Last month I had shared the details about my father's rising psa which had shot up from 73 to >1000 in a span of one month. It turned out to be a lab error, rather a really stupid lab error. His recent bloodwork shows a Psa of 109.Although it is still on rise, it is still better than a psa of greater than 1000.
As we do not wish to go the chemo route, the oncologist has advised to start taking HONVAN ( FOSFESTEROL) that is a form of Oral estrogen.
My father has had stents placed for coronary artery blockage in 2014 and is on aspirin 75mg daily. Apart from this he is also suffering from Diabetes and high blood pressure.
Is it safe for him to take this medicine.
*Note- We got his Echocardiogram done and the reports are normal.
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Vsahay
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No, it is not safe. Oral estrogen was the first therapy ever used for prostate cancer. They stopped using it because men were dying of blood clots.
Because "we do not wish to go the chemo route," we are shortening his expected life and asssuring his quality of life will be worse. "We" should rethink that really bad decision.
Fosfestrol is similar to Diethylstilbestrol [DES]. Fosfestrol is DES diphosphate [DESDP].
I take DES (3mg) daily, but I also use Nattokinase (16,000 FUs) before bed to dissolve unwanted coagulation. I do a periodic D-dimer test to monitor blood clot activity.
IMO it is absolutely not safe to use Honvan without Nattokinase & D-dimer testing.
I don't take aspirin. It can be rough on the stomach & kidneys. Low-dose aspirin can inhibit/slow clot formation, but a periodic D-dimer test is prudent.
I am very happy with DES, but I use it as part of BAT (bipolar androgen therapy) and I inject testosterone cypionate every two months. I contine to be responsive to castration therapy. I have been using testosterone in one way or another for 17 years and I believe that it can prevent resistance to castration therapy [ADT].
Safer? Transdermal estrogen is intrinsically safer, but I'm betting that Nattokinase+D-dimer tests level the field.
Equally effective? DES, a synthetic estrogen, seems to have added value:
"DES has at least three mechanisms of action in the treatment of prostate cancer in men It suppresses gonadal androgen production and hence circulating androgen levels due to its antigonadotropic effects; it stimulates hepatic sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) production, thereby increasing circulating levels of SHBG and decreasing the free fraction of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the circulation; and it may have direct cytotoxic effects in the testes and prostate gland. DES has also been found to decrease DNA synthesis at high doses." [1]
A percentage of men who have become resistant to Lupron repond to DES - which suggests to me that DES does more than simply lowering testosterone.
Thank you Patrick for your detailed reply! My grandfather, father and his two brothers all did very well on DES, and with the exception of Grandpa, lived into their late 80s. They never complained about side effects until they were put on Lupron.
DES was used for decades, and often at high doses (above 5 mg). It's a shame that the D-dimer test & nattokinase were not available to prevent the sometimes fatal clots.
In studies comparing DES & Lupron, the only negative of Lupron seems to have been hot flashes (relative to DES.)
Doctors loved it since they received a hefty fee for giving the shot (until Medicare stopped that. It was over-prescribed for a while.)
I suspect that Lupron was rapidly adopted by those with insurance or deep pockets, but DES must have lingered for a while.
Most of the compounding pharmacies I contacted were unable to source it. My current pharmacy is suspiciously late in sending my refill.
I will check to see if my pharmacist here in Thailand can get DES. If you are interested in trying the E2 gel, I had my buddy in San Jose bring some back with him when he left. I can have him send you some.
My wife managed to find a helpful lady this morning. She had no explanation for my refill languishing so long in 'compounding'. Said she would send it out today by 2-day mail. We shall see.
So hold off on Plan B for the moment - & thanks for the offer.
My urologist and I plus clinical trials agree that estradiol patches vs. oral estrogen ( DES) are a safer way to apply estrogen therapy for Pca and are safer with less side effects than lhrh agonists like Lupron.
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Has anyone tried Infrared light therapy 
PSA rising after seemingly effective Hormone Therapy only four months into treatment.
Does anyone else have a fave song for helping with the stress of having advanced PCa?
Another short article on benefits of local therapy for advanced PCa
