"Nivolumab is a human IgG4 monoclonal antibody that blocks PD-1. It is a type of immunotherapy and works as a checkpoint inhibitor, blocking a signal that prevents activation of T cells from attacking the cancer." [2]
"The primary endpoint of a confirmed PSA50 response rate was met and estimated at 40% (N = 18/45 ... against the 25% null hypothesis). Sixteen of the PSA50 responses were achieved before the addition of nivolumab." !!!
Interestingly: "In paired metastatic tumor biopsies, BAT induced pro-inflammatory gene expression changes that were restricted to patients achieving a clinical response."
{I see that Mary-Ellen Taplin (Dana-Farber) was the only non-Hopkins team member. She has been around a while - 198 PCa hits on PubMed since 1995, including some important studies imo.}
I wonder if Propionate would effect the results even further in a positive direction. I took Cypionate once, and it took over 6 weeks to achieve a low Testosterone reading.
16 of the 18 PSA50 responders achieved it before starting Nivolumab. So the responders were largely due to BAT alone. That is within the expected range of responders in previous trials of traditional BAT given the low sample size. The increased "pro-inflammatory" response in paired biopsies in the responders is very interesting. Perhaps yet another mechanism for benefit from BAT, at least for some. Nivolumab does not appear to me to be worth the added toxicity.
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First BAT cycle results: what next?
Surgical procedure offers hope for men with ED--post cancer surgery
