I will be starting a combination therapy trial through Yale using B.A.T. And Provenge. This is the first time I’ve heard of such a combo. There are only 6 of us in this trial.
Is there anyone else on this trial or have any experience with using both treatments?
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No_stone_unturned
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I contacted them a while back. But they never got back to me. I'm actually doing an exBAT protocol similar to the Trial in Brazil. Instead of Cypionate I'm using Propionate, which washes out more quickly thus achieving a true castrate low. I would think BAT and Provenge would stress the cancer nicely.,
There are two types of man made Testosterone that I am aware of. Cypionate and Propionate. Propionate has a short half life and washes out of the body quickly. Cypionate can last up to 6 weeks in the body. Decay is very slow.
Extreme bipolar androgen therapy with darolutamide and testosterone cypionate in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: ExBAT (LACOG 0620) trial.
The theory is that BAT may create double-strand breaks in the DNA of the prostate cancer which might prime a stronger immunological response. Similar trials that test out this theory are pairing BAT with medicines that are also known to induce double-strand breaks or may modify the immune microenvironment, like Xofigo and Carboplatin, to get a more complete response. They are also testing it on patients that have genomic repair defects like BRCA, ATM, CDK12 or CHK2 because the DNA damage might be irreparable.
Participants will start with testosterone injection every 4 weeks. The first dose of standard of care Sipuleucel-T will be prepared and infused after two doses of testosterone and will continue every 2 weeks for a total of 3 infusions at a standard schedule. The testosterone injection will continue once every 4 weeks until treatment discontinuation criteria are met.
Thanks - I see the misunderstanding. That is how all BAT trials are done. ADT continues throughout. That's what makes it bipolar. The way it works is the testosterone cypionate has a half-life of only 8 days so there is no exogenous testosterone left in the blood after a couple of weeks. So, it alternates between a boost of high testosterone every 4 weeks and no testosterone towards the end of the 4-week cycle.
Boy, were my expectations off. Here I thought I’d get a burst of limbido and energy and conversely I got 6-7 days of tumor pain. Apparently quite par for the course. Next shot I will be more prepared with a pain management plan.
I just finished my final cycle of Provenge. My experience is as such:
First lukepheresis was not pleasant at all. I showed up in shorts and a tank top given that it was 90+ degrees outside.
Mine was drawn in a strip mall blood draw center an hour away and returned at my cancer center.
The setting was not ideal for comfort, bright Florecent lights, chair does not recline all the way and the tech sits and watches you the entire 3 hours. There’s a tv, but It wasn’t on. I brought headphones. Just be aware that you have both arms IV’d and you’ll have to squeeze ball with one hand and the other is pretty immobile for scrolling purposes.
The worst part of the experience for me was the chill. I got soooo freakin cold my teeth were chattering. The next cycle I showed up in a sweat suite and a heated vest.
The 2nd and 3rd cycle were easier. Perhaps because I was more prepared clothing wise and my body adjusted to the stress.
My PSA has gone from 28 to 124 throughout the 6 weeks. I have scans scheduled soon to see progression but considering that I’m not in tumor pain, I’d suspect something’s working.
Good luck friends . Positivity is our most valuable friend.
Unfortunately I did not get good news from scans. Report showed significant enough progression to end the trial.
Summary of my experience.
-I was most excited about this trial because of its qol benefits. In a nutshell its the closest I’ve felt to normal since dx. Everything in life feels better on BAT.
- provenge treatments became more and more tolerable.
- I’m mostly symptom free despite the progression which is strange to me. Maybe someone here has some insight as to why they would pull me off if I’m not in pain.
-testosterone injections took some mental adjustment. Best way I could describe this is like eating only salad for 3 years and then being told you can eat whatever you want. It will make you think you’re some sort of sexual deviant for a bit until you adjust. Make sure to have the right mindset and remind yourself it’s a normal and expected hormonal/chemical reaction . A healthy great one if you use it for good.
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