10 Years now - T3b - and clean bone and ct scans but rising PSA now 40

After a couple years treatment break after radiation
cancer came back.....did intermittent hormone blockades
now continual the past few years.....with different drugs along with the lupron
casodex, nilandron, des, ketoconozale........
they'd work for a while then stop......
psa now rising and only on lupron
docs are running out of hormone blockade combos.....

WTF should I do now.....
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Comments

  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,638 Member
    Check for the Newer Drugs
    VGama

    KlineF

    It seems you are experiencing refractory from the drugs. HRPC are dealt with chemo but second-line HT do the work well too. You may look for the “newer drugs on the block”. In your status, Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) is getting patients back to the remission levels.
    You may research about HRPC treatments googling the name.

    You can read some guys reports on abiraterone in these links;
    http://csn.cancer.org/node/199137
    http://csn.cancer.org/node/201569
    http://csn.cancer.org/node/201399

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/13/us-medivation-idUSTRE79C6RZ20111013
    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/234087.php
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/07/us-dendreon-zytiga-idUSTRE7965JF20111007

    You can also visit this site for trials where you would get those newer drugs;
    http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/type/prostate

    Your acronym of Kline Financial has anything to do with the Kawasaki’s Kline?
    Just wondering if we had something in common.

    Good luck in your continuous journey.

    Vgama
  • klinefinancial
    klinefinancial Member Posts: 19

    Check for the Newer Drugs
    VGama

    KlineF

    It seems you are experiencing refractory from the drugs. HRPC are dealt with chemo but second-line HT do the work well too. You may look for the “newer drugs on the block”. In your status, Zytiga (abiraterone acetate) is getting patients back to the remission levels.
    You may research about HRPC treatments googling the name.

    You can read some guys reports on abiraterone in these links;
    http://csn.cancer.org/node/199137
    http://csn.cancer.org/node/201569
    http://csn.cancer.org/node/201399

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/13/us-medivation-idUSTRE79C6RZ20111013
    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/234087.php
    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/07/us-dendreon-zytiga-idUSTRE7965JF20111007

    You can also visit this site for trials where you would get those newer drugs;
    http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/type/prostate

    Your acronym of Kline Financial has anything to do with the Kawasaki’s Kline?
    Just wondering if we had something in common.

    Good luck in your continuous journey.

    Vgama

    Thanks Vgama
    The klinefinancial is left over from my financial planning business that I retired from a few years ago. Not related to the Kawasaki Klines.
    I worked with Dr. Tucker until he moved to Singapore and did the leukine shots, celebrex, triple blockade, zometa, etc.....but always used Dr. Small at UCSF as a second opinion guy....who then became my full time guy when Tucker left. His program is to continue to use hormone blockade combinations as long as possible....(lupron for life is part of that) .now we're talking about fleutamide and some kind of estrogen patch.....the DES I took before caused blood clots in my leg (discovered in the hospital during my motorcycle accident two years ago which probably saved my life)......I too started this journey in 2000 with hormone blockade and radiation for my t3b cancer.
    Currently they can't script aberaterone unless you've had chemo and they think it's too soon for chemo.
    My side affects doc gave me ritalin and dexadrine for the fatigue and that has helped my quality of life immensely.
    Hanging tough and thanks for your references and help
  • tarhoosier
    tarhoosier Member Posts: 195 Member

    Thanks Vgama
    The klinefinancial is left over from my financial planning business that I retired from a few years ago. Not related to the Kawasaki Klines.
    I worked with Dr. Tucker until he moved to Singapore and did the leukine shots, celebrex, triple blockade, zometa, etc.....but always used Dr. Small at UCSF as a second opinion guy....who then became my full time guy when Tucker left. His program is to continue to use hormone blockade combinations as long as possible....(lupron for life is part of that) .now we're talking about fleutamide and some kind of estrogen patch.....the DES I took before caused blood clots in my leg (discovered in the hospital during my motorcycle accident two years ago which probably saved my life)......I too started this journey in 2000 with hormone blockade and radiation for my t3b cancer.
    Currently they can't script aberaterone unless you've had chemo and they think it's too soon for chemo.
    My side affects doc gave me ritalin and dexadrine for the fatigue and that has helped my quality of life immensely.
    Hanging tough and thanks for your references and help

    script?
    Kline:
    VdaG gives solid information.
    My comment is about your statement "Currently they can't script aberaterone unless you've had chemo". They most certainly can prescribe Zytiga (Abiraterone acetate) at any time in the course of disease. It is the decision of the insurer/health provider whether to pay for such a prescription/drug. I know of a man who is covered by Tricare, a military retiree health insurer, who has his Zytiga covered as a pre-chemo patient. This may not be common. The point is that any drug that is approved by the FDA for any purpose or condition or stage may be prescribed by any doctor for any purpose at all.
    If you have Tucker and Small as your care givers you have had some of the most advanced opinion available. Eric Small at UCSF may have access to trials for his patients that many of us could not access. (MDV3100, XL184, ARN-509, etc)
    Estrogen transdermal (skin patch), as I believe you describe, is a way to avoid liver exposure, which must happen with oral DES. There is also a topical gel application of estrogen available, again a parenteral dose (not taken through the stomach and intestines).
    There is also an interesting new approach at Sand Lake Imaging in Florida where patients are offered 3Tesla MRI after Feraheme contrast agent and this can display infected nodes which can them be irradiated. Bone mets may also show and be radiated, if they are not too extensive. This has shown to be much more accurate and sensitive than with conventional MRI contrast agent(s). I have no idea who would be a potential candidate.
  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,638 Member

    Thanks Vgama
    The klinefinancial is left over from my financial planning business that I retired from a few years ago. Not related to the Kawasaki Klines.
    I worked with Dr. Tucker until he moved to Singapore and did the leukine shots, celebrex, triple blockade, zometa, etc.....but always used Dr. Small at UCSF as a second opinion guy....who then became my full time guy when Tucker left. His program is to continue to use hormone blockade combinations as long as possible....(lupron for life is part of that) .now we're talking about fleutamide and some kind of estrogen patch.....the DES I took before caused blood clots in my leg (discovered in the hospital during my motorcycle accident two years ago which probably saved my life)......I too started this journey in 2000 with hormone blockade and radiation for my t3b cancer.
    Currently they can't script aberaterone unless you've had chemo and they think it's too soon for chemo.
    My side affects doc gave me ritalin and dexadrine for the fatigue and that has helped my quality of life immensely.
    Hanging tough and thanks for your references and help

    Success in HT
    Just edit this post to add my Thanks to Tarhoosier for his excellent advice.


    KlineF

    I wonder if your reference is to Dr. StevenTucker. (http://www.drsteventucker.com/about-2/)
    I do not know him personally but read some of his impressive papers on prostate and breast cancer. I have recommended him in this forum to some guys living in Asia. At least one of them has replied to me in appreciation after meeting him.

    Your many years of success in HT are indicative that your cancer responds well to the treatment. It may continue doing so with your new approach with flutamide. This is a drug used by Dr. Myers when a patient shows signs of ARM (androgen receptor mutation) in guys on other anti-androgens. I read that the usual “signal” of ARM is a long steady increase of PSA under HT. Changing drugs and doses (mg) have worked successfully.

    Nevertheless, I believe in abiraterone as a substitute to the typical anti-androgens or immunological drugs. This drug addresses the intratumoral effect handling the cancer from within its limits. It addresses well the problem of ARM.
    In fact this type of targeted drug has shown so must success that newer drugs to combat other fields in the prostate cancer have demonstrated better results when administered in combination with Zytiga. It has shown to do better than ketoconazole too.

    Why shouldn’t your doctor prescript it before a failed chemotherapy? He may be following FDA’s approval but you could inquire.

    The estrogen patch will bypass the liver so you can expect the same result with lesser side effects. Dr. Leibowitz have presented protocols using these patches, where he maintains his patients at PSA levels of 3 – 5 points, over ten years.
    Here is a link to his approaches; http://compassionateoncology.org/approach.html
    (It seems that he uses abiraterone in his “cocktails”).

    I just received my P2P weekly letter relating a IADT3 case using Leibowitz (Dr. Bob) protocol this is an amazing story. It is titled;

    A 10 year remission, after triple hormone blockaide, and then ....

    "...
    Dear P2P doctors,

    The P2P doctors, especially Dr. Strum, helped me back in 1999 to chose triple hormone blockade for my gleason 3+3 cancer. I had one in 6 biopsy cores 70% positive.

    ( My PC Digest: Jory Squibb, now 70, diagnosed in Feb 1999 at age 58. PSA at diagnosis 6.1; PAP 1.3; PSA II 10%; GS 3+3; CS T1c; Volume 36.2cc; crude tumor volume 0.6; Partin 67, 30, 2, 1; Narayan 59,38,2,1; Bluestein N; Treatments: Macro diet, then PC SPES, then triple hormone blockaide when PSA reached my personal "trigger" point of 9.9)

    Using Dr. Bob's protocol, I took Lupron, Casodex, and Avodart and acheived an undetectable PSA for 13 months, ending in April 2001.

    Since then, I have been in a nice 10 year remission, taking only Avodart, with the PSA gradually moving up, over the years, to 2.16 last March...
    Today, October 11, 2011, it came back 5.5-- quite a jump in 6 months.

    So, i'm going to take an antibiotic, Cipro, I think, for 10 days and retest, and see if that 5.5 was possibly prostititus or a lab error.

    If the PSA is still that high, I'm tempted to go back on round 2 of the hormone blockaide, since it worked so well the first time.

    In the intervening 10 years, has anything changed in the blockaide protocol: Lupron 3 month shots, 150 mg. Casodex, 0.5 mg Avodart . Undetectible PSA for 13 months, testosterone below 20?

    Is it worth considering taking Casodex by itself? Another pokey, low-energy, hot flashes, breast enlargement, 13 month spell is not a happy prospect! Being 70 is challenge enough!

    Many thanks,
    J. S., Camden, Maine ..."

    There are amazing TEN YEARS of survival cases. Yours may be another one.

    Wishing you continuous success in HT and a joyful retirement.

    VGama
    Note; Thanks for the advice on ritalin and dexadrine for the fatigue.
  • mrspjd
    mrspjd Member Posts: 694 Member
    Advanced PCa
    At a recent conference on PCa that I attended, the well-known oncologist, Dr. Charles “Snuffy” Meyers (himself, a PCa survivor) was a keynote speaker. For me, one sentence in his excellent presentation stood out more than anything else. Dr. Meyers said: “The side effects of treatment are nothing compared to those of (untreated) advanced PCa.”

    Thank you for your questions, Kline. Thank you to Tarhoosier and Vasco for your very informative posts. I applaud your strength and determination in your battle against this insidious disease and wish all of you every success on your journey. You have shown, and continue to show, many readers here (myself and my husband included) that it is possible to have a productive, satisfying, fulfilling and high quality of life (in the real sense/meaning of those words) in spite of it all. Kudos & congratulations on setting the bar high, not only for yourselves, but for others as well.

    All the very best.

    Sincerely,

    mrs pjd
  • klinefinancial
    klinefinancial Member Posts: 19
    mrspjd said:

    Advanced PCa
    At a recent conference on PCa that I attended, the well-known oncologist, Dr. Charles “Snuffy” Meyers (himself, a PCa survivor) was a keynote speaker. For me, one sentence in his excellent presentation stood out more than anything else. Dr. Meyers said: “The side effects of treatment are nothing compared to those of (untreated) advanced PCa.”

    Thank you for your questions, Kline. Thank you to Tarhoosier and Vasco for your very informative posts. I applaud your strength and determination in your battle against this insidious disease and wish all of you every success on your journey. You have shown, and continue to show, many readers here (myself and my husband included) that it is possible to have a productive, satisfying, fulfilling and high quality of life (in the real sense/meaning of those words) in spite of it all. Kudos & congratulations on setting the bar high, not only for yourselves, but for others as well.

    All the very best.

    Sincerely,

    mrs pjd

    thank you
    thank you all for helping me with my decision to treat or not to treat......
    seems I'm going to continue to treat even though I detest the fatigue and being fat and having no body hair and deteriorated short term memory and dry skin and my feet are so numb tonight and even after a vicodin they hurt like hell and the breasts and the metallic body smell and the body aches and joint pains and the hot flashes and the night sweats and the loss of night vision....and on and on and on that I've been experiencing ever since I started this hormone therapy (what a joke if you're a child molester they call it chemical castration) for 10 years now
    bettern dead
  • mrspjd
    mrspjd Member Posts: 694 Member

    thank you
    thank you all for helping me with my decision to treat or not to treat......
    seems I'm going to continue to treat even though I detest the fatigue and being fat and having no body hair and deteriorated short term memory and dry skin and my feet are so numb tonight and even after a vicodin they hurt like hell and the breasts and the metallic body smell and the body aches and joint pains and the hot flashes and the night sweats and the loss of night vision....and on and on and on that I've been experiencing ever since I started this hormone therapy (what a joke if you're a child molester they call it chemical castration) for 10 years now
    bettern dead

    Choices
    No two ways about it...cancer sucks and living with chronic advanced PCa and tx side effects sucks ten times worse. As both you and Dr. Meyers have indicated, for many, it’s still better than the alternative.

    I’m no stranger to seeing end stage cancer and PCa up close and personal, with tx side effects and without (palliative care). This past June, we lost another friend to PCa. David was only 59 yrs young. He fought a gallant battle having been diagnosed less than a year earlier with a very virulent and aggressive form of PCa. (And in July, my friend and hiking buddy, Cindy, lost her long battle from a rare form of uterine cancer.) Both friends fought hard till the end.

    David was not a famous actor or athlete or entertainment personality whose name you would immediately recognize. But, in his community, he was well known and respected as a civic leader, a two term mayor, an incredibly creative professional with a distinguished career recognized with many achievement awards, an avid outdoorsman, and most importantly, as a loving husband and father.

    Trust me on this, if David or Cindy could have had the luxury of making a choice, living with all the crappy and $h!ty cancer tx side effects, while no walk in the park, no question what their choice would have been. Sadly, neither one of them had that option.
  • klinefinancial
    klinefinancial Member Posts: 19
    mrspjd said:

    Choices
    No two ways about it...cancer sucks and living with chronic advanced PCa and tx side effects sucks ten times worse. As both you and Dr. Meyers have indicated, for many, it’s still better than the alternative.

    I’m no stranger to seeing end stage cancer and PCa up close and personal, with tx side effects and without (palliative care). This past June, we lost another friend to PCa. David was only 59 yrs young. He fought a gallant battle having been diagnosed less than a year earlier with a very virulent and aggressive form of PCa. (And in July, my friend and hiking buddy, Cindy, lost her long battle from a rare form of uterine cancer.) Both friends fought hard till the end.

    David was not a famous actor or athlete or entertainment personality whose name you would immediately recognize. But, in his community, he was well known and respected as a civic leader, a two term mayor, an incredibly creative professional with a distinguished career recognized with many achievement awards, an avid outdoorsman, and most importantly, as a loving husband and father.

    Trust me on this, if David or Cindy could have had the luxury of making a choice, living with all the crappy and $h!ty cancer tx side effects, while no walk in the park, no question what their choice would have been. Sadly, neither one of them had that option.

    New meds
    So were trying flutamide now...along with the lupron......well see how this works.....
  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,638 Member

    New meds
    So were trying flutamide now...along with the lupron......well see how this works.....

    Care for Hypogonadism
    KlineF

    Glad to hear about Flutamide. Hope it arrests the bandit.
    I would suggest you to listen to the video of Dr. Myers on hypogonadism. He recommends checking for any risk related to heart health and insulin, caused by the low testosterone condition in patients on ADT for long periods of time. You commented above about your long experiences with the side effects, that I wonder if you have been on Lupron for the whole period of ten years?
    http://askdrmyers.wordpress.com/

    His advice is that one should treat such condition (with TR patches) even when taking the hormonal drugs. The logic is that Flutamide as an antiandrogen prevents cancerous cells from feeding on testosterone but Lupron prevents the testes from producing it (T).
    The patches used intermittently would supply other body functions that are starving for T, avoiding the risks.
    Please let us know about your progress with the Flutamide.

    Good luck in your journey.

    VGama

    Note; I see Plaza San Marco behind you was the picture taken from a Gondola or from a ferry on the way to San Giorgio Maggiore?
    I got a similar picture taken two years ago.
  • Swingshiftworker
    Swingshiftworker Member Posts: 1,017 Member

    Thanks Vgama
    The klinefinancial is left over from my financial planning business that I retired from a few years ago. Not related to the Kawasaki Klines.
    I worked with Dr. Tucker until he moved to Singapore and did the leukine shots, celebrex, triple blockade, zometa, etc.....but always used Dr. Small at UCSF as a second opinion guy....who then became my full time guy when Tucker left. His program is to continue to use hormone blockade combinations as long as possible....(lupron for life is part of that) .now we're talking about fleutamide and some kind of estrogen patch.....the DES I took before caused blood clots in my leg (discovered in the hospital during my motorcycle accident two years ago which probably saved my life)......I too started this journey in 2000 with hormone blockade and radiation for my t3b cancer.
    Currently they can't script aberaterone unless you've had chemo and they think it's too soon for chemo.
    My side affects doc gave me ritalin and dexadrine for the fatigue and that has helped my quality of life immensely.
    Hanging tough and thanks for your references and help

    Thanks for the info!
    Thanks for your mention of Dr. Small at UCSF.

    I am a patient at the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and was treated there w/CyberKnife by Dr Alexander Gottschalk. We are just monitoring the treatment now w/quarterly PSA tests but the results have not been dropping as they should and, if they do not drop sufficiently by next Sept (the 2 year point), I'll now know who to consult with at UCSF in order to assess what to do next -- be it HT or something else.
  • mrspjd
    mrspjd Member Posts: 694 Member

    New meds
    So were trying flutamide now...along with the lupron......well see how this works.....

    Hopeful
    Kline,

    Thanks for the update. Hope to read more about your journey. Wondering if you've discussed Firmagon (Degarelix) as an alternative second line ADT with your oncologist and what his thoughts are on its use?

    As Tarhoosier has indicated, with so many new drugs, txs and diagnostic tests (to zero in on where the cancer is hiding) currently in the medical pipeline, it seems there's a new clinical trial and/or successful finding each week. I believe there is much hope for those living with advanced PCa and that treating advanced PCa will be like treating a chronic disease that, for now has no cure but, can be survived with a good quality of life.

    Wishing you all the best and a long run on the flutamide w/Lupron.

    mrs pjd
  • klinefinancial
    klinefinancial Member Posts: 19

    Care for Hypogonadism
    KlineF

    Glad to hear about Flutamide. Hope it arrests the bandit.
    I would suggest you to listen to the video of Dr. Myers on hypogonadism. He recommends checking for any risk related to heart health and insulin, caused by the low testosterone condition in patients on ADT for long periods of time. You commented above about your long experiences with the side effects, that I wonder if you have been on Lupron for the whole period of ten years?
    http://askdrmyers.wordpress.com/

    His advice is that one should treat such condition (with TR patches) even when taking the hormonal drugs. The logic is that Flutamide as an antiandrogen prevents cancerous cells from feeding on testosterone but Lupron prevents the testes from producing it (T).
    The patches used intermittently would supply other body functions that are starving for T, avoiding the risks.
    Please let us know about your progress with the Flutamide.

    Good luck in your journey.

    VGama

    Note; I see Plaza San Marco behind you was the picture taken from a Gondola or from a ferry on the way to San Giorgio Maggiore?
    I got a similar picture taken two years ago.

    Thanks....
    Yes I've been on Testosterone blocking drugs for most of the last 10 years......intermittently I've probably had about a total of 3 years of in-between times......so 70% of the time on triple blockade or double blockade.....now it's a constant lupron and secondary of some sort of secondary for life.....without parole.

    Comically enough that picture was taken at Venice Beach in California...I was diagnosed on 9/12/11 and we were scheduled for a dream trip to Italy on 9/13/11......obviously there were no flights going out so we drove down to LA cause we kind of had our heads up our **** and stayed with friends in Venice Beach....so that was our dream trip to Italy.....it's a mural on the entry to the pier at Venice California.
  • klinefinancial
    klinefinancial Member Posts: 19
    mrspjd said:

    Hopeful
    Kline,

    Thanks for the update. Hope to read more about your journey. Wondering if you've discussed Firmagon (Degarelix) as an alternative second line ADT with your oncologist and what his thoughts are on its use?

    As Tarhoosier has indicated, with so many new drugs, txs and diagnostic tests (to zero in on where the cancer is hiding) currently in the medical pipeline, it seems there's a new clinical trial and/or successful finding each week. I believe there is much hope for those living with advanced PCa and that treating advanced PCa will be like treating a chronic disease that, for now has no cure but, can be survived with a good quality of life.

    Wishing you all the best and a long run on the flutamide w/Lupron.

    mrs pjd

    Firmagon
    Haven't heard of Firmagon but will bring it up on my next meeting with oncologist......they tried to get aberaterone approval but my pharmacy insurance wouldn't pay for it.
    I was on high dose casodex and caxodex lupron combos in the past along with nilutamide, DES, and a host of others.
    No heart problems at all and I eat no processed sugar at all so that has kept my cholesterol down well below 180 and my sugars stay around 105........actually my cholesterol went up for a while to about 260 until I gave up the sugar then it dropped to just below 180.
    I eat primarily a sort of cave man diet with occasional lapses and try to stay off breads, rice, pasta......lots of proteins and good fats and salads and veggies.
    I have also received lots of help for the fatigue in the form of dexadrine and ritalin along with hi quantities of espresso - about 10 shots a day.

    It ain't easy being the luckiest man alive!!!!
  • klinefinancial
    klinefinancial Member Posts: 19

    Firmagon
    Haven't heard of Firmagon but will bring it up on my next meeting with oncologist......they tried to get aberaterone approval but my pharmacy insurance wouldn't pay for it.
    I was on high dose casodex and caxodex lupron combos in the past along with nilutamide, DES, and a host of others.
    No heart problems at all and I eat no processed sugar at all so that has kept my cholesterol down well below 180 and my sugars stay around 105........actually my cholesterol went up for a while to about 260 until I gave up the sugar then it dropped to just below 180.
    I eat primarily a sort of cave man diet with occasional lapses and try to stay off breads, rice, pasta......lots of proteins and good fats and salads and veggies.
    I have also received lots of help for the fatigue in the form of dexadrine and ritalin along with hi quantities of espresso - about 10 shots a day.

    It ain't easy being the luckiest man alive!!!!

    spa now 54.6
    Flutamide doesn't seem to be having any effect at all.
  • klinefinancial
    klinefinancial Member Posts: 19

    Firmagon
    Haven't heard of Firmagon but will bring it up on my next meeting with oncologist......they tried to get aberaterone approval but my pharmacy insurance wouldn't pay for it.
    I was on high dose casodex and caxodex lupron combos in the past along with nilutamide, DES, and a host of others.
    No heart problems at all and I eat no processed sugar at all so that has kept my cholesterol down well below 180 and my sugars stay around 105........actually my cholesterol went up for a while to about 260 until I gave up the sugar then it dropped to just below 180.
    I eat primarily a sort of cave man diet with occasional lapses and try to stay off breads, rice, pasta......lots of proteins and good fats and salads and veggies.
    I have also received lots of help for the fatigue in the form of dexadrine and ritalin along with hi quantities of espresso - about 10 shots a day.

    It ain't easy being the luckiest man alive!!!!

    PSA now 54.6
    Flutamide doesn't seem to be having any effect at all.
  • tarhoosier
    tarhoosier Member Posts: 195 Member

    PSA now 54.6
    Flutamide doesn't seem to be having any effect at all.

    next man up
    Nilutimide (may be the same as your nilandron); parenteral estrogen as patch or cream; Aragon ARN509 Phase II-no placebo; MDV3100 just succeeded in phase III, may be available as special open access drug-check with UCSF; Cytoxan; Leukine; others?
  • 2ndBase
    2ndBase Member Posts: 220
    Treatment
    It seems to me that your quality of life would be better in a hospice program if you qualify for it and if you are willing to accept the fact that there is no cure. Secondly at your age the cancer is not very likely to take your life and why put up with the side effects of Lupron when it really does nothing but maybe keep the psa number a little lower. The number is meaningless once the cancer spreads and then the main focus needs to be with quality of life. There are tumors in your bones they just can not see them yet. Other than radiation for pain there is nothing to stop this from growing. It just needs to be accepted and dealt with as you can.
  • klinefinancial
    klinefinancial Member Posts: 19
    2ndBase said:

    Treatment
    It seems to me that your quality of life would be better in a hospice program if you qualify for it and if you are willing to accept the fact that there is no cure. Secondly at your age the cancer is not very likely to take your life and why put up with the side effects of Lupron when it really does nothing but maybe keep the psa number a little lower. The number is meaningless once the cancer spreads and then the main focus needs to be with quality of life. There are tumors in your bones they just can not see them yet. Other than radiation for pain there is nothing to stop this from growing. It just needs to be accepted and dealt with as you can.

    treatment
    well aren't you just little miss positive.......gee thanks for your heartfelt words of death and hopelessness
  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,638 Member

    treatment
    well aren't you just little miss positive.......gee thanks for your heartfelt words of death and hopelessness

    Get control of your case
    Kline

    I am sorry to read about the ineffectiveness of flutamide in your treatment. This signals ARM and that you have to give up with the antiandrogens.
    It has been sometime since you last posted and I am curious on what are the levels of PSA and testosterone now at the one month mark since starting flutamide. Was there any down trend on the values?

    In my opinion, you have to get into the so called targeted medications for which you should educate yourself regarding the drugs and their side effects. You are entering into a newer “phase” of your case.
    Zytiga (commented above) is exactly for cases of failed antiandrogens. Other drugs mentioned by tarhoosier ( in particular MDV3100) are second line HT and you should try to explore the possibility of its use. MDV3100 in trials is showing positive signs for advanced HRPC patients. You may discuss with your oncologist to get into one of those trials.

    Try to tackle the bandit now before it starts to metastasize to far places.

    In an article at Dr. Myers’ site there is a comment to that “... one third of men with hormone-resistant prostate cancer respond to Suramin.....”
    http://www.prostateforum.com/about-dr-myers.html

    You may as well inquire with your oncologist on this drug too.

    There is a new book on drugs for HT failure cases which you may find interesting in having as a reference manual:
    “Promoting Wellness Beyond Hormone Therapy: Options for Prostate Cancer Patients”, by Mark Moyad.

    I hope my insights are of help and that you regain back the control of your case.

    VGama
  • skippy123
    skippy123 Member Posts: 7

    treatment
    well aren't you just little miss positive.......gee thanks for your heartfelt words of death and hopelessness

    Your response to 2nd base was perfect I commend you...to quote Jimmy V never give up never give up!! and as my onco. says any talk of death is totally counter productive..