New York Times story: I was a bit... - Advanced Prostate...

Advanced Prostate Cancer

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New York Times story

pjoshea13 profile image
13 Replies

I was a bit puzzled by the PCa news in the Times this morning [1]:

"Hormone Blockers Can Prolong Life if Prostate Cancer Recurs"

"The medical term for blocking male hormones is chemical castration ..."

"Men whose prostate cancer comes back after surgery are more likely to survive if, along with the usual radiation, they also take drugs to block male hormones."

For a while it seemed as though I should have begun Lupron after my RP failure 12 years ago.

But towards the end of the story, we learn that the new study used Casodex.

"The study, paid for by the National Cancer Institute, showed that among men who received radiation and hormonal treatment, 76.3 percent were still alive after 12 years, compared to 71.3 percent who had radiation alone."

"Other hormone-blocking drugs like Lupron have mostly taken its place, and may be even more effective, Dr. Zietman said."

???

Lupron was FDA-approved in 1985 & replaced DES.

Casodex was approved in 1995.

Perhaps Zietman - "an author of the study" - was misquoted? But I hate the idea than men with RP failure will be rushing to Lupron & expecting increased survival.

...

Here is what the study paper states [2]:

"The addition of 24 months of antiandrogen therapy with daily bicalutamide to salvage radiation therapy resulted in significantly higher rates of long-term overall survival and lower incidences of metastatic prostate cancer and death from prostate cancer than radiation therapy plus placebo."

(I wish I had known that 12 years ago.)

...

Sometimes, an account of a study can shed light when the paper's Abstract gives nothing away, but the source paper is usually well-written & unambiguous.

-Patrick

[1] nytimes.com/2017/02/01/heal...

[2] nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/N...

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13 Replies
gusgold profile image
gusgold

Patrick,

did you see the study below....I plan on doing IADT with Casodex 50 mg....9 months on Casodex 50 mg daily then IADT with Casodex on at PSA 1 and off at PSA .1

Gus

hindawi.com/journals/criu/2...

BigRich profile image
BigRich in reply to gusgold

Gus, In the 18 years you had PCa beside a RP what treatments did you have? What drugs or supplements did you take?

Rich

gusgold profile image
gusgold in reply to BigRich

Rich,

I have had PCa for 8 years...RP...SRT...and now IADT with Casodex

BigRich profile image
BigRich in reply to gusgold

Gus,

Do you have any mets, and what was your last PSA?

Rich

gusgold profile image
gusgold in reply to BigRich

Rich,

no mets and PSA got to .3 after Mayo cryo...last PSA .1 after 3 months casodex

BigRich profile image
BigRich in reply to gusgold

Gus, Have your liver checked by a Blood test. Then test peroidically, I don't know how often you should check. A urologist said you also check your lungs.

Rich

in reply to gusgold

Eligard/Lupron = chemical castration. What is the effect on sexual functioning with Casodex 50mg?

BigRich profile image
BigRich in reply to

You usually have sexual functioning with Casodex, if you had it before taking the drug.

Rich

BigRich profile image
BigRich

Patrick,

I could not find how many greys where given. I guessed 64.8 greys. Do you have a number of greys?

Rich

pjoshea13 profile image
pjoshea13 in reply to BigRich

Rich,

Here is a trick I use. If the full text is not free, you can get glimpses by modifying a google search. e.g.:

<"Radiation with or without Antiandrogen Therapy" greys>

returned:

"PDF - New England Journal of Medicine

nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NE...

2 days ago - Radiation with or without Antiandrogen Therapy in Recurrent .... A total dose of 64.8 Gy was given in 36 daily fractions of 1.8 Gy at five ses-."

-Patrick

BigRich profile image
BigRich in reply to pjoshea13

Patrick,

Thank you for verifying my educated guess of 64.8 greys.

Rich

rococo profile image
rococo

I wish these studies stop confusing androgen blockade with androgen deprivation therapy. One blocks testosterone and the other stops making lt. The study goes on to say better chemical castration drugs are availabile and there are but the drug used was a blockade casodex.

gusgold profile image
gusgold

Did you ever think of trying Casodex 50 mg + your supplement (DES) to see if you can drive your PSA to <.1 during the on phase

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