James Cancer Center
Should I be concerned my doctor think... - Advanced Prostate...
Should I be concerned my doctor thinks Snuffy is with the VA not Virginia and Dr. Dattoli does radiation at the VA in Sarasota
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westerville
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I guess what you're asking is, is your oncologist way behind the times? Did he stop reading about his field years ago? My immediate reaction, knowing nothing at all about your doctor other than that he hasn't followed the careers of those two very prominent prostate cancer doctors, is some concern. However I can easily imagine that a doctor keeps up with the science without bothering to keep up with people and careers. Maybe you could ask him what he thinks about the outcomes of the CHAARTED, LATITUDE, and STAMPEDE trials. If he hedges and changes the subject then, yes, he's not keeping up. Here's Tall_Allen's almost four year old blog posting about the trials:
prostatecancer.news/search/...
Incidentally, I'm seeing "James Cancer Center" just beneath your posting. I don't know why it's there or how to go about putting something there. Does that mean you are being treated there? Or perhaps it's a bug or a "feature" of the HealthUnlocked software. If you're being treated there I would expect the staff to be very, very good.
In 2006 I was clueless. about cancer . From 2007 to 2017 Dr. Myers was my oncologist treating my cancer as a chronic disease . 2017 Snuffy retired sent my records to a doctor he had trained . This doctor at Christ the King hospital in Mason Ohio said I would be better served at the James Cancer Center in Columbus since it is where I live . So instead I just continued with the Columbus VA cancer center since they had been treating me following Dr, Myers instructions . But then when my prostate cancer showed up in my lungs they sent me to the James for community care through the VA . So that's where I'm at now . The thoracic surgeon cut our a tumor in my right lung last June it was close to the edge at the bottom . They had a large enough piece to get a biopsy done now . They couldn't do it before because there wasn't enough pieces to determine what kind of cancer . So the thoracic surgeon said he had taken hundreds of tumors out and he never had one that biopsied prostate cancer . And the consults with other doctors has me concerned I am now back in 2007 trying to decide my step in finding the right doctor , As Charles Maack guided me to find there were not ant doctors in Ohio that could give me the ADT 3 I needed back then . Set up a phone consult with Dattoli , set up a in person visit to Dr, Sartor at Tulane next month . And inquired into an appointment phone or in person with Drs, Stolyz and Rey in California . Having my consult with the radiation oncologist at the James was okay . But when I mentioned Dattoli and his type of DART treatment it was like the deer looking into the headlights . He had assumed it was standard imrt radiation that I received at a Sarasota VA hospital . They don't do any radiation treatment at the Columbus VA medical center but maybe larger VA hositals like in Cleveland they do . So I have two new nodules or tumors one in each lung 9mm size . So I'm back on the old computer again searching for the best answers , Since my Zytiga hasn't failed me yet Im not jumping to chemo right now as the good Dr. Monk said I should have done a year ago . Which really has me confused more . Dr. Monk has been at the James for 20 years , But when he said I'm a chemotherapy doctor then I understood . But he could be right in saying the hormonal treatment is no good because even though my psa is 0.32 its not stopping the lung tumors from coming back and chemo would treat it so they don't come back again . But my only experience seeing the veterans weighing like 100 pounds getting their chemo infusions while I'm getting my eligard shot every three months .
The James Cancer Center in Ohio is one of the National Cancer Institutes' "Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers" - which is NCI's list of the top research and treatment centers in the U.S. See: cancer.gov/research/infrast... and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCI-d... .
The people who work at those hospitals are supposed to be top quality doctors and researchers. I'm surprised if it was one of them who told you that chemo would cure you. As far as I know, chemo can help control prostate cancer but can't cure it.
You've worked hard at finding good people. I hope you can find one you can stick with and get the help you need.
Best of luck.
Alan
I must of typed the cure wrong . The chemo doctor took me off Zytiga but gave me my Eligard shot at the same appointment . I am still confused about why he that . I had been sitting in the room alone for 2 hours so was mad anyway and when he finally came in a gave me the literature from Chemotherapy.com I wasn't that excited as he was about chemo . I have enough experience with doctors in 15 years to find they promote their treatment they specialize in . Surgeon surgery etc .....
I’m confused. So you did or did not get the tumor material from your lung tested genetically ?
Schwah
It was just sent out but results not back yet .
I am confused as to why you were taken off zytiga. Have any of these docs mentioned Provenge?
Well not really . When I asked the chemo doc he said I should have started it way before this .
Sorry didn't see your first ? . I would like to know that too . I have so many side effects from Zytiga i.e. heart rate fast , heart beating out me chest , wheezing , etc . But those only occur ( right only ) when I get up and move . Then I sit down and heart rate slows and wheezing goes away . Then like it says on the shampoo bottle rinse and repeat . I get up walk another 25 steps and rest . That's why I changed doctors because the last one said it wasn't due to Zytiga . So when this doctor Dr. Monk said taking you off Zytiga I assumed lol he was changing to something else . But the next words were chemo . Thats when I stopped listening . Then the nurse came in and gave me my Eligard shot . Was still angry so didn't give it a thought about why ADT1 still but quitting ADT 2 .
That is a lot of side effects. I may have quit zytiga at that point.
Westerville, I’m getting treatment from Dattoli. Dart and Brachytherapy over this past Tgiving, Christmas and NYE. Going back at the end of April for 3 weeks.
I was treated at Dattoli 's in 2011 after going to Sand Lake Imaging in Orlando with Dr. Bravo . Who used his new found drug to find out where the cancer is exactly . And it was contained in the Iliad chain of lymph nodes on the left side . So he said after Dattoli I should be cured . Because after the cancer leaves the prostate it stay there for 2 years before moving on . But that is assuming I was within that 2 years . I was already to go to Amsterdam for their Combinex drug to find out where my cancer was when the lost their patent and had to close down . So after the 8 weeks at Dattoli in June July 2011 my PSA started going up in December . Back to Orlando where its in my ribs on the left side . Then 8 more weeks in 2012 in the summer at Sarasota . Had chemical radiation the last day . Was good for a few years but it always comes back . So since I have prostate cancer in my lungs its trying to figure out the best treatment now . Had cyber knife 11/2019 one the left lung one then surgery in the right lung one last summer . So now I guess their are 4 new ones 3 in the left and one in the right . the radiation doc at the James says he can get them but I'm running out of radiation now . Lymphs , Ribs , Left lung , now both lungs . So is it better to have radiation now or do chemo now thats my delemma now .
Oncologists follow the top current research studies. Neither Snuffy nor Dattoli have contributed to that base of current practice in many years. I would not be concerned.
Thanks ,.
There are a lot of Docs out there. Dattoli in particular was and is a lone wolf.
Myers I don't think published in the professional journals all that much. He mostly just practiced medicine.
He sort of led the profession in the use of hitting prostate cancer heavy and early with multiple drugs and treatment. And using what was then, exotic noninvasive diagnosic approaches.
They might not even be aware that he was leading that particular charge when the major medical centers were still practicing in the dark ages.
Get multiple second opinions, until the advice you are getting harmonizers and makes sense to you.
Thank you ! That's the plan . On to the Big Easy and Dr. Oliver S . in 3 weeks .
Good luck Westerville. I may be moving to Cbus. Any good MO recommendations at The James?
Never forget a key word, current. It is why in 2004, I sought out the best in academia and research. I admit that I am no longer current with all the silver bullets that have been introduced in the past fifteen years and can no longer make a recommendation to anyone.
However, I will state that I am a believer in initial systemic treatment with hormonal therapy for at least 5-6 years. Those that have read my journey know that my primary treatment failed within a year..... following by monthly blood work and several scans. When two mets showed at L2 and T3, I immediately under went a six month clinical trial of chemotherapy with hormone therapy. It didn’t work for everyone, however, it did work for me. My last injection of Lupron was February 2010. I still am undetectable on quarterly blood draws.
When chemotherapy is mentioned, it is time to listen and not shut down.
I wish all well and good luck in fighting this bastard.
Gourd Dancer
westerville in reply to
Okay , but after my appointment with my chemo doctor I got the usual email from health unlocked and 3 of the post were about effects of chemo . All three had to stop it for serious side effects . liver damage , skin just peeling off ones arms , and can't remember the third but serious enough to stop chemo . I'm basically an invalid now from the side effects from Zytiga and Predisone . So sorry but I don't see agreeing to be poisoned as an option . But maybe if I ever get some sleep I might feel different . No sleep in 2021 so far .
in reply to westerville
Certainly your choice. However, everyone is different and have varying scope of disease. Then there is the co-morbidity, body strength, and mental attitude factors.
I was fortunate and able to with stand alternating infusions of Adrimyacin and Pacitaxol each week for six weeks..... three cycles..... with ketoconozale, erustamine, and 30 mg of Prednisone daily.
If I was going to die like my father, then I was going down fighting, we all have decisions to make. You will make the best decision for yourself and your family. I wish you well.
Gourd Dancer
I'm sorry if what I am about to recommend throws more into your mix. I have Pca and Lung Cancer from a melanoma..... I am on Keytruda for my lung mets and it is working. Many lung cancer customers (patients) are having success using Keytruda.... Ask your Doc?
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Sunday 03/28/2021 7:24 PM DST
So you have lung cancer from melanoma ? My tumors in my lungs show prostate cancer from biopsy of the tumor removed surgically . But thanks I will ask my doctor .
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