More on Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) from the 2013 The last two abstracts that I want to speak about that were presented at the conference that pertained to Provenge speak to its efficacy. The first looks at changes in circulating tumor cells (CTC) and the second to the onset of the use of opioid painkillers. Abstract #40 [...]
Currently in Orlando Florida the 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium is in progress. There are a number of very interesting abstracts that pertain to those of us who have advanced prostate cancer. In the course of the next few days I will be reviewing a number of these that I [...]
Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center found in a genome-wide analysis of 13 men with metastatic prostate cancer that there were consistent epigenetic "signatures" or “marks” across all metastatic tumors in each of the subject men. The discovery contradicts the current belief that epigenetic marks that sit on the nuclear DNA of cancer [...]
I have said many times that one of the more important issues facing our use of Provenge is when to start it and how to sequence this treatment with the other newly approved agents that have recently become available for men with advanced prostate cancer. There is occasional conversation that Provenge is already antiquated due [...]
Sipuleucel-T (Provenge) is FDA approved after a man becomes castrate resistant. In clinical trials it has shown that it extends life when compared to placebo. The use of Provenge has raised many questions, the two most common ones are why PSA and disease progression continues while receiving this treatment (see post at for an explanation) [...]