants in Ceylon. Have you ever investigated your ancestry?

I was in Shi Lanka at one occasion and was surprised for meeting so many Fernando's. In fact, at school we do not study much details on the collonies period, but while living in Asia I was astonished for the influence of the Portuguese, in the past, in so many countries out there. Probably we have different nationalities but similar genes. Lol

I would like very much to get a signed copy of your book, if you may.

Thanks

VG