We all use the Internet to learn about our prostate cancer, your reading this post confirms this statement. The Internet can be a useful tool for finding information and connecting with other patients and caregivers. However, it can also be a nightmare of unreliable misinformation. Understanding what is credible, accurate and reliable information about prostate [...]
One of the most common gripes I hear (and one that I often express) is that Medical news changes often. How often do we hear of a "breakthrough" only to be disputed the next week. It is confusing and it is difficult to know what news to believe and whether we should change a practice, [...]
I recently read a very interesting post by Trisha Torrey on About.com about a happening on the TV show, Downton Abbey. Downton Abbey is a PBS (in the United States) TV show that originates from the UK. Briefly, the show is about the British aristocracy and their help, not dissimilar to the other famous show [...]
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 [...]
Chemotherapy with Docetaxel is usually given on a once every three (3) week schedule of 75 mg/m2 administered intravenously + prednisolone (10 mg/day p.o.) for men with advanced prostate cancer. In the cases when the side effects are too difficult for a man to tolerate, the dose is often reduced to 50 mg/m2 administered intravenously [...]
I remember when I was first diagnosed with a prostate cancer recurrence, when I was told that I had advanced prostate cancer. More than any other times that I have been told I have cancer (I have melanoma, thyroid cancer, renal cancer and advanced prostate cancer) I felt the world stopped and my life was [...]
Cabozantinib (XL184) is an orally bioavailable tyrosine kinase inhibitor with activity against MET and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2. It is designed to target the men with castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Results from a phase II randomized discontinuation trial with an expansion cohort of XL184 have recently been released. The trial included men [...]
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 [...]
Everyone knows that exercise is good for both people with and without cancer, including advanced prostate cancer. For us advanced prostate cancer survivors, going on and off therapy probably makes exercise evn more important than for the general population. It is well known that people with stronger, leaner bodies have more energy, are healthier and [...]
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) [...]
