There was just a release of some of the data from the on-going review sipuleucel-T, or Provenge, in men with early stage recurrent prostate cancer who have a rising serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, but who have not yet developed metastatic prostate cancer. The data wes presented by Oregon Health & Realm University Cancer [...]
There is some good news on the horizon, or at least we are setting up for the possibility of some future good news. Coming off of the recent news about the very successful phase II trial of CB7630 (abiraterone acetate), Cougar Biotechnology, Inc. has reached agreement with the FDA under a special protocol assessment (SPA) [...]
Is there going to be a competitor to Provenge once it is approved? This is a very interesting question as a second investigational vaccine has shown a significant survival advantage in men with asymptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. There were just released updated results from a phase II trial of PROSTVAC-VF/Tricom vaccine. The trial had [...]
We constantly discuss diet and its implications on prostate cancer on both our on-line and face-to-face support groups. As an individual who does enjoy a steak I have made great strides in significantly restraining myself and greatly limit my consumption of red meat. However, I often wonder if all the talk about being a vegetarian [...]
Results from a randomized phase II study presented Saturday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting indicates there might be a new drug on the horizon for men with advanced prostate cancer. OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals drug known as OGX-011 extended the survival of patients with advanced prostate cancer by almost seven months in [...]
Once we become hormone refractory (HRPC) there remains only one approved drug to treat our prostate cancer, docetaxel. As with hormone therapy (ADT) docetaxel also stops working after a period. There have been different strategies used to try to deal with this untenable situation, including the use of docetaxel on an intermittent schedule. A recent [...]
Urinary incontinence is a common problem suffered by many of us post both surgery and radiation therapy for prostate cancer. The degree of incontinence varies from no problem all the way to having no control of the urinary function. Men having surgery find that as time progresses post treatment, they do regain levels of urinary [...]
HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) is one of the newer treatments for prostate cancer. Although not yet approved in the United States it has received a lot of press and growing popularity as a primary treatment option. There are a number of European countries already using it as a regular treatment modality and there are a [...]
The Department of Urology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, performed a retrospective study designed to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) in men receiving primary androgen-deprivation therapy (PADT) or salvage medical ADT (SADT) for prostate cancer. The study included men who were diagnosed and treated with ADT between July [...]
An article in today's New York Times about obtaining drugs under the compassionate use clause boiled my blood. I am not usually one without words, but this story has left me speechless, or wordless. I can not add anything to the story, it speaks for itself and makes me cry. Joel T Nowak MA, MSW
