The drug Gabapentin is occasionally prescribed to help control hot flashes resulting from hormone deprivation therapy (ADT). Today, Aurobindo Pharma USA, Inc. issued a voluntary nationwide recall of their Northstar Labeled Gabapentin Capsules, USP 300 mg 100 count bottle. The recall was issued on complaints about empty capsules in prescriptions received by patients. There is [...]
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and bone complications are the two near universals for men with advanced prostate cancer. A long-term follow up of fifteen (15) years after diagnosis of a population-based cohort of prostate cancer survivors proved to be very informative. The Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study, which enrolled 3533 men diagnosed with prostate cancer between [...]
Degarelex (Firmagon) (approved by the FDA in December of 2008) is a hormonal therapy drug used to treat advanced prostate cancer that has become metastatic and castrate resistant (mCRPC). Degarelix is a GnRH receptor that binds to the pituitary GnRH receptors, reducing the release of gonadotropins leading to a quick and profound onset that blocks [...]
Yesterday I wrote about the cognitive effects of hormone therapy (ADT), today’s topic is about depression in men on ADT. It is commonly known that men on ADT often experience many physical and psychological side effects of the treatment. One of these side effects to ADT may be associated with increased risk for depression, but [...]
When I went on my first round of hormone therapy (ADT) I experienced severe cognitive side effects. I found it impossible to concentrate, read and remember anything. I lost the ability to navigate the New York City subways no less drive my car to a destination. Occasionally, when I was attempting to navigate the subway [...]
It is known that Zoledronic acid (ZA) reduces the risk of developing skeletal-related events (SRE) which are caused by bone metastasis in prostate cancer (PCa). ZA also improves the quality of life (QOL). ZA has become a standard supportive therapy for men with prostate cancer who have bone metastasis. The big unknown is when should [...]
Last April there was some preliminary data from the long-term Phase II STAND study presented at 29th Annual European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress that showed that sipuleucel-T (Provenge) when given after the start of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) seemed to enhance and sustain the immune response in men with a biochemical failure (PSA only) [...]
Popular culture tells us that primary androgen deprivation therapy with leuprorelin acetate (Lupron) will not work for longer than two years! This is a significant and very problematic statement given that all of us with metastatic prostate cancer rely on delaying the move to any other treatments, especially given their cost to the quality of [...]
Hormone therapy or Primary androgen deprivation therapy (PADT) is the usual first “go to” therapy for men when they are diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer whether it is a primary diagnosis or the result of a recurrence. The natural progression of the disease is to become unresponsive to the treatment (castrate resistant) leading to a [...]
Current practice has been to immediately begin hormone therapy (ADT) as soon as a man has a bio-chemical (PSA only) relapse. A recent presentation at ASCO 2014 has shown that immediate ADT actually offers little or no survival benefit over deferred ADT to advanced prostate cancer survivors who experience a PSA only relapse after radical [...]
