One of the more common side effects of chemotherapy is anemia, or the lack of hemoglobin (red blood cells). Severe anemia is dangerous and will require the suspension of the use of chemotherapy as well as immediate treatment. In light of this the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required that Amgen Inc. developed [...]
Spinal cord compression is not an uncommon occurrence in men with advanced prostate cancer. Bones are the most common target of advanced prostate cancer, including the spine. Sadly, there is often a delay in diagnosing spinal cord compression resulting from prostate cancer. These delays in diagnosis can influence the eventual functional outcome. Oncologists, primary care [...]
Genomic Health, Inc. has announced they have had positive results from a large clinical validation study of a biopsy-based prostate cancer test designed to predict adverse pathology in men with early prostate cancer. The study, performed in collaboration with prostate cancer researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), met its primary endpoint by [...]
Many of us who are fighting advanced prostate cancer struggle with the perplexing side effects of non-steroidal antiandrogens (like Casodex). These side effects include gynecomastia (breast enlargement) and breast pain. In most cases as we use these drugs our breasts grow, become very sensitive and/or painful. In my case my breasts have grown to the [...]
We all know that abiraterone acetate (Zytiga) plus prednisone provides a survival advantage for men with castrate resistant advanced prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have had prior treatment with a taxane based chemotherapy. New information has shown that abiraterone acetate offers a somewhat longer overall survival benefit than the data originally presented when the trial halted [...]
According to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the Sept. 15 issue of the journal Cancer Research, taxne-based chemotherapy drugs are not well understood as they may be more powerful than many have believed. Generally, it is believed that taxane chemotherapy (paclitaxel, docetaxel and cabazitaxel) just stop a cancer cell from dividing -- but [...]
Off-line I have received a number of additional questions about the use of imaging with c11 choline (see my post at http://advancedprostatecancer.net/?p=3433). The questions ranged from what is c11 choline to how it compares to some of the other more sensitive PET scans contrasts that are being used to identify specific locations of recurrent advanced [...]
The FDA has approved c11 choline Injection, a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging agent, for use in men to detect prostate cancer recurrences and to locate specific body sites for follow-up tissue sampling, testing and treatment. The indicated use for c11 choline injection is men with elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels after earlier primary [...]
The summer is coming to a close and I am back, ready to again take on the world. I had the fantastic opportunity of spending almost two weeks in Alaska, a land that is so different from the lower 48. I have to say that I have a new found respect for those individuals who [...]
Our Prostate Cancer community was happy when Bayer and Algeta announced an Early/Expanded Access Program for Alpharedin. However we notice that, as of today, there is only one clinical trial site that is currently open and taking any new patients. However, this site is limited to only 2 men per month and their waiting list [...]
