Has anyone else been registered into this? My PSA has remained constant at ,01 for about a year. My last scans show in my MO's words, very minimal growth.
I have the papers to sign in front of me, they want to get the pre-tests done this coming week before treatment begins.
WHAT SAY YOU ALL???
It is an immunological trial. There is some preliminary data in other cancers:
dailynews.ascopubs.org/do/z...
I'll be very worry about possible negative side effects, mainly cytokines storms etc.
If there were other conventional avenues of treatment at this time, I will not consider this trial.
We do not know your clinical situation, in consequence is impossible to give an opinion about entering to this trial right now.
Is this the trial at Karmanos? It's in a class of drugs called BiTEs. It targets the HER2 receptor ( a target usually associated with breast cancer) and achieved its goal of slowing progression in some patients (38%) in an earlier trial:
With such a low PSA and minimal radiographic progression, why are you even being offered to go on this trial? What level of disease do you have? Is it metastatic and/or symptomatic? What treatments have you had so far?
I am 6 years in with Stage 4, mets on my ribs, one shoulder blade and on my humerus. My MO bailed out last August, selling his clinic and I have only seen a doctor twice with one Zoom call since then. I had scans December 2 or thereabouts. There is little progression, but more pain. I finally got in with a well thought of MO and clinic. She travels between 4 different ones depending on the days of the week. She is very well thought of, but when she mentioned it, I told her to send me all the paperwork about it before I decided. They are going to diagnose my heart and map it, my bones and take samples from a few sites with the needle and test for DNA. It sounds comprehensive, yet it is 4 hours every two weeks for a few months. It is coming up summer, and my MIL is in hospice at 97 from us taking care of her since diagnosis, and I want TO GO GO GO have fun.
Lupron for 4.5 years, with every 3 month shot, and the bone builder infusion. The last 1.5 years with Zytiga+5mg of prednisone, the 3 month shot and the zomax bone builder infusion. I didn't even write that into the answer of your question.... Sorry.
Did you ever have chemo?
No chemo,
If there is some radiographic progression of the cancer and you are being treated with ADT and abiraterone, you have available many possible treatments which have shown to prolong life.
Thanks for the details. Keeping stage 4 at bay for 6 years on ADT is pretty good going. I hope I do as well as that. Best of luck to you.
Thank you, 6 years seems short to me. I keep busy most of the time.
The new link does not refer to a study with Zenocutuzumab.
" Zenocutuzumab is a bispecific antibody containing 2 different Fab arms directed against HER2 and HER3. The agent purportedly docks on HER2 and then binds to HER3, blocking its binding site for NRG1"
The reference is for :
"Pembrolizumab and Anti-CD3 x Anti-HER2 Bispecific Antibody-Armed Activated T Cells"
The Zenocutuzumab study does not use keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the study is designed to use Zenocutuzumab along with abi or enza
Aren't they at all concerned that your PSA is so low. Usually, drug trials need some scale to measure the effectiveness of the drug. You PSA is so low, it's got nowhere to go.
Magnus
I don't know anything for sure. I need to go in for scans, and a biopsy of the two mets with minimal growth. With it there will be cardio tests. I surely am not signing on the dotted line to start until I am comfortable. I do not want to wasted another summer. We have been taking care of the now 97 year old MIL, who is in Hospice. She was with us for 5 years. I love her, but 5 incredibly long years, with only 3 weekend visits away from us.
One of your questions should be what is the drug supposed to do and how are they measuring the response.
Magnus
Thank you, all responses will be added to my list of questions and I will report the response and how it goes IF I join the experiment.
Since your main issue is with painful multiple bone mets, I would instead consider and discuss Xofigo (Ra223) instead. Combine with celecoxib which works well with your bone strengthening infusions. And ideally add Provenge immunotherapy along with the Xofigo. Though you will probably need to show castrate resistance in order to get it covered. So did you have a PSA rise on the ADT injections prior to adding Zytiga? That would do it, or perhaps even the minimal progression on your scans.
That is great advice. I have an appt for an MO visit on the 28th, I am going to take advantage of all the testing before I sign on the dotted line. They are offering a complete cardiac test. Which I have been trying to get my Primary to authorize for a few years. Plus the scans of course.
Although I don't know any other details than the ones you've stated...I would not advise my father to enter into anything if he was in the place you are for the simple reason of side effects and the unknown. Seems like you are in a good place now. Thrive there. Sending blessings. D
You sound like my wife.
It takes several years to get approval for scientists to run a clinical trial. Patients safety is the most important component of those trials. If I were offered a spot on a trial, I would likely volunteer. We have the wonderful treatments we currently enjoy because men before us volunteered for clinical trials.
I won’t advise for nor advise against. It’s a personal decision that most can’t help you with. Listen to what your Medical Oncologist says and how she hopes that it will affect your prognosis. I speak from experience back to the six month clinical trial I underwent in 2004. Understand that some win and some don’t depending on scope of disease. We are all different. If your trial doesn’t work, you would have tried to beat this terrible disease. I was most fortunate. Good luck.
Gourd Dancer
My Oncologist says if successful, it has a chance to add years to my life. To be accepted you have to have low PSA and met increase and other things. IDK how she can say that about adding years, but no promises. Just with my already slow growth over 6 years. Then again, this was over a Zoom conference, and people (me in particular) tend to hear what we want to hear.
I am taking a vacation
Am I headed for Radiation 
PSA quickly rising while waiting for trial to start
First Lupron on Monday. Am I going to a funeral or a wedding!?
I am considering going off Zytiga/Prednisone to determine if I am castrate resistant.
