I am visiting my mother and father in Rockford, Illinois this weekend. My father is a prostate cancer survivor. My mother, Jean, mentioned last evening that she was frustrated by the lack of new advances for the treatment of prostate cancer. "They are still using the same treatments they used fifteen years ago when your father was diagnosed." I found this surprising. Treatment options for my cancer, multiple myeloma, are growing so rapidly it is difficult to keep up with all of the new information. Intrigued, I visited the Mayo Clinic prostate cancer site, located on the right side of our website. As we read through the treatment options, it soon became clear that my mother was right! Most of the treatment options have been around for years. Although it is not new, hormone therapy seems to be the most effective and least invasive treatment. Doctors use a combination of drugs to stop the patient's body from producing testosterone. According to the Mayo Clinic site, hormone therapy is often effective, even in men with advanced prostate cancer. It helps shrink the cancer and slow the growth of tumors. Still, I can't help wonder why there haven't been more therapeutic advances in the treatment of prostate cancer recently. The good news for our family is my father's cancer is still under control after all these years. Surgery and radiation did the trick!
Feel good and keep smiling! Pat
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Pat, Such good news to hear about your father's long term survival from prostate cancer. Your mother is right though, there are few new treatments, but some promising treatments in clinical trials. My oncologist seems to think one may be released by the FDA this year. I did not do any additional research yet. Here is one web-site from the ACS that has some of the new treatments. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_6X_Whats_New_in_Prostate_Cancer_Research_and_Treatment_36.asp. Hopefully this will work as a link.
I have been on hormone therapy since September-2006 and tolerate it quite well so far. Drugs are Lupron (injection every 4 months) and Casodex (daily pill). That combination is suppose to work and has so far. Some prostate cancer patients do not take both due primarily to cost and some oncologist do not recommend both. The side effects can be tough and I went through about 6 months with several medical issues until my body must have adjusted to the drugs. My last visit to the urologist in September showed a Zero PSA (<0.05) and my prostate felt "better than normal". Both good news.
The risk is how long it will work before the cancer cells find a way to mutate without testosterone. Statistically, they say about 18-24months. It was 24 months for me in September. My goal is to continue with my good health and low PSA one month at a time and just hope some of the drugs in clinical trials will be proven effective and available by the time I need it. My Urologist says he has one patient on hormone therapy for 9 years and doing well. Cost is about $20,000 per year and thank goodness for insurance that covers most so far.
The Mayo clinic also had a prostate cancer experimental drug in trials in 2006. It was in addition to the standard hormone therapy treatment. I have not heard any results. I chose not to participate and am really glad I chose the course of treatment I am on with hormone therapy.
I am curious about the amount and type of calcium you are taking. Seems like you could do a whole article on herbal calcium supplements. The are several opinions and options regarding calcium supplements and too many folks go to Sams or some other discount place and just get the biggest least expensive bottle with out regard to the type of calcium it contains. For prostate cancer patients on hormone therapy, maintaining good bone and muscle health is critical. Supplements, diet and excercise vs more drugs are certainly an alternative.
Sending Arizona Sunshine and Prayers Your Way.
Gene
Hello Gene-
Thank you so much for your concern! I am taking several different forms of calcium. Department Head Dr. Haymen at Mayo recommended that I take 500mg of calcium citrate daily. Both of my naturopathic nutritionalists suggested that I take that one step further and us a supplement called "UltraMeal" which contains several different types of dairy-free calcium. I try to use that twice daily, 600mg calcium per serving. I don't take the calcium citrate and "UltraMeal" together. What do you think? Pat
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