I was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer in November of 2008. After discussing the options with my family, I decided to try clinical trials instead of following the standard course of treatment. My first clinical trial combined 6 rounds of chemotherapy with the standard hormone replacement therapy (editors note – ADT). This trial was [...]
We are now around half way through the month of October, I am sorry breast cancer awareness month, I keep forgetting! How can I forget with that pink ribbon on everything I buy at the supermarket and after watching the manliest of men, football players, dancing around with pink sneakers. So, why is breast cancer [...]
The state of cancer care is in crisis and getting worse. There is an ever growing demand for cancer care, a shrinking workforce, rising healthcare costs and an increasing complexity of treatment of cancer. According to the Institute of Medicine (IMO) cancer care in America is in a deep crisis! In analysing the current state [...]
A post from Alan on the Advanced Prostate Cancer On-Line Support Group shared a link, which should interest all of us. It should interest us all because it will have an effect on each and every one of us, whether we are a prostate cancer survivor, if we become one in the future. Actually the [...]
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month and many organizations that are involved with education and support of men (and their families) who have prostate cancer are scheduled to have programs during the month. There are a number of events that I want to let you know about (perhaps you will attend): September 6-8 The Prostate [...]
Dr. Farid Fata, who owns Michigan Hematology Oncology which has six offices throughout Michigan in the cities of Clarkston, Bloomfield Hills, Lapeer, Sterling Heights, Troy and Oak Park is now out of jail, but he is on bail. Why am I even telling you about this, because as usual I have an important lesson to [...]
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 [...]
There are a number of funds available to assist men with their treatment co-pays and to help cover travel for treatments. These funds receive their financial support from the drug companies (pharama) which make voluntary contributions. Within the overarching fund there are many disease specific funds that supply co-pay and or travel support for individuals. [...]
Although there are now many new treatments for advanced prostate cancer, hormone therapy (ADT) has remained the standard of care for the last 70 years. While hormone therapy can provide pain relief, it is never curative. Long-term hormone therapy produces decreased quality of life. Men treated with hormone therapy have weight gain, experience impotence, decreased [...]
Not terribly surprising, but recent research shows that less than one-third of all cancer survivors of adult cancers in the United States ever had conversations with their healthcare providers about their psychosocial needs. The latest study showing this was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.1 This study was a large population-based study of 1777 [...]
