At some point in the progression of advanced prostate cancer the usual initial standard of care, hormone therapy (ADT2 or ADT3), will fail to control the progression of the cancer. Commonly, when ADT does fail we will experience an increase in our PSA scores and often see signs of disease progression on imaging tests. For [...]
The taxotere burn is not the hottest, latest dance sweeping the country, it is a little discussed complication that can strike a man while having chemotherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer. If the infusion equipment is not secured tightly or the vein not properly accessed and any of the taxotere is allowed to leak [...]
A study performed in the UK, reported in the British Journal Cancer (2010), showed that men who have a deleterious germ-line mutation in the breast cancer 2 (BRCA2) gene and who have prostate cancer do not survive as long as men with prostate cancer who are non-carriers. There have been earlier studies that have shown [...]
The recent teleconference I had with Dr. James Mckiernan about advanced prostate cancer is now available to listen to on-line. Many people have been asking how to hear the conference, now you can. Go to the navigation bar above On the blog) and click on the teleconference tab. To listen to the call click on [...]
Pamidronate and zoledronic acid (bisphosphonates) are a mainstay in the treatment of men with advanced prostate cancer as well as for breast cancer survivors for the prevention of skeletal-related events (SREs). There have been many clinical trials comparing the efficacy and side effect profiles between pamidronate and zoledronic acid among men with advanced prostate cancer. [...]
Besides the blood problems and the gastric problems I discussed in the last two posts, taxotere can also cause hair loss and have effects on your skin and nails. The q3wk dose of taxotere (higher dose once every 3 weeks) is associated with reversible hair loss in two-thirds of men going on that schedule and [...]
Taxotere can cause severe irritation of the liver, so your liver functions must be monitored via regular blood tests. If the blood screens show you are developing liver problems a modification of your dosing or possibly stopping further infusions is warranted. Liver damage caused by taxotere is usually reversible when the drug is stopped, however [...]
One of the major problems faced by men on taxotere (chemotherapy) is anemia. Anemia is characterized as a low red blood cell count. It is often the cause of significant fatigue, another major complaint from men on chemotherapy. Aranesp® and Procrit® are both synthetic versions of the naturally occurring hormone, erythropoietin, that stimulates red blood [...]
The Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), a national non-profit has announced that it has received a substantial contribution which will provide additional funding support for prostate cancer patients through its Co-Pay Relief Program (CPR). […]
Is there any reason to continue hormone therapy (ADT) while I have become castrate resistant and I’m starting chemotherapy? This is a common question that is asked by many of us. The real underlying question we are asking is: I feel so terrible now and I am getting ready to add chemotherapy with all of [...]
