Weighing the pros and possible risks of treatment holiday.

[Decktime]

I am looking for reliable articles (not too scientific please). We will be discussing w oncologist this week and again with his clinical trial people next month. My husband's only treatment has been 1st & 2nd generation hormone therapy (Eligard & Darolutamide) for 20 months. He reached >.1 nadar after only 4 months of therapy. His QOL is very poor and has other health concerns so if we could take a break from pc treatment it could be good. We realize recovery could take a while and he may not recover but is it worth a try? Is there really anything to lose? Or would this be a massively risky approach? He is 65 and had multiple distant bone mets on first diagnosis in '22. He also has the gene mutation CDK12. In the fall of '23 PSMA showed no cancer. Thanks in advance.

[Tall_Allen]

This may help you decide:

prostatecancer.news/2023/04...

[maley2711 in reply to Tall_Allen]

great stuff when discussing with a Doc!

[Decktime in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thank you for this. Your concluding expresses it perfectly. statement: "If you are feeling lost and confused after reading all of the above considerations about iADT, you are not alone. I was surprised by what was found in the SWOG-S9346 trial and this alone is a significant consideration. But the meta analysis states: "Compared with CADT, IADT shows no difference in terms of cardiovascular events and thromboembolic events. However, there was an association between lower cardiovascular-related mortality and intermittent androgen deprivation." Thus the sense of being lost and confused continues. We will definitely take this information with us when we visit the MO. Thank you for the time and labor you put into this article.

[Decktime in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thank you for this. Your concluding expresses it perfectly. statement: "If you are feeling lost and confused after reading all of the above considerations about iADT, you are not alone. I was surprised by what was found in the SWOG-S9346 trial and this alone is a significant consideration. But the meta analysis states: "Compared with CADT, IADT shows no difference in terms of cardiovascular events and thromboembolic events. However, there was an association between lower cardiovascular-related mortality and intermittent androgen deprivation." Thus the sense of being lost and confused continues. We will definitely take this information with us when we visit the MO. Thank you for the time and labor you put into this article.

[tarhoosier]

In my case I had been on and off treatments several times. My most recent period was with Xtandi monotherapy. My experience of the drug was mild. I seemed to have some fatigue, especially in the later afternoon. A lie down was a remedy. Could an off period provide more energy and at the seem time determine if the effect was age related rather than pharmaceutical? My MO left the decision with me after stating that he recommends intermittent only if on-treatment side effects are bothersome enough. So I considered if an off treatment period followed later by a resumption would create more breast growth by aromatisation of Testosterone. This would surely occur as it has in the past. It was a near certainty. Thus my decision to reduce from four caps per day to one rather than a complete cessation.. The result is that my later day tiredness is unchanged. My psa remains 0.1 after two months. In other words, no change in any area. I will discuss after next test in eight weeks at meeting with MO. One data point.

[RCR38]

Hello fellow warrior. I am just coming off a holiday that will last about 25 months before I need to be treated again. At about 12 months my PSA started creeping, 18 months 7 spots on a scan so time to restart. I felt great during the holiday. My reason for taking a holiday was to see if there was a possibility I was cured by all the initial treatments. As long as I was still on Lupron there would be no way to know without letting the testosterone return. Kinda bummed when I got my answer but it is what it is. The best info I have found on treatment holidays is PCRI- Prostate Cancer Research Institute. You can search it on Youtube and go through their entire video playlist- just watch what applies to you.

[j-o-h-n]

50% say do 50% say don't. Pick out of a hat.......

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n