The relatively new drug, denosumab, has proven itself very effective for men on a hormone blockade (ADT). In a recently completed 3-year, randomized, double-blind study at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, Massachusetts, denosumab significantly increased bone mineral density and decreased new vertebral fractures in men receiving ADT for the treatment of advanced prostate [...]
Scott Goodwin who periodically has been writing about his journey taking chemotherapy has given us a very moving update. Sadly, Scott is not doing well physically, but he is continuing his valiant fight against this insipid disease. - JTN I thought I would send a much overdue update on my progress with chemo, etc. I [...]
There is a provenge clinical trial which is currently recruiting participants. Remember, as with all trials, you must fit all of the criteria to participate. This trial does not use a placebo, you are guaranteed to receive the treatment if you are approved to participate. The trial sites are: * Park Ridge, Illinois * Greenbelt, [...]
According to a randomized study run and reported by William D.Figg, PharmD, head of the Molecular Pharmacology Section of the Centerfor Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute, in Bethesda, MD. And published online January 23, 2009 in the Journal of Urology (Vol. 181, pp.1104-13), Thalidomide may be effective for the treatment of men who [...]
At the ASCO Annual meeting in Orlando Florida, Cougar Biotechnology, Inc. announced perliminary results from their ongoing Phase II clinical trials of their much discussed investigational drug abiraterone acetate (CB7630). The company released some preliminary encouraging data in three separate poster presentations. First, I want to tell you what abiraterone acetate is. In scientific jargon [...]
I compiled a list of trials that are activily recruiting men with hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) who have also failed chemotherapy (taxotere). Being at this point in the disease process is by far the scariest time. We face the reality that there are no more approved treatments available to control the cancer. Clinical trials [...]
OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OGXI) announced that it's experimental product, OGX-011, also known as custirsen sodium, received fast track designation from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of progressive metastatic prostate cancer in combination with first-line docetaxel treatment (chemotherapy). OGXI had previously received this same designation for second-line docetaxel treatment with OGX-011 [...]
Dr. Guru Sonpavde, MD (Clinical Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine) reported about an open label, phase II trial of sunitinib (Sunitinib, marketed as Sutent, and previously known as SU11248 is an oral, small-molecule, multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor that was approved by the FDA for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and [...]
A post-surgery increase of PSA (usually three increases) is the definition for a prostate cancer recurrence. The best response after these increases is to radiate the prostate bed in hopes for stopping any stray cancer cells that had escaped prior to surgery. Using salvage radiation is the only remaining treatment modality that might allow a [...]
A multi-center Phase III study discussed at the 2009 meeting of the American Urological Association,[1] has demonstrated that the risk for bone fractures in men on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) can be reduced by using toremifene (Acapodene). Men, fighting advanced prostate cancer, often receive long-term ADT, which along with other side effects will increase their [...]
