Taxotere result

[Omc64]

Hi My husband dx dec2017 cancer in semical vessels and multiple bone mets.Had rp in Feb 2018 then decaptyl every 3 months, zometa every 6 wks and casodex. Taxotere in October 9 sessions. Onc said bone mets had ' stabilized ..my question is should chemo have done more? Should it have shrunk lesions in bones? Meeting on next Thurs so I want to ask some questions. At last bloods psa was >6 it was >4 at last bloods 6 weeks ago..does this mean psa on the rise again. I find our onc very abrupt and doesn't really invite question. My hubby is just relieved he's not dying yet😁if anyone has any insight for me if be most grateful.

[Alvin735]

I don't have any answers for you ... but if your husbands doctor is abrupt and won't answer or doesn't want questions, find another doctor. Your husband is going to be on this journey for a long, long time. Find a doctor you have faith in and are comfortable with. That's my advice.

[HOPEFULSPOUSE in reply to Alvin735]

Agree 100%. You are the client. Take your business elsewhere.

[Fairwind]

Cabotaxel was not much of a success for me, but it did stop the rise in PSA for a few months.. Cabazitaxel (Jevtana) worked better with fewer side-effects..No Nuropathy, no hair loss..QOL is just as important as treatment success..

[Hawk56]

I've posted these before but agree with the others, time to find a new medical team.

Ok, so what did I expect from my doctor:

1. Please know your stuff. As my medical team, you should have a thorough knowledge of my cancer and of the latest developments in research, and be ready to formulate a plan of attack.

2. Please do your homework. I expect you to have reviewed my medical records prior to my appointment. You’ve looked at my x-rays; you have my pathology report; In the world of cancer care, every scrap of data must be scrutinized for its significance.

3. Please respect my point of view. Listen to all sides thoughtfully before reaching a conclusion. With patience and finesse, I’m sure you can help me to feel confident about the plan you have shaped for me.

4. Please be curious. Don’t close your mind to new hypotheses and don’t ignore clues that might lead you toward the best results. Please rid yourself of the temptation to make your day easier by delivering perfunctory care.

5. When it’s decision time, please decide! If you think treating my cancer is not worth it; if you think I am at the point where I should stop chemotherapy; if I have veered off the path you have cleared for me—then speak up! Care for me with a dogged determination to get me healthy and don’t keep any secrets that might lead to regret. I want an oncologist who knows what’s best for me and doesn’t chicken out in difficult times.

6. Please be responsible. Follow up on promises and follow through on tasks. I can tell you with absolute certainty that there is no greater disappointment than realizing that you cannot rely on your doctor.

7. Please talk to me. I need your advice, comfort, and expertise; I am scared and discouraged—are you willing to take a seat, look me in the face, and answer my questions? Leaders welcome scrutiny of their communication skills. No one cares if a flunky is curt.

Some rules from my fight that I had for myself:

Don’t Walk In Cold to an Appointment. To make sure I do the best thing for my individual prostate cancer, I need to educate myself.

Knowledge will empower my BS detector..

I walk in the door ready to start the conversation at a different level. I don’t have to spend time talking about the basics, things like Gleason grade and clinical stage and what they mean. I already know. I can have an intelligent discussion about the merits of a particularly treatment for my cancer, my likelihood of being cured, and risk of side effects.

I won’t blindly accept the opinion of a non-specialist – I know that my cancer requires a team approach.

Once I make an informed decision and carried it out, I never looked back. Well, that is not entirely true, I look for lessons learned from that decision. The path is always forward: I continue to learn about PCa and always look ahead. What counts is today and what lies in the future. Yesterday is gone, so forget it, well, learn from it.

I educate myself as completely as possible and took the time I needed, I always know that no matter the outcome of a particular choice, I made the best possible decision. That knowledge that I have thought my decisions through carefully is what is really important—and may be more important than the decision itself.

I am in charge. Not my doctor. They need to be consulted and their opinions and ideas should carry weight as I make my decisions. But I never forget: it is my life, my today, and my future. I have made the best possible, fully educated n

Kevin

[j-o-h-n]

Give us more data please. Husbands age? location? location treatment? doctor(s) names? All info voluntary. Please post this data if you wish and respond in a future post and not to me. Thank you. DUMP THAT ONC YOU'RE SEEING NOW. (name him here if you wish so others can avoid him/her).

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Saturday 05/18/2019 12:55 PM DST

[Hidden]

My PSA was doubling every 4-5 weeks when I had six rounds of taxater from August 2017-Feb 2018. It was needed at the time but I won’t do it again, to many side effects I’m still living with. No more chemo for me.