I just completed month 51 of the oral chemotherapy (Zytiga) I am now at month 139 since diagnosis. My most recent PSA a month ago was less than 0.01 This picture was taken Christmas Eve day.
I am a very blessed man and I know it
51 months and counting : I just... - Advanced Prostate...
51 months and counting
Written by
Todd1963
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
47 Replies
•
over 11 years? And a 0.01 PSA? Almost impossible... but, wishful for us all...
Nothing is impossible. My original prognosis was for 1 year. Maybe I just got real busy Living and forgot to die. Actually in my mind it is by the grace of God that I am still here
Zytiga isn't in the chemotherapy class of drugs. Those are the taxanes. It's in the ADT class.
What happened the first 88 months? (Who is the babe?)
Todd1963 in reply to
Zytiga is classified as a daily oral chemotherapy. If you do not believe me call a pharmacist. My videos are on the website at Janssen Oncology. If you still don’t take my word for it then talk to an oncologist and then try to get any kind of critical illness insurance.
I was diagnosed stage IV with mets in my lungs bones and lymph nodes and a PSA of over 3200. I have been on Lupron D.E.S. Casadex Provenge and now Zytiga. Had a one year hormone holiday in the middle.
She is not a babe except to me and she is my bride
in reply to
martingugino - No need to be rude, combative or disrespectful. Babe?
TNCanuck in reply to
Zytiga is most definitely considered an oral chemotherapy drug. It's also an aantiandrogen antineoplastic agent. The two are not mutually exclusive.
ronton2 in reply to
Mine is packaged in large print: Oral chemotherapy. I did not realize it before seeing that notification.
That’s kind of how I viewed it originally. Thought it was just a type of adt. Wish it was. My insurance cancelled me because of it. It was just a critical illness insurance but would have been nice to have the money when I need it.
Whatever it is you want to call Zytiga, 139 months is a great achievement. Well done Todd.
Todd,
How old where you when you got PCa? I hope, to duplicate your success on Zytiga. You are correct, the good Lord is looking after you.
God Bless,
Rich
You rock Todd! Congrats!
Congrats Todd, You have done well. Though Zytiga is a drug to reduce testosterone ,thus it is ADT, I think they manufacturers call it chemo to get the insurance companies to pay for it. Todd ,we were diagnosed on the same day in 2006.
Dan
Dan,
October 2017 my PSA was 15.7 and my testosterone was 38, and December 2017 my PSA was 9.5 and testosterone was 44. I am on Zytiga Lupron and Presidone. Why is testosterone rising? Perhaps, I should drop Lupron and go on Firmagon? I will wait for another monthly blood test and discuss with my MO.
Rich
Rich, It is hard to know why T is bouncing around, glad for the psa drop though. Mine used to do the same thing in the early days. I had heard that possibly the 28 day lupron would be more effective, Though I do not know of any studies. It is important to know that the 1 month lupron is really a 28 day shot as is the 3 month a 12 week shot. I am surprised that with zytiga it still bounces, You must have had a powerful testosterone before ADT.
I wish you the best,
Dan
I am taking same combo. What has your MO said about rise?
in reply to Dan59
I think if some company calls zytiga a chemotherapy, it is for some self-serving and improper interest. It is not at all the common usage. (Possibly could be challenged?)
in reply to
I’m on Tak 700 test Adt drug and the lady dispensing this to me tells me it is considered a Chemo drug. So any chemical to fight cancer could be considered a “chemo” drug .my opinion only..
in reply to
Of course Zytiga is an ADT.
Roland632017 in reply to
Hi Lulu700
I am confused.
So are you the daughter carer of your dad?
in reply to Roland632017
Lulu is my puppies name. I’m scott
in reply to
I think that is too broad. There are multiple axes of attack. One can atttack all prostate cells, for example, or all cancer cells.
Chemo drugs have traditionally been aimed at dividing cells. Cancer is a disease of out-of-control cell division. So you may lose hair and nails with chemo, but you get the cancer.
However I have seen more references to oral medications that people insist are chemo, so i guess I don't care.
But the hormone axis is a second axis of treatment, with its own set of side effects. I don't see the use of classifying those in with chemo. It does not help conceptually, or at lease I have not see the overlap of side effects, or the similarity of mechanism (anti-mitosis).
Radiation is a third way, in the class of localized energy, that is not usefully called chemo. So Radium 232, or HDR seeds, or HIFU or Cryo are not usefully called chemo.
And if new anti-PSMA treatments pan out, they affect all prostate cells, not just dividing prostate cells, and are not usefully called chemo.
Fantastic! God bless you. Love your positive attitude.
Is Christmas Eve day, the day before Christmas? hmmmm
Geez another great location for a Starbucks...
Good Luck and Good Health and a Happy 2018 +.
j-o-h-n Sunday 12/31/2017 12:48 AM EST
No wonder! With this kind of sports you will forget what type of drug is Zytiga! It is not chemotherapy. It is second line hormone therapy. There are oral chemotherapy tablets and capsules as well. Their indications are toxic and quite different. Again, not that you don't know these things but the baby in your cuddle makes you forget everything! Isn't it?
Happy New Year to the lovely couple!
Sisira
Beautiful. Happy for you. And yes, it is by Grace only. I understand.
I guess I am in a similar boat...when diagnosed 3 yrs ago PSA was 1500 and I had mets from base of spine to skull. Lupron reduced PSA to 3 and holistic treatment has killed half the mets now.
What about BIRM and the RGL (Raw Gator Liver)
Congratulations Todd! I think we will see more and more long-term survival stories like yours with all of the work being done to combat PCa becoming immune to different therapies. Beautiful backdrop! Best wishes and Happy New Year! Jim
Congrats Todd - great picture. Keep it up on all fronts! Best wishes for 2018
Haven’t heard from you in a while —- good luck!
Way to go Brother Todd great picture of you and Mandy. Happy New Year 2018 it will be our best ever! Keep the Faith! WOE aka Dan and Rose
Todd P.S Wow some of these replies are off the wall. That's why I hope you are healing well!! The "real Dan the Man"
Great picture!
Excellent result, gives me hope.
++Great news---I was on Zitiga, Lupron,&Xgeva for 5 years and now just have moved to Xtandi. Sixteen years since DX---so new drugs work!!
Best to you!
in reply to Lunbo
Awesome news! Thank you and continued success!
Blessed with love and a good attitude! Best of luck..
Not what you're looking for?
You may also like...
My 51 Month tE2 (transdermal estradiol) Results
curl position) during the day. After my last blood test about three months ago I reduced my gel...
Update: 25 months on transdermal estradiol (tE2) and counting.
haven't seen a doctor since 7/2017. The ONLY side effect is gynecomastia (man boobs) which I don't...
2 years of ADT counting from end of IMRT versus first injection 6 months before?
further details. BTW, my PSA remains low at 0.0. And to further clarify since I haven’t posted in...
Low Red Blood Cell count
These are typical values and vary at most 6% (up/down) monthly over the past year.
Physician...
Blood count concerns
It’s been a while since I’ve posted...and that’s a good thing. PSA undetectable since treatment...
Advice: Lupron 3 month versus 6 months 
1600 to 100 and counting
Husband doesn’t want to continue ADT/treatments for stage 4. He is only 51. 
Red blood cells count is down
White cell count and neutrophils low?
