Presented in a poster at the recent European Society of Medical Oncologist (ESMO) there was a data update of the phase 3 clinical trial (CA184-043) which evaluated overall survival (OS) in men having radiotherapy (RT) followed by either the immunologic drug Ipilimumab (Ipi) or with a placebo. Initially, this trial did not meet its endpoint [...]
On April 8th I post on this blog an article called The Cholesterol In Your Diet Might Be Causing Your Prostate Cancer To Spread (http://advancedprostatecancer.net/?p=5156). Since I published this I have received some feedback, which has included people asking if they should take statins to control their cholesterol levels. Statin drugs do help control cholesterol [...]
In my commitment to report “On the Horizon” treatments for advanced prostate cancer today I will discuss an investigational treatment known as Tasquinimod. It is an experimental treatment that is both an immunotherapy and anti-angiogenic agent (designed to prevent the development of blood vesicles which would feed a tumor allowing its growth). In phase 2 [...]
Research performed at the University of Queensland has shown that a diet, which is high in cholesterol, might increase the spread of prostate cancer tumors to lymph nodes, lungs and bones. According to the UQ Diamantina Institute study leader Dr Michelle Hill this research highlighted why it is important for men with prostate cancer to [...]
Despite its approval five years ago sipuleucel-T (Provenge) remains one of the most controversial treatments available for men with castrate resistant metastatic prostate cancer (mCRPC). Provenge has its advocates (Full Disclosure- I am) and it has many detractors. The detractors argue that it doesn’t work and they hang their hat on the argument that it [...]
Reporting both negative clinical trial results is as important as reporting positive results. However, pharmaceutical companies often bury negative results. Fortunately (actually unfortunately because there were negative results) a Phase III, randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial comparing orteronel (TAK-700) plus prednisone with placebo plus prednisone in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) that has progressed [...]
We still have a lot to learn about how prostate cancer actually spreads, or metastasizes. Current theory holds that the primary tumor is probably most responsible for the development of distant metastases. In a new genomic analysis of tissue performed at the Johns Hopkins University using tissue from prostate cancer patients this paradigm has been [...]
Last year after the ASCO meeting in Chicago I declared that there was one particular presentation of the CHAARTED trial that would be a game changer for the treatment of newly diagnosed men with very significant prostate cancer. The game changer was that men diagnosed with significant disease and who were still ADT naive (not [...]
CT scans are often performed in the process of monitoring of advanced prostate cancer disease progression. One of the most serious impacts of advanced prostate cancer is spinal compression, which can lead to paralysis and significant pain. Being able to use the CT scan as a red flag warning about potential spinal cord compression could [...]
There is more evidence that the blood test used to count the number of cells circulating in the blood and shed from prostate tumors (circulating tumor cells or CTCs) can indicate whether a treatment is working or not working. A major new study showed that the number of these circulating tumor cells in the blood [...]
