Leukine, a granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), is a hormone therapy that does not have an effect on a man’s testosterone production. Leukine is used by many physicians who are knowledgeable about the value of second line hormone therapy.

Leukine works by stimulating the white blood cells (both increasing the overall production of the white blood cells and increasing their biological activity) which the body uses to fight off illness. Additionally, white blood cells seem also to play a major role in the overall immune response to cancer as exemplified by Provenge.

Dr. Eric Small (Rini, etal.) has reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, using Leukine to treat men with advanced prostate cancer. Small found that Leukine slowed and sometimes also arrested the progression of prostate cancer cells. Small administered Leukine to his subjects everyday for 14 days then gave the men an off cycle of 14 days. Dr. Charles Meyers has reported similar results using Dr. Small’s protocol.

The reported side effects from Leukine seem minimal. Reported problems included transient inflammation reactions at the infusion site and also edema. Both side effects subsided within 72 hours of the drug’s administration. Dr. Meyers has successfully used over the counter antihistamines to control these side effects.

Leukine can also reverse damage to the gastrointestinal tract caused by radiation and chemotherapy.

Leukine can be a potent 2nd line therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Joel T Nowak, M.A., M.S.W.