One of the largest and most controversial issues for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer is the value of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). Most doctors use ADT as their pivotal initial treatment in the management of locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancer (PCa). But, the grand question is does it extend survival? […]
On the Advanced Prostate Cancer Listserv there was a question raised about the need to use an antiandrogen (bicalutamide/Casodex, flutamide/Eulexin, or nilutamide/Nilandron) along with degarelix, the recently approved LHRH antagonist (a drug that halts the production of testicular androgens). Doctors who are knowledgeable about the use of LHRH antagonists (Zoladex, Lupron, Eligard, Viadur and Firmagon [...]
When Degarelix (FIRMAGON) which is a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor blocker was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) I contacted Ferring Pharmaceuticals and spoke with their medical director. I asked if Degarelix could be used as a second line hormone therapy drug after the traditional first line GnRH agonist drugs (Lupron etc.) [...]
For years there remains this terrible hidden question, does an androgen blockade (ADT) provide any survival advantage to men with early advanced prostate cancer? We do know that ADT will have a significant negative impact on ones life, this is guaranteed. We do know that if we go on a blockade our life will change. [...]
A study by Yu et al., of men with a rising PSA after failed radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy who were placed on intermittent androgen deprivation therapy (IADT) indicated that the length of their first “off cycle” correlates with their expected time to developing castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and to their prostate cancer-specific mortality. [...]