Provenge

[sgrama]

I'd like to know if anyone has tried Provenge and your results from it and if anyone has had any side effects.

Thanks so Much

[JoelT]

Most people experience little side effects beyond having flu-like symptoms for a day or two. There are some exceptions like an allergic reaction or upon a rare occasion body tremors.

There is no way for anyone to know what is the actual result of Provenge. It will not affect PSA nor evidence of radiographic progression. Provenge takes a while before it starts working. Since most men go on to another treatment before the actual results can be seen it is impossible to know which treatment did what.

All we really know is that in two different phase III clinical trials men receiving Provenge lived longer than those in the control arm.

ince it does take a while for it to work it is probably best in men with earlier than later stages of the cancer. Also, there was some very startling evidence that Provenge worked the best in African American men

Joel

[middlejoel]

Brother tried Provenge in his late stage disease with bone mets but did nothing for him and he passed within the year

[sgrama in reply to middlejoel]

My husband also has bone mets and it was discovered in 2016. He's had chemo and some other things. So sorry to hear about your brother.

[wrando]

I had the treatment and I believe it helped me. As Joel T said the actual result of Provenge are difficult to measure, but if you're early on in treatment I would jump at the chance.

[Mathes72 in reply to wrando]

had provenge after 6 chemo in sept ,oct, no side effects, do not know if it did anything,have been on zytiga,lupron,xgeva,psa just jumped up to 0.7 increased zytiga to 1000 mg. we will see

[sgrama in reply to wrando]

My husband is 76 years old and was diagnosed in 2005 with Gleason of 7 and PSA of 6 so in 2006 he had radiation and was started on Eligard and then in 2016 it had spread to his bones and each time more is showing up on the tests. He had 7 chemo treatments from Dec 2016 to April 2017 and his PSA went down to 9.6 but then a couple months later it was on the rise again. So in August 2017 he was started on Zytiga and prednisone because his PSA had risen to 176 in just 4 months after the end of chemo treatments. It dropped drastically on the zytiga clear down to 20 something I believe but then end of Nov. it was up to 31 and then on Jan. 8th this year it was 62.7 and then Feb 5th it was clear up to 92 after only a few months of Zytiga working.it was definitely rising again and went from 30 to 92 in 2.5 months. His oncologist wanted to give him chemo again but we chose to go with the Provenge first and he goes for his for collection tomorrow. But the oncologist still is saying he will need chemo sometime this year still. He has no bone pain as yet thank God and still works 3 days a week as a jeweler. I'm so scared of losing him and I just hope to have him around for some time to come.

[ZackD]

I did 3 rounds and the first round zero side effects, the second I felt bad the next day, the third I had rigers then felt bad for 3-4 days. After that felt normal again. Did this in combination with Xtandi and my psa dropped from 40.98 to 0.99. So I guess something is working

[sgrama in reply to ZackD]

Wow that is great to hear that your PSA was lowered. My husband hasn't had the Xtandi yet.

My husband is 76 years old and was diagnosed in 2005 with Gleason of 7 and PSA of 6 so in 2006 he had radiation and was started on Eligard and then in 2016 it had spread to his bones and each time more is showing up on the tests. He had 7 chemo treatments from Dec 2016 to April 2017 and his PSA went down to 9.6 but then a couple months later it was on the rise again. So in August 2017 he was started on Zytiga and prednisone because his PSA had risen to 176 in just 4 months after the end of chemo treatments. It dropped drastically on the zytiga clear down to 20 something I believe but then end of Nov. it was up to 31 and then on Jan. 8th this year it was 62.7 and then Feb 5th it was clear up to 92 after only a few months of Zytiga working.it was definitely rising again and went from 30 to 92 in 2.5 months. His oncologist wanted to give him chemo again but we chose to go with the Provenge first and he goes for his for collection tomorrow. But the oncologist still is saying he will need chemo sometime this year still. He has no bone pain as yet thank God and still works 3 days a week as a jeweler. I'm so scared of losing him and I just hope to have him around for some time to come.

My prayers go out to you and your family.

[BrianF505]

My experience was similar to ZackD. Started mine late July Aug 2013. I was Ok after the first round, a little punky after the second, and pretty beat up for a couple days after the third. But nothing rest (and a wee bit of cannabis) didn’t help with.

I don’t recall my PSA at the time, but I do remember it continued to rise over the next 6 months until Feb when I went on Xtandi. Then PSA dropped significantly. Can’t say if it’s been all Xtandi or combo of Xtandi post provenge, but I’m 4 years on Xtandi and PSA still well under control.

[sgrama in reply to BrianF505]

That is great and sounds very encouraging to hear. They haven't used Xtandi on my husband yet but maybe we should check into it.

Thank-you for your response and the info it's greatly appreciated.

My husband is 76 years old and was diagnosed in 2005 with Gleason of 7 and PSA of 6 so in 2006 he had radiation and was started on Eligard and then in 2016 it had spread to his bones and each time more is showing up on the tests. He had 7 chemo treatments from Dec 2016 to April 2017 and his PSA went down to 9.6 but then a couple months later it was on the rise again. So in August 2017 he was started on Zytiga and prednisone because his PSA had risen to 176 in just 4 months after the end of chemo treatments. It dropped drastically on the zytiga clear down to 20 something I believe but then end of Nov. it was up to 31 and then on Jan. 8th this year it was 62.7 and then Feb 5th it was clear up to 92 after only a few months of Zytiga working.it was definitely rising again and went from 30 to 92 in 2.5 months. His oncologist wanted to give him chemo again but we chose to go with the Provenge first and he goes for his for collection tomorrow. But the oncologist still is saying he will need chemo sometime this year still. He has no bone pain as yet thank God and still works 3 days a week as a jeweler. I'm so scared of losing him and I just hope to have him around for some time to come.

[David20451 in reply to BrianF505]

I too went on Xtandi after Provenge protocol. 3-1/2 years now undetectable PSA.

[BrianF505 in reply to David20451]

Awesome and congrats!!!!

[Magnus1964]

I went on the Provenge treatment a few years ago. Some nodules showed up in my lungs. No side effects, and the nodules shrank. The worst of it lying there your blood is pumped through a centrifuge to extract the white cells.

[GAdrummer]

My husband weathered the Provenge with some chills then went immediately on Xtandi. That worked fine for a couple of years before the mutations developed that couldn't be touched by Zytiga. He's spent almost a year on chemo with very little response and the PSA is on the rise again.