The Differences in Ketoconazole & Abiraterone (Zytiga)

Zytiga  (abiraterone acetate) and Ketoconazole (keto) are both widely used in prostate cancer therapy to treat men with advanced prostate cancer.   They both have a common mechanism of action, they both work by inhibiting the enzyme CYP17 that is responsible for androgen biosynthesis (creation).  Inhibiting CYP17 lowers testosterone levels, which results in prostate cancer tumor regression. Because [...]

Cleveland Clinic Identifies Genetic Mutation in a Deadly form of Prostate Cancer

Dr. Nima Sharifi from the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute has claimed to have identified a genetic mutation in one of the deadliest forms of prostate cancer. His finding, published online today in the journal Cell, shows that there is a mutation that occurs in an enzyme that is present in a drug resistant form [...]

Additional Information on Patient Assistance Programs for Advanced Prostate Cancer

It has been brought to my attention that when I wrote the August 8, 2013 post on Pharma Sponsored Assistance Programs, I neglected to mention another excellent assistance program for men with advanced prostate cancer. The Chronic Disease Fund (CDF) has two funds that might be of specific interest to men with castrate resistant prostate [...]

Step Therapy with Zytiga & Xtandi – Two Equal Drugs Make Our Insurance Companies Our Doctors!

Recently men with advanced prostate cancer have found that their insurance companies have been dictating what drugs they can get instead of their doctor making the best decision for them. At Malecare we have seen that when a man with metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) has finished taking chemotherapy they have been steered by [...]

The AUA Issues Specific Guidelines for the Treatment of Men with Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer

There was a lot of interesting and important presentations at the recent American Urological Association meeting, however the one item that will have the most impact on men with advanced prostate cancer is the new guidelines that were proposed for the treatment of men with castrate resistant prostate cancer. The guidelines were organized by creating [...]

Why Prostate Cancer that is Hormone Resistant Still Responds to Hormone Manipulation

I don’t understand why if I have hormone resistant advanced prostate cancer why the new drugs, Zytiga and Xtandi work. These drugs are still hormone therapies, is my prostate cancer hormone resistant? I recently received an email asking me this question and I thought it might be a question many people have, so I am [...]

Understanding & Using Estrogen as Hormone Therapy (ADT)

An alternative to standard hormone therapy (ADT) using luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogs like leuprolide (Lupron®, Eligard®), goserelin (Zoladex®), triptorelin (Trelstar®), and histrelin (Vantas®) for men with advanced prostate cancer, but often not used is estradiol (a form of estrogen). When estrogens were first used as a therapy for men with advanced prostate cancer they [...]

ADT and Estradiol Therapy Modify Memory in Men being Treated for Prostate Cancer

I just cannot remember where I put my keys. What is my home telephone number? What is his name, you know the guy I sit next to everyday in the office? Sound familiar, maybe because you are on hormone deprivation therapy (ADT) to treat your advanced prostate cancer. This can explain why your normally intact [...]

GTx Receives clearance for New Capesaris Trials

GTx Inc. announced that FDA regulators will allow it to restart the clinical trials of its investigational prostate cancer drug Capesaris for men with castrate resistant advanced prostate cancer. They anticipate that the trials of Capesaris will begin during the third quarter of 2012. The trial is designed to evaluate Capesaris as a secondary treatment [...]

REVLIMID FAILS TO EXTEND SURVIVAL IN ADVANCED PROSTATE CANCER

The late-stage trial of Revlimid (lenalidomide) for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer has been discontinued after preliminary data shows that it does not extend survival! The independent monitoring committee recommended that the pivotal Phase III Mainsail trial be halted after it determined that adding Revlimid to standard treatments would not significantly increase the overall [...]

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