Update

[MJCA]

Hi All,

I truly appreciate all the great responses and kind words I received from my last post. Some members asked for an update. I saw my MO today. We talked about options moving forward. I was really surprised when my MO stated he wanted to put me on Keytruda! I know my MO has to convince my insurance that this will be a good option for me. My MO surprised me when he gave me a hug at the end of my appointment.

[Survivor1965]

Holy moly you’ve been thru it. And a long time. Looks like you’re 65 yrs young. Best of luck with Keytruda brother.

Peace

[MJCA in reply to Survivor1965]

You’re close. I’m in the countdown to Medicare. I will be 65 next year.

[Survivor1965 in reply to MJCA]

I’m a little surprised you weren’t eligible for Medicare based on disability much earlier

[MJCA in reply to Survivor1965]

Too late now! Eligibility is on the horizon!

[PSAed]

Best of luck with Keytruda if you do decide to go ahead with it

[MJCA in reply to PSAed]

Thank you. It’s in the insurance company’s hands.

[garyjp9]

That is the first time I have heard anyone say that their MO had given them a hug! I sure wish more docs retained the human touch these days. I have many appointments with docs (not just MOs) where the docs never touches me at all.

[MJCA in reply to garyjp9]

I have been seeing him for 7 years now. His CV is incredible: BS, Biology from Duke, MPH from Harvard, Stanford Medical School and residency at UC San Francisco. He was also a Fulbright Scholar.

[God_Loves_Me]

Please request your MO if he can send biopsy tissue to Keytruda. I think they will do better job when they have tissue. I am not expert I read somewhere in past

[MJCA in reply to God_Loves_Me]

My MO is sharp. I don’t question his methodology. We discuss things. He never tells me I have to do treatment X, there is an open dialogue.

[CAMPSOUPS in reply to MJCA]

Hey MJ you kinda always fly under my radar and then I see a post or reply of your's and am reminded hey there's that guy who's always so upbeat and postitive. I know you had a post a month or so ago where you vented a bit but showed your human lol.

Seriously appreciate your positivity.

I have a sharp MO too. I lucked out. My son and I conferred once that when the end comes luckily one thing is we won't be wondering if or wishing I had another MO.

[MJCA in reply to CAMPSOUPS]

Thanks for your compliment. I try to remain positive. I believe a good attitude assists in recovery. Looking at your profile, it appears your PSA is falling! For me, it appears that a new treatment starts to work only to find later on it loses its efficacy. I feel like I am running out of options, but you never know what’s around the corner!

Best,

Mark

[Mikes21 in reply to MJCA]

Who’s your mo? I’m in so cal. Thx

[MJCA in reply to Mikes21]

I’m in the Bay Area. His name is Sumit Shah at Stanford. Where in SoCal are you?

[Mikes21 in reply to MJCA]

San Diego.

[MJCA in reply to Mikes21]

I know Scripps has a great reputation. There’s City of Hope near LA. A great MO is Tanya Dorff in Marina del Rey.

[Mikes21 in reply to MJCA]

I am with Scripps and looking at city of hope in Irvine with Sandy Liu. I think Tanya Dorff will be speaking on the 8th at the pcri conference in Los Angeles that weekend. I’ll see if I can chat with her if she’s available.

Thx

[VitaminPea]

What made him decide to try you on Keytruda? TMB from gene sequencing?

[MJCA in reply to VitaminPea]

We had discussed a biologic before. I have had DNA checks twice. My MO has seen how docetaxel and Pluvicto have ravaged my body. I thought for sure he would put me on Jevtana. I’m glad that’s not yet.

[VitaminPea in reply to MJCA]

Thanks for the reply.

Any specific marker/mutations that came out in your DNA checks? What tests did you do for DNA checks? NGS??

Hoping you all the best. Yeah Pluvicto was tough on me as well to the point where I am so fatigued I can't get up or want to eat anything. I am considering either trying Keytruda or Hospice but still debating.

Did he mention any specific side-effects for Keytruda? I read PCa is "immunologically cold" so did not consider immunotherapy as a potential option before. I am severly immuno-compromised right now (been through a nasty UTI and Pneumonia) and blood counts don't seem to be coming back up. Not sure if Keytruda furthers the bone marrow suppression. If it does, then I am out.

Report

[MJCA]

I don’t recall which bio marker it is. I know it’s scored, where the floor for being a Keytruda candidate is 10; I am at 9.45. So we’ll see. There’s a boatload of side effects. I want to be educated on the drug, and I don’t want to worry.