How many cycles of jevtana are commonly necessary before PSA reduction?

[EdMiller]

I had 6 cycles (one every 3 weeks) of Taxotere last spring. Each cycle my PSA decreased, with a total PSA decrease of approximately 50 percent at the end of the 6 cycles. Three months later the cancer roared back -- new metastases (including 3 new metastases on the spine after having no new bone metastases for the previous 4 years) and more aggressive in terms of PSA doubling time. Now I am on Jevtana -- 10 cycles (one every 3 weeks) are planned. I have had 2 cycles up to this point. After each of the 2 cycles, my PSA increased. Just wondering if this is fairly common at this point or if it is unusual.

[Drcrunch]

What is psa now

[EdMiller in reply to Drcrunch]

126

[Fairwind]

If Dosetaxel fails or has a weak response, then that chances of

Jevtana (Cabazitaxel) working much better are not very good. But you never know until you try..I should add, If you are not getting a good response to the Caba by now, it makes little sense to continue and suffer the side-effects this drug frequently produces....I am not a doctor, but I sure would ask your MO if he sees benefit in continuing a treatment that does not appear to be working...There are other chemo drugs not related to Taxo that might work better..You might ask for a genetic analysis on some of your tumor tissue (from the original biopsy or a new biopsy) and see if you have the right genetic characteristics that would allow some of the new immunotherapy treatments to work..There's a simple and in early trials, effective treatment called BAT that might prove effective if you can get someone to do it..

[EdMiller in reply to Fairwind]

Thanks. I will talk to my oncologist about this.