Updated blood work 3 weeks after initial treatment completed showed PSA drop of almost 80 percent, from 62 to 14! AST and ALT liver enzymes spiked up. MO felt that 2nd chemo treatment should be delayed 1 week to allow liver enzymes to decline by drinking a lot more water each day. Otherwise, there may be an issue with my liver that needs to to addressed. I expect the chemo toxicity has caused the liver to work overtime to filter out the toxins.
Feeling well, with no negative side effects. Sleeping at least 7+ hours each night. Previous back pain, necessitating regular use of Tylenol or Tramadol, disappeared 10 days ago. Neulasta treatment during chemo has boosted white blood cell count. Red blood cell count still below normal, but stable.
Overall, very happy with the results so far. Hoping it continues for a long time. 😀👍🍻
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HopingForTheBest1
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Please keep us informed the best you can. A lot of members including myself see Jevtana/Carboplatin chemo treatment in our futures. Finally best of luck to you sir.
Thank you for as always keeping us updated. You have been thru a lot.I'm really glad to see this working for you even though the liver numbers are concerning. I hope you can continue this treatment and continue the otherwise good response.
As nameless said this may someday be my treatment so again my thanks to you and joy in your good response.
Also again want to commend you on all those trials you went thru. Thanks!
I truly believe that I am not only hopefully helping myself, but also my fellow warriors as well. As the 3 musketeers used to say - one for all and all for one.
We are all in this fight together, and participating in clinical trials will help find the next viable treatment option. It won't happen otherwise.
Tremendous response so far! My husband’s receiving the same chemo cocktail. He was happy that his PSA is coming down, but not nearly as fast as yours! From 41.3 to 33.1 after first, and down to 18.7 after 2. Just received 3rd, and has scans next week. He pounds water all day and doesn’t drink at all, in hopes of keeping those liver enzymes normal.
It’s great to hear of your success and know that you are experiencing the same challenges.
I too started the combination of Jevtana/Carboplatin chemotherapy. 2nd dose is this coming Thursday (3/10). Prior to my first dose my two oncologist were saying hospice was the next step. At the time I could feel my body getting worse. Since the first treatment I’m feeling better. I looking forward to my next dose. I travel from Virginia to Minnesota for the treatment. I asked an oncologist in Virginia if I could get the chemotherapy here. He said no that he could not give me Carboplatin. However, my oncologist at the Mayo Clinic was surprised no one offered it to me in Virginia. Please feel free to weigh with an explanation. Thanks.
That is very surprising, and I suspect not true. We all need to be knowledgeable enough about our disease to question and challenge our doctors whenever we need to. We are our own best advocates.
I believe, based on our consults for second and third opinions, that the standard is not to add the carboplatin until after 3 doses of Jevtana. If that response is inadequate, they add carboplatin. However, 2 of the 3 oncologists believed it would be ok to start with the cocktail due to the aggressive nature of my husband’s cancer, but it was not their first suggestion. Upon reflection, they agreed. So I think your Virginia doctors are simply being “by the book”.
I had three rounds of Doctaxel and was told to stop because my PSA was rising. I did about 6 rounds of Jevtanna and was told to stop based on an MRI. No one suggested Jevtana/Carboplatin. When I was recently in the hospital, an oncologist stopped by and I asked him about it and he implied it was not approved for prostate cancer. I’m now seeing Dr Eugene Kwon at the Mayco Clinic who was surprised that no one offered to me. This morning I emailed my two local oncologist and asked them if they would offer it.
That really is terrible! The U of Chicago, Johns Hopkins, and Mayo all suggested the combo for my husband. U of C wanted 3 rounds of just the Jevtana first, but the others agreed we needed a strong hammer. We are going to Mayo later this week for scans, after the third round. Our insurance had no problem paying, and they do look to see if the treatment is approved. No appeals were needed. I think you need to look around for another local oncologist. Our local is completely cooperative with recommendations made by our consults. Are you close to Johns Hopkins? Virginia and Maryland are close, depending which area you are from. Beats flying to Rochester every 3 weeks!
Thank you. You gave me hope in getting chemo locally. I’ve been seeing Dr Denmeade at Johns Hopkins and Robert Dreicer at UVA Charlottesville. I live in Fredericksburg, VA.
Dr Denmeade isn’t a very good at over seeing patients. My opinion. I think he is more interested in research than patients. I don’t like my UVA Dr either because he is a know it all. I’m glad I connected Dr Kwon. Over the course of 12 years I’ve been under the care of 12/14 oncologist, not all at once of course, haha. None of which I would consider good.
Thank you for spelling out the sequence. It is something worthy of copying and saving. Unfortunately progression will come so I appreciate knowing what you just spelled out.I can just imagine myself starting out on Jevtana and asking the dr. "why aren't you giving me carboplatin" ? lol.
I have in my head those grouped together. I wasn't aware of the sequencing. Thanks again for pointing that out.
Glad it helped. U of C suggested the sequence. JH did too, but I pointed out that since my husband started on ADT and docetaxel literally the same day last April, when first diagnosed, we couldn’t be confident he had any response to the chemo. What response he had could have entirely been ADT. So she then agreed that we really couldn’t wait the 9 weeks to see if Jevtana was working; we had to hit it hard. With holidays, it was already a month between the scan and chemo starting. All the docs were off for at least 2 weeks.
My hubby became castrate resistant so fast that we needed to act. PSA at time of the scan was 12.2, and a month later when starting chemo it was 41.3. He feels great, though, and tolerates all these treatments well so far. Just some bone pain from mets.
I am coming up to 4 years on my journey, and this is my first chemo treatment. My MO did initially offer docetaxl as my first treatment, but at the time I found research that indicated Zytiga/Prednisone would be more effective. And, I wasn't ready to have any chemo treatment due to concern about side effects. I didn't want to use a sledge hammer so early on in my disease.
When I was in the infancy of my disease my doc at Mayo told me he wanted to drop a nuclear bomb on a dandelion. That was 8 years ago and here I sit with undetectable PSA. And I had highlly agressive disease, Gleason 9, 4+5. Just something to think about.
It wasn’t until I did the Jevtana/Carboplatin combo that my cancer really shut down. My onc said at the time Jevtana should be first line chemo instead of taxotere, but insure company won’t do it , or wouldn’t then in 2015. Afterwards hit it with Xtandi/Lupron combo and still PSA undetectable today.
Does anyone know if that is still true about insurance companies not approving Jevtana before Taxotere?
I was surprised when the MO wanted only a 20% reduction in Grump's first chemo and wanted Taxotere. I suspected it was insurance related but wasn't sure.
Thanks for posting, I'm eager to watch your progress as I too am scheduled very soon to begin Jevtana plus Carboplatin. I just quit taking my Abiraterone for benefit of liver. Also, I'm lifted by the responses to your message from others who have seen good results from the J+C mixture. I too, am hoping for the best.
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