Chemo Question

[JamesHughs]

Does anyone have information on how many times chemo can be used to treat prostate cancer? Is it a one time therapy? Thank you. Thanks

[Tall_Allen]

It can be used until it stops working. They generally give the patient a vacation after 6 infusions but some oncologists push it to 10 if the patient tolerates it well and seems to be effective. When Taxotere stops working, Jevtana often works.

[JamesHughs in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thank you Tall Allen….once again you have provided just the information I was looking for. Jim

[Hidden]

Here's what I know:

Taxotere is used up front with metastatic patients, typically 6 cycles. It's also used after castrate resistance and then either Taxotere or Jevtana depending on whether the patient has had Taxotere and how effective it was.

At that stage, if a patient is started on Taxotere and it becomes ineffective, then Jevtana is often used. It's generally prescribed until it stops working, and/or the patient can't tolerate it.

[dockam]

Hi, I may have had the most chemo sessions here on HU.15 Taxotere in 2015, six more last year as a rechallenge, and just had #5 Cabazitazel with an indefinite number to go.

AIS Cancer Center MO said may add Carboplatin, if PSA doesn't respond.

PSA at only 3.1 after 4 sessions with T under 20! 01/2015 PSA was 840.2, GL 7 and some GL 8

Check my previous posts for more info

Fight On

Randy

[JamesHughs in reply to dockam]

Thank you Randy…it’s a pretty amazing group of men and women on this site. Hope is one of my best meds. 😊😊😊

[dockam in reply to JamesHughs]

Yes, a wonderful group here on HU

We mourn our losses and cheer our successes. I've been on here since Dx in 2015.

"Fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the Faith"

2 Timothy 4:7

"Hope springs eternal in the human breast;

Man never Is, but always To be blest.

The soul, uneasy, and confin'd from home,

Rests and expatiates in a life to come"

Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man

[monte1111 in reply to dockam]

And humor springs eternal. OK sometimes it’s a slap in the face.

33 j-o-h-n 67:5008

It must have been special to watch

j-o-h-n talk and eat at the same time.

I was a famous runner once. Coppers never did catch me.

[j-o-h-n in reply to monte1111]

Oh Monte, Monte...... one of these days you're gonna get your dews handed to you....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Sunday 02/27/2022 8:04 PM EST

[monte1111 in reply to j-o-h-n]

You have handed me my dews many times.

[j-o-h-n in reply to monte1111]

Tell me, how did I dew?..........

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Monday 02/28/2022 6:40 PM EST

[dockam in reply to j-o-h-n]

doo wah diddy, diddy dum diddy doo youtu.be/Uc0x7xOap4I(Not working as expected?)

[j-o-h-n in reply to dockam]

I just hate those Greek vocals............(Thank you)......

Dew "the walk" on American Bandstand....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Monday 02/28/2022 7:51 PM EST

[MarkBC]

I had docetaxel when diagnosed over 3.5 years ago. I have been doing incredibly well since then. Still hormone sensitive. PSA is 0.23 (103.0 at diagnosis). Bone mets are no longer visible. My oncologist said that, since I had such a great response to docetaxel, it remains in the toolbox for future use when needed.

[RJ-MN]

Chemo isn't only one drug/treatment, James, and it is starting to be used earlier rather than just later. In my case, though it was later after progression on enzalutamide and then Abiraterone. MedOnc started me on Docetaxel. When that didn't do much after 3 dosing he added carboplatin to it. I continued on the combo for 9 dosings but then stopped for inefficacy. We made the switch to Radium223 (not chemo) for those 6 dosings and then began Cabazitaxel which I am continuing on until Lu177 becomes FDA-approved. Cabazitaxel also isn't doing much for me (PSA rising 20-40 every 3 weeks), but MedOnc feels it must be suppressing some growth and my blood #s are staying okay if a bit low. I have dosing #14 on March 8.

[tarhoosier]

I know of a man who reported receiving five series of chemo treatment over maybe seven or eight years. The cumulative effects became too much for him. The physical decline due to the chemo was never fully recuperated between treatments and his last series was the end and he knew it would be. The chemo had a reduced effect as time passed but still remained effective in at least stabilizing his progression. It was a kind of "poison control".

[Peace-to-you]

I did 13 doses of Jevtana last year then needed a break. As of now I’m in my 3rd month without chemo and PSA has risen to 4.1. I’ll probably start back on Jevtana in March. I tried to get into the CAR-T trials but I didn’t qualify

[docbulldog]

I'm glad to see this discussion. I also have a few questions on chemo treatment. Started Docetaxel in August 2021 with PSA at 30.21, with no pain but a few mets that had been visible after last scan. After 6 sessions PSA at 14.0I then took a much needed vacation and restarted the treatments Dec 16th with PSA at 8.09. After my 10th session my PSA rose to 13.33, still no pain but OC seemed to think the chemo was still working.

It doesn't seem to me to be effective any more.

What's next, I'm not sure.

.Eligard and Xgeva(2014) Provenge(2017), Xtandi2017), Zytiga(2020) are in the past, with Xtandi doing the best by dropping PSA to 0.23 in March of 2018.

A gene study showed I had a HRD gene which would probably qualify me for a PARP inhibitor, probably Lynparza . Anyone with Lynparza experience?

Or am I better off going to the next line of chemo?

Thank you for this site and thank you for reading this need for help.

By the way I had RP on 06/06/06, are those lucky numbers??? So far a 16 yr survivor!

[subliminaldood in reply to docbulldog]

Lynparza worked for me for 4.5 months... However I am BRCA2 positive so everything fails after a while on me. I had minimal side effects from it though. Much better than chemo!

[docbulldog in reply to subliminaldood]

Thank you for your reply on Lynparza. I tested negative for both BRCA 1 & 2 so maybe Lyn…. will help some. I’m unaware of costs associated with this drug but hopefully there is some help available.

[subliminaldood in reply to docbulldog]

$17,500 per month is the cost. At first my insurance would not pay but then we found that was because they insisted that I failed two types of ADT before they would pay... I had only been on Lupron... So before the Lynparza we did a round of Xtandi which worked for less than a month. After that they paid fine and waived the patient co pay.

[docbulldog in reply to subliminaldood]

Thank you again for your reply and that assures me I definitely will qualify for a break in cost. Best wishes on your journey!

[subliminaldood in reply to docbulldog]

Best of luck to you, sir.