Castration sensitive vs castate resistant

[Blair77]

My husbands PSA became resistant to Casodex/Lupron but he is currently responding to Enzalutamide/ Lupron. Does this mean he qualifies as hormone sensitive or as hormone resistant?

[Blair77]

*castrate

[Tall_Allen]

Castration resistance is DEFINED as rising PSA while on a medicine like Lupron, so he is definitely castration resistant. That doesn't mean Lupron is ineffective - it is still keeping is testosterone level low, which is more important now than ever because the cancer is extremely sensitive to even the smallest amount of testosterone. I hope his 2nd line therapy with Xtandi lasts a long time.

[Hidden]

He is Castrate Resistant, meaning that at castrate levels of testosterone (<20) his cancer can still grow. That does not mean his cancer is not hormone sensitive. There are two approaches at that point 1. further lower all males hormones by shutting down the adrenal gland (Zytiga) or 2. block the cancer's hormone receptors (Xtandi). Success with either of these approaches shows that the cancer is still hormone sensitive.

[Blair77]

Thanks, this is much clearer to me now.