Prostate doctors

[Jonlaco]

Went to USC in L.A. today to meet with Dr. David Quinn.  I met with him two years ago on a consultation just to make sure that my onc treating me was on the mark (2nd opinion).  Today our meeting went better than the first on 2 years ago.  I still have some options to treat my advanced, aggressive prostate cancer.  I have to mail my scans to Dr. Quinn and he is contacting my current onc to discuss me and my situation.  I have been feeling very fatigued lately and I had to stop my Jevtana chemo at this moment (2 months) because of neutropenic fever which landed me in the hospital for over 12 days.  Currently taking Ritalin to try and spark me up but today was a long day of waiting and this evening I am very fatigued.  Any way, does anyone have information about Dr. David Quinn at USC?  My onc had me taking Megastrol and Dr. Quinn suggested I stop this immediately as this could cause a growing of my already aggressive cancer.  Is anyone else out there suffering from fatigue?  I do not have an appetite either.  Both of these really hit me after my visit to the hospital and it is a slow come back process.  I am concerned and don't know what to think right now.  I would love to hear others stories about fatigue, and appetite loss. 

[Hidden]

Hi, Dr Quinn has been my oncologist since June 2004 after diagnosis at stage IV (D1). He and the USC team has kept my quality of life top notch as I have slowly progressed now to D2 status.  I highly recommend him because USC Norris is a CCC facility with cutting edge knowledge. My treatment has taken me from prostatectomy with extended lymph node dissection (and 8 positive nodes), several hormone ablation therapies, radiation, immunotherapy, several trials, and now chemotherapy....all guided by Dr Quinn. I hope to see him for several more years and encourage you to consider him and the USC team for yourself.

[Jonlaco in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Rickdena for your reply.  This gives me confidence with seeing Dr. Quinn.  What was your gleason score and dx and what is D1?  Do you have any side effects such as fatigue, no appetite?  Today has just been not such a good day for me and I am really down.

[Hidden in reply to Jonlaco]

Good morning,

For me, Dec 2003, pathological stage was T2b N1 Mx. The N1 made it D1... Positive lymph nodes. My scheduled prostatectomy was not completed. This at a local hospital with a local urologist. Second opinion the following week at USC Norris where they concluded surgery would be in my best interest even though a minority choice across the USA. Did neoadjuvant hormone therapy with casodex and zometa then prostatectomy April 2004. Post surgery Gleason changed from 3+3 to 4+3 and stage changed to T3b N1 Mx. Stayed on the hormone ablation until Nov 2005.

PSA 33.5 August 2003 then 0.18 day of April 2004 USC surgery, mostly undetectably until Feb 2007 then recurrence. Unfortunately expected due to having 8 positive nodes after surgery. As mentioned earlier, I've followed Quinn's protocol for 12 years. 

Remember each person is different and each approach needs to be unique. I feel great...same as 25 years ago but I do get B-12 shots monthly at USC, eat mostly vegetables + some fish, try to walk briskly 5 times per week for 45+ minutes. No supplements other than calcium + D3 (per Quinn). Note I was told by my USC urologist/surgeon that this cancer would kill me sometime between 3 and 30 years. Reality check. That was when I was 58 when death was not really on my mind. But since I really felt good and wanted to be around longer, I decided to stick with an institution that is on the leading edge with top medical personnel...USC Norris...similar to maybe 3 dozen other USA facilities.

I start docetaxel soon continuing on my journey at age 71, still hoping for maybe 5 more years if medical science can provide advances. I'm also relying on Dr Quinn to know what is best for my particular situation.

I hope this helps! 

[wellness in reply to Hidden]

I am wondering if you or anyone else can recommend a good teaching hospital closest to me for a 2nd opinion.  Not impressed with the oncologists  in Redding CA.  I live in Mt Shasta CA...the closest major cities would be Eugene OR and Sacramento, CA.  Medfordashland OR are also close.  I want a doctor who takes Medicare.

[Hidden in reply to wellness]

Check UC Davis CCC (Sacramento?) 916-703-5210 , UCSF CCC San Francisco puts out a lot of research papers 888-689-8273, Oregon Health and Science University 503-494-8311.

[axd198]

You may want to get still another Opinion from Dr. Robert Reiter, head of the Prostate Cancer program at UCLA, very well respected/experienced.

[Hidden]

Following the UCLA comment.... Yes to that and also consider City of Hope.

We are extremely fortunate in the Los Angeles area to have 3 of the 69 NCI Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCC)....all with great doctor/nurse teams plus they all know each other.

[RichGreene]

I think fatigue is a natural side effect of most prostate cancer treatments.  I had fatigue while I was on Eligard and Casodex and more than a couple of years after the prostatectomy.  Same with loss of appetite; I forget to eat most meals because I'm seldom hungry.  My surgery was two years ago and I'm not on any treatment now.

[wellness]

for appetite loss nothing better than cannabis oil, IMHO.  If you don't want the psychotropic side effects, take it rectally with a rectal syringe.