As many of you readers know, I have earlystage, asymptomatic but advanced prostate cancer. After treatment with Provenge, I was informed (perhaps divinely through a former colleague) of a National Cancer Institute (NCI) clinical trial currently recruiting patients like myself. The protocol involves treatment with the vaccine Prostvac and the antibody therapy, Opdivo. I had written more »
The Prostate Cancer Foundation recently published a 32-page guide containing diet recommendations for men living with prostate cancer. There is considerable discussion on plant-based foods, dietary fats, sugar, beverages and nutrients. See the following link for the guide.
For several weeks, I had been undergoing a cutting-edge, experimental cancer treatment. I firmly believed God had led me to this stage by a totally unexpected but logical pathway. My oncologist had also enthusiastically concurred with my choice. One of the few ways to determine therapeutic progress in this trial is by measuring one’s prostate more »
Zero-the project to end prostate cancer is sponsoring a webcast on advanced prostate cancer. The webcast is scheduled for Tuesday, December 19th at 7-8 PM. For registration and information, see the following link.
I personally know of two Vietnam era veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange during their military service; both contracted prostate cancer. Hence it was of interest that I read the following linked article from the Prostate Cancer Foundation describing long over-due efforts to study and determine the best prostate cancer diagnostic (as to aggressiveness) more »
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) recently published (November 2017) an electronic patient guide which can be downloaded to your computer or obtained as a hard copy. Main topics include: 1) You and Prostate Cancer – General Information -Medical Basics; 2) For the Newly Diagnosed; 3) Treatment Options for Localized or Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer; more »
Adding Xtandi® (enzalutamide) to hormone therapy reduces the risk of cancer spreading in patients with non-metastatic, hormone-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), new Phase 3 trial data shows. Additional results were announced by Pfizer and Astellas Pharma, the drug developers. “Many prostate cancer patients who initiate hormone therapy will experience disease progression illustrated by a rising PSA level, and currently, more »
Janssen-Biotech has submitted a new drug application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for apalutamide (ARN-509) to treat non-metastatic hormone-resistant prostate cancer. Apalutamide is an oral androgen receptor inhibitor that blocks the action of testosterone in prostate cancer cells. (Whether ARN-509 differs in its mechanism of action from enzalutamide [Xtandi] is not known to this more »
In December 2016, when I first embarked on my latest course of prostate cancer treatments, it seemed logical to me to treat the cancer first by stimulating my immune system; therefore, Provenge® (sipuleucel-T) was my first choice. That course of three treatments were administered quite readily. Immediately after receiving Provenge®, I was unexpectedly made aware more »
For men with metastatic, hormone-resistant prostate cancer, treatment with Taxotere (docetaxel) and prednisone has been shown to improve survival. But few treatment strategies are available if this first-line therapy fails. Second-line therapy of anti-cancer agent Jevtana with the steroid medicine prednisone is currently used, with favorable data reported in 2010. However, new options are still more »
DNA sequencing of a person’s tumor can be very important in determining treatment plans among other potential applications. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) today published an excellent review of methods used to obtain a person’s genetic information and how this information could be applied. It is written in a way that can be clearly understood more »
Patients with low-to-intermediate prostate cancer who receive low-dose permanent brachytherapy, a type of radiation therapy, have excellent outcomes in the long run, according to data recently presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2017 Annual Conference. At nine years of follow-up, only a minority — 11-14 percent — of patients treated with either more »
As described in recent website blogs, utilizing one’s immune system to combat cancer (immunotherapy) is at the cutting edge of prostate cancer research and cancer research in general. I am personally familiar with an on-going National Cancer Institute (NCI) clinical trial combining the prostate cancer vaccine Prostvac and the checkpoint inhibitor antibody Opdivo® (nivolumab), currently more »
For the many years I have been treated for prostate cancer, I have been blessed by God with a wonderful, caring, praying and compassionate wife. I am sure this has helped my current asymptomatic status and hopefully my prognosis. This theme was amplified today when I read the following article published October 9th in MedlinePlus, more »
Men ages 55-69 who don’t get PSA (prostate-specific antigen) screening tests for prostate cancer may want to reconsider that choice based on an April 2017 recommendation from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a government advisory medical panel who evaluate the benefits and harms of health services. A few years ago, this same more »
An independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) recommended that the Phase 3 PROSPECT study of Prostvac in men with metastatic hormone-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) should be discontinued due to inadequate results. Prostvac did not improve overall survival. The PROSPECT trial (NCT01322490) was a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled Phase 3 trial that included 1,298 mCRPC patients from 200 sites more »
An article from Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia published Sept. 21st in the U.S. National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus described a list prostate cancer symptoms. Prostate cancer symptoms may be confused with signs of other common but noncancerous disorders, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Symptoms of prostate cancer may include: trouble starting to urinate; weak or more »
Editorial note: I am writing some of this post while awaiting Hurricane Irma to pass my home directly in about 1-2 hours. Opdivo® (nivolumab) and the prostate cancer vaccine Prostvac are being combined in a National Cancer Institute clinical trial described in posts on this website dated May 15th and August 7th, 2017. Bristol Myers more »
The National Cancer Institute (NCI, the largest of the institutes of the National Institutes of Health, NIH) recently published an excellent fact sheet describing many aspects related to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. Specific subjects addressed include: a) what is the PSA test? b) Is the PSA test recommended for prostate cancer screening? c) What is a more »
Decreasing bone mineral density (BMD) is also an undesirable side effect of androgen deprivation (hormonal) therapy (ADT). The therapy is associated with many potential adverse effects, including significant bone loss and increased risk for low trauma or fragility fractures similar to that in persons with primary osteoporosis. A recent review of clinical trial results revealed that more »