Chemo for Recurrent Prostate Cancer

My Father has failed Hormone Therapy after 4 years.  He now has a small Tumor in his adominal Limp Node.  His PSA has now climed to 96.  He had his prostate removed in 93 with gleason score of 4 I believe.  PSA started rising 4 years after surgery, He was put on Lupon but could not stand the side affects so he choose casteration.  This held his PSA in check untill 2005.  PSA began rising again and he was started on Hormone Therapy.  This kept his PSA down below 10 untill this past october when PET scan revealed a small tumor in abdomin Node and a very small spot on Lung.  Oncologist was not concerned about lung at the time.  PSA has steadily climed to 96 at present.  He just did a cat and bone scan and we will see the DR next week.  He did start the budwig diet for the last three months but has got no results from it.  He is a very healthy 75 year old with no other problems except the cancer and slight anemic.  He did have a blood clot in leg last summer but started on Warfin and was taken off of it two months ago. My question is will he do Ok taking the chemo and what should we expect for the future. Thanks    

Johndp,

 

I'm not an expert but I will tell you what I know:

 

First of all, if your Father is still seeing a urologist for his therapy, I highly recommend that he switches to an oncologist.

Ok...the chemo will likely buy your Father some time in this world but at a cost of the adverse reactions. Taxotere goes well beyond the hormone therapies in making living a chore. Read up on this more and ask some questions to the oncologist. If the Taxotere is given only for a short time than the effects of it would disapate after treatment.

Now your Father may decide that is it really worth it? I will say this- there is no "set"amount of time that chemo will work. For some it may be only a few months; for others it could be two or three years. However, at this moment there is hope that another therapy, Provenge, which does not have side  effects, will be around by this time next year and which may be useful at some point in your Father's battle. Perhaps an attack of Taxotere, followed by Provenge, could extend your Father's life for several years. An oncologist would be able to provide more information and insight on this.

Best of luck!

Joe

 

On 6/12/2009 Badmamazoo wrote:

Johndp,

 

I'm not an expert but I will tell you what I know:

 

First of all, if your Father is still seeing a urologist for his therapy, I highly recommend that he switches to an oncologist.

Ok...the chemo will likely buy your Father some time in this world but at a cost of the adverse reactions. Taxotere goes well beyond the hormone therapies in making living a chore. Read up on this more and ask some questions to the oncologist. If the Taxotere is given only for a short time than the effects of it would disapate after treatment.

Now your Father may decide that is it really worth it? I will say this- there is no "set"amount of time that chemo will work. For some it may be only a few months; for others it could be two or three years. However, at this moment there is hope that another therapy, Provenge, which does not have side  effects, will be around by this time next year and which may be useful at some point in your Father's battle. Perhaps an attack of Taxotere, followed by Provenge, could extend your Father's life for several years. An oncologist would be able to provide more information and insight on this.

Best of luck!

Joe

It is not accurate to say that Taxotere will definitely be at a cost of " the  adverse reactions."  Just like hormone therapy different men do respond differently to the drug and it is impossible to know how each individual man will respond.  Some men do experience very significant and debilitating adverse reactions, however many do not have this experience.  In many cases men's life actually are improved. 

Prior to moving on to Taxotere there are a number of other treatments a good oncologist should employee.  These include Ketoconazol and using a different ADT drug.  If your dad is hormone refractory there are any number of good clinical trials  available which do show promise.  And of course, as Joe has stated, if Provenge is approved it also might also be worth discussing with your doctor.  But Provenge is not a cure, like all the othet treatments for advanced prostate cancer it has significant limitations. 

 You can read more about advanced prostate cancer on my noncommercial blog at www.advancedprostatecancer.net

Joel T Nowak

Director of Advanced Prostate Cancer and Advocacy Programs for Malecare, Inc

Survivor - Advanced Recurrent Prostate, Renal and Thyroid Cancers 

 

Your Dad was very lucky to respond to the "castration" for 4 years - like Joel said if he can try something else prior to Chemo that would be great. It really depends on the Cancer oncologist your Dad gets into seeing.  My husband had his 2nd round of the Taxotere this month and other then being tired and some hair loss he is doing well but his PSA was very very high and failed HT after less then a year.  PSA was still up after round one but the bone building numbers were in his favor and he is having less bone pain.  He also is continuing to work which for him is very important keeps his mind off of what is going on.