given a choice about duration of ADT - Prostate Cancer N...

Prostate Cancer Network

5,259 members3,325 posts

given a choice about duration of ADT

Photographerhere profile image
27 Replies

Tall Allen and others. Clean PSMA, , 3+4, 3+4, and 4+3., biopsy. 77yrs old, hit gym daily but have significant side effects of lupron..

Being treated at Comprensive cancer center. Plan was one year of Lupron. After five SBRT, and nine months on adt, my doc is willing to let me terminate my Lupron, or just a one or two monthly shots. So i am being given the choice of nine ten eleven or the full 12 months of ADT. Doc’s comment, was, I am not opposed to shortening the duration as the increases to longevity are small because of the extra months.

I am trying to weigh the 2 or three percent statistical advantage against quality of life, and faster recovery. Am interested in your thoughts. Brian Jarvis, Tallallen, and others.

Written by
Photographerhere profile image
Photographerhere
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
27 Replies
ToolBeltZia profile image
ToolBeltZia

Congratulations. The question is, how are you tolerating ADT? No problem.....stay the course. Moderate problems....go a month or two. Absolutely miserable.....bail.

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen

On a previous post, you wrote that you had GS 4+4. Did you forget?

Photographerhere profile image
Photographerhere in reply toTall_Allen

Must be the lupron. :).

What do you think? Doc is as knowledgeable as they get, and he is ok with shortening. As he said, you only gain a couple of percent, and he is leaving it up to me. Have weight gain, hot flashes,,utter exhaustion late in the day, no libido.

janebob99 profile image
janebob99 in reply toPhotographerhere

I recently posted about the use of transdermal estrogen patches (cheap) to counteract most of the side effects of Lupron, etc. The only downside is gynecomastia in about 1/3 of the men.

dhccpa profile image
dhccpa in reply tojanebob99

Can't Tamoxifen control that?

janebob99 profile image
janebob99 in reply todhccpa

Perhaps. I'd have to look it up. I don't have any knowledge about it's use.

janebob99 profile image
janebob99 in reply todhccpa

Tamoxifen is an anti-estrogenic drug. It might negate the beneficial effects of doing estrogen therapy instead of Lupron, etc.. I would be concerned about using Tamoxifen while doing estrogen patch therapy.

dhccpa profile image
dhccpa in reply tojanebob99

Maybe so. I thought some had recommended even with estrogen, but maybe it was something else.

Mike58 profile image
Mike58 in reply toPhotographerhere

Is it Flash or Flush ----- I am at a loss as I've heard both 😜

MarkS profile image
MarkS in reply toMike58

It would seem that it's hot flush in the UK and NZ and hot flash in the States.

Mike58 profile image
Mike58 in reply toMarkS

Ok - thanks, that may be why we see both being said from time to time.

Photographerhere profile image
Photographerhere in reply toTall_Allen

Tall_Allen, several months ago you were recruiting for a support group in Los Angeles. Did it ever get started? Are you taking new members.

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen in reply toPhotographerhere

I have 3 support groups in Los Angeles: advanced PCa, gay/bi, general. I prefer live meetings (small groups, individual attention - 2 hours, once a month), although I make some exceptions.

Photographerhere profile image
Photographerhere in reply toTall_Allen

I think i would fit best in the “general”. Could easily make a once a month meeting in person depending on time and place. If you want to chat offline hit me up.

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen

All I can tell you is what the data say:

prostatecancer.news/2021/06...

Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of data for SBRT for high risk patients.

Nusch profile image
Nusch

Three more months seem to be doable for you. Come on, give yourself a kick and go for it. Create a countdown and count the days, switch to plant based diet plus fish and extend your exercising to reduce weight and fight fatigue. Just around 90 days, you will not regret it and then your side effects are history. Good luck!

Photographerhere profile image
Photographerhere in reply toNusch

We are warriors. I am in for the full duration. Side effects be damned; pc be damned. Dose me again with some of those radiation waves

Nusch profile image
Nusch in reply toPhotographerhere

That’s a warriors attitude! You never walk alone, we are all suffering. And come here to this forum for a talk, advice or complaint whenever you feel it’s doing you good. All the very best - I’m just in the last month of 24.

maley2711 profile image
maley2711

What your RO is saying seems to align with this 2022 presentation......

urotoday.com/conference-hig...

A U Michigan prof in a 2019 presentation gave pretty much the same counsel....and I remember the case he mentioned as making a huge impression on him..... a wife who said she could no longer recognize her husband after prolonged ADT that accompanied RT. I think that case was a man who received hypofractionation, not SBRT. The prof showed a slide similar to graph in above link.... a few percent gain in survival percentage when surpassing 12 months. The above summarizes that metastasis free survival seems to increase marginally as ADT is extended out basically forever, but at some point OS actually decreases......impact of ADT. The above concluded 18 months based on OS, but dramatic flattening of benefit curve as ADT passes 10-12 months. Some promnent Docs involved in the data manipulation covering thousands of patients.

dhccpa profile image
dhccpa in reply tomaley2711

Makes one wonder about its indefinite use in metastatic PCa. Much riskier, of course.

Scooter22 profile image
Scooter22

I did 2 yrs. of Orgovyx. ADT does wear on us. I’m a retired Phys. Ed. Instructor so I was & still am a consistent exerciser. I lost strength, libido, energy but I continued a modicum of exercise throughout. I wanted to quit the adt at the 18 mo. interval but my MO noted a 1-2 % increase in success rate. I decided, along with my wife to do his recommended 2 yrs. I was Intermediate unfavorable. My nadir psa reading at the 2 yr. mark was .01 & at 3 mo. follow up post adt it was .1

For me, I decided that if I had a recurrence & did not complete my MO’s recommended 2 yrs. of adt I would forever 2nd guess that decision. As of now I’m glad I completed the 2 yrs.. I’m proud of myself for winning that fight. Check out Orgovyx if you can. I was never on Lupron but I’ve heard Orgovyx is easier. I think anyone can do it but you MUST include exercise to mitigate some of the negative effects of the adt.

j-o-h-n profile image
j-o-h-n in reply toScooter22

So Gym, what is your age?

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 01/11/2024 5:00 PM EST

Photographerhere profile image
Photographerhere in reply toj-o-h-n

77. But behave like a 24 yr old.

MarkS profile image
MarkS

I'm not sure where the 2-3% statistical advantage of longer adt treatment comes from. In TA's link above, the biochemical recurrence-free survival (bRFS) in columns 3 & 4 after 5 years is 76% for 4 months adt treatment and 88% for 28m treatment. That's a halving of the rate of recurrence. That seems pretty significant to me.

Photographerhere profile image
Photographerhere

Interesting thought. I should go to Las Vegas since i am beating the odds :)

j-o-h-n profile image
j-o-h-n

So don't let it stay in Vegas... what is your age?

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 01/11/2024 4:58 PM EST

cancerfox profile image
cancerfox

You made it this far, what is another 3 months? At least you wouldn't be second guessing yourself in the future if something goes south. 🦊

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

ADT for a year?

Had intermediate grade PC no spread, had SBRT. Three months out my Psa is .03. Am on Lupron for...

ADT duration for high risk with Cribriform

Hi all, Age 72. In good health. I'd like to get some advice on my case. Should I stop ADT after 12...
Miko710 profile image

What ADT duration would you use?

Hello All, Would you please give your opinions on the proper ADT duration for me? Gleason 4+5=9,...
A0007720 profile image

1st PSA Post SBRT + ADT: A Bounce?

I had a diagnosis of Gleason 3+4, probable ECE; Decipher .63. Received 5 Fraction SBRT at MSKCC...

Lupron 12 vs. 18 Months

This is a follow-up to a post I made in January of this year. I was diagnosed at age 50, Gleason...
sptill72 profile image

Moderation team

Bethishere profile image
BethishereAdministrator
Number6 profile image
Number6Administrator
Darryl profile image
DarrylPartner

Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.

Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.