Anyone out there start Pluvicto at 85 or older?…Oncologist wants me to try but I’m Hesitant due to side effects possible…

I’m 10 years into the battle …Last 4 1/2 Metastatic….my oncologist wants me to try Pluvicto….Im feeling pretty good right now and can do most things…..I’ve had chemo and 78 proton beam treatments and also 7 months of BAT…He says I’ll tolerate it good and if not we can just quit….I know you just can’t quit and in 3 days the Pluvicto is gone…At this stage (I’m 86 in a week) I don’t think I could recover from possible Pluvicto side effects….I want to go with BAT again using either zytega or Xtandi to get my PSA down (it’s at 130 now)…my gut feeling says at my age Pluvicto may just be to dangerous for me.,,,,thanks in advance for any info..

[RyderLake2]

Hello,

I am not 86 but I am 78 and will be 79 in a couple of months. I have had three infusions of Lutetium-177 with a fourth at the end of July. So far no side effects (touch wood) although being radioactive for a week and living downstairs is a drag. My wife follows me around with a geiger counter and my friends all think I should change my last name to Oppenheimer! 😀 All things considered, this is, in my opinion, a small price to pay. If your medical oncologist is recommending it for you then my advice is give it a try. Good luck!

[Hidden in reply to RyderLake2]

Thanks…I’m thinking about it but it’s still a risky chance I’d be taking….The stats say it really helps 30-35% of those who take it…30-35% it does nothing, and 30- 35% it makes them way worse…but if successful only gives you about 4-5 months in the end..,Since I’ve become metastatic the only thing that really made me feel good was BAT….But of course my PSA liked it also…If it was a cure I’d be all over it but I just don’t know….and honestly since the entire 6 treatments take 9 months to complete , for me to do the entire 6 would be a stretch…Although we’re only 7 years apart, that’s a lifetime in this journey..,,

[VitaminPea in reply to Hidden]

curious you mentioned you tried BAT. Did you have bone mets when you tried it? If so how bad was the pain?

[Hidden in reply to VitaminPea]

I didn’t have bone pain , in fact BAT is not recommended if you have bone pain….I did BAT for 7 months, stopped then started again in 2 months….But since I refused Lupron ( and any other form of ADT) I only did one additional BAT injection…So that’s where I’m at now…Starting tomorrow with 25 proton beam treatments on Mets…5 spots 5 treatments on each..

[VitaminPea in reply to Hidden]

Thanks. Did you have any bone mets prior to starting BAT?

[Hidden in reply to VitaminPea]

Yes…quite a few

[leebeth]

My brother was 82 when he had 2 Pluvicto treatments. He tolerated them well, but after the second, his Hgb didn’t bounce back so he did not have a third. However, he had great results from those two, as evidenced by scans and PSA. A year later, he died of an unrelated GI bleed. His prostate cancer was still under control, with a minimal PSA creep.

[Hidden in reply to leebeth]

Just curious when you say your bother died of a GI bleed (and he had 2 Pluvicto treatments)…Hmmmmm..one of the things I read about Pluvicto was it could possibly cause GI problems.,.,This was one reason I passed on trying it…..

[leebeth in reply to Hidden]

It was a year after Pluvicto. Not at all sure that they were related. He was also on Eliquis due to a history of PE and DVT, so that is the most likely contributing factor.

[Hidden in reply to leebeth]

Yea probably.,,,but many of these PC drugs have side effects that are pretty brutal…thanks for the reply..,

[leebeth in reply to Hidden]

Those brutal side effect drugs kept him alive with a good quality of life for 17 years after diagnosis and 15 years of stage IV, so he would say the few side effects he had were well worth it!

[Hidden in reply to leebeth]

If he had a good quality of life then that’s all that matters.,,he had a good run…,👍

[dk73]

my husband is 8 years in. Has had surgery/radiation, taxotere chemo twice, zytega, Xtandi plus eligard shots. Tried pluvicto but PSA and ALP went very high after #4. Scan showed major progression of bone mets. Now back on chemo. He had good quality of life on pluvicto but now will be on chemo indefinitely to stop the spread. He is 72

[Hidden in reply to dk73]

Wow!..Sorry to hear that (about chemo) this Pluvicto is so powerful im just too happy with my now condition that I’m 99% sure I’m gonna pass….ill be 86 when I’m scheduled to start , its time to just enjoy the time left, not to try and stretch life out and be sick trying….thanks for your honest non sugar coated reply.,,,,,

[j-o-h-n]

Hard to give an opinion since I'm 87 and I too wouldn't know what to do except to pet Roxy and take her for a walk.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

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

Yea j o h n, this getting old ain’t for sissies!…just got back from Dog Beach here in San Diego…Roxy’s fav spot.,..So tell me ol ancient one.,,Have you ever had Pluvicto?.,if so, I need knowledge from my elders….if not, Maybe that’s why your 87 and still kicking..,.

[j-o-h-n]

To me Pluvicto is another dog character in the Walt Disney M M family....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

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

I can read between those lines….Roxy says it’s a no go….

[Janhpr]

we paid privately in UK side effects not bad compared to chemotherapy previously had, strict on segregation for 1st 7 days, fatigue an issue, good result for widespread bone mets, zapped some reduced others PSA 1 but only gave 4 months before PSA started rising again

[Janhpr]

We are both 80, since Lu had R223 bad decision stopped after 4th treatment, progression in coccyx. found out after that it had been identified in 2018 that some patients while undergoing R223 had progression of the disease, they advised before treatment should have a PET Scan which would identify if NOT suitable for this treatment.

At our final appointment we asked the oncologist in charge of R223 why a PET scan hadn’t been done, the hospital did not do PET Scans and NO FUNDING to refer, short sighted because of medical input now required, the increase in pelvic & rib pain and medication needed, started opioids under hospice Homecare.