Dear Traveling Guy,
I was thankful to read your update, added on to this threat started by CADguy. I think we're in similar boats together. Traveling Guy --- it sounds like you are doing very well on the Taxotere (chemotherapy) treatments and staying very active.
It looks like your PSA has continued to drop even more since starting the Taxotere.
My oncologist reminded me that the Taxotere is able to attack some cancer cells that the hormone shots can not attack, so I kept that in my mind each time I went through a chemotherapy treatment.
You are already on your fourth treatment, so you are getting closer to finishing the treatments. It sounds like you have stayed very active. I applaud your bravery and courage to take this new approach. I felt like I had to give it a try. As time goes by, I think there will be others that will be offered the chemotherapy upfront, upon initial diagnosis with advanced prostate cancer. We have to do what we can right now. As time goes by, I think it will become standard practice.
I have an acquaintance that just got diagnosed and he was IMMEDIATELY offered the Taxotere treatment along with the hormone shots upon diagnosis, so I think we are now beginning to see chemotherapy offered upon diagnosis for advanced prostate cancer. So I think doctors are beginning to offer this to their patients and the news about
the CHAARTED study is beginning to be put into practice. I think this website has also helped carry the news forward to patients in our shoes and they have then brought it to the attention of their doctors. I fully realize that chemotherapy is not suitable for every patient, and it can be a rough road. It sounds like your experiences with chemotherapy match mine, as we were both able to stay active. I'm sure you feel as fortunate as I do in that.
You list Casodex and Vitamin D3 and Calcium in your posting, and I am also on those, as well. You mentioned that your urologist just seems to follow "standard guidelines" and that was my experience, also. For anyone with advanced prostate cancer reading this, PLEASE add an oncologist to your medical team as soon as possible. My urologist was able to get me started on hormone therapy, but adding an ONCOLOGIST to my medical team
opened up some new possibilities and treatment ideas. I asked my original urologist for a referral to an oncologist and it has been very beneficial.
I found that once I started consulting with the oncologist, the oncologist was able to offer me MORE suggestions and treatment recommendations. The oncologist was the first one to see the need for tracking my testosterone levels in addition to the PSA. The oncologist also was the first one to order a bone density test, which showed that I was in need of calcium for bone loss due to the hormone shots. The oncologist was the one that saw that I was in need of a shot of PROLIA to promote better bone density. It was also my oncologist that has recently recommended we try the once-a-month FIRMAGON shots, with the intent of perhaps gaining better effects than the four-month Lupron shot that the urologist had recommended as "standard procedure" for me.
I keep appointments going with both my urologist and my oncologist. I feel that I need the expertise of BOTH of them, in my particular case. All lab results are forwarded to both of them at the clinic, so they are both able to see all my results and lab work results each month.
Traveling Guy --- yes, I agree with you that you might want to explore the idea of FIRMAGON shots. I did a lot of online research about
Firmagon vs. Lupron, and kept consulting with my oncologist over a period of months about
the possibility of switching over to Firmagon. We waited for my last four-month shot of Lupron to "expire" this past month, and I just received my first Firmagon injection this past month.
There are plenty of postings on this website about
Firmagon for you to explore. My urologist uses Lupron shots as his "standard procedure", but my ONCOLOGIST believes that there are benefits to using Firmagon shots instead.
I'm going to be interested to see if my first FIRMAGON shot is able to lower my PSA even further. The best thing is that we will be able to keep very close track of my PSA, since the Firmagon shot has to be given every 28 days. I can tell from your posting that you are seriously considering a switch over to Firmagon. Time will tell you what to do in June, I believe !
CADguy and Traveling Guy --- thanks for posting on this thread and continue to keep us updated on your experiences and progress !
Sent with my best,
Cyclone
Post Edited (ISU-CycloneFan) : 3/21/2015 10:11:18 AM (GMT-6)