Living on Hope & Positivity

The success I have had with Pluvicto reminds me that everyone is different, their cancer is different, and the success of any treatment is an unknown until you experience it with your body and your cancer. Another difference is how we react to our situation; I believe we all have the ability to have hope and an attitude that’s more positive than negative.

Someone on another forum asked me whether all the nuclear radiation of LU-177/Pluvicto was worth it for just another 5.3 months of life. They were referencing the Vision study results, which stated, “Among the 581 patients in the analysis set, the median imaging-based progression-free survival was 8.7 months in the 177Lu-PSMA-617 group, as compared with 3.4 months in the control group.” I replied that if the average was 5.3 months, what was the MOST successful patient’s result?—and why can’t that be you or me?

Pluvicto, surprisingly, does not work for everyone. In fact, I’ve heard from doctors in my world (SoCal), that for a number of reasons, a third of patients don’t complete the treatments because of physical reactions/side effects and/or there is little improvement in PSA. Another third sees a more limited level of improvement, and another third sees great results. As most of you know, I’m in that last group.

So, how many more months has Pluvicto given me? We’re still counting, of course. My first treatment of what was then a non-FDA-approved LU-177, was August 2021 when my PSA was 65. After my sixth treatment in March 2022, PSA was 1.79. It continued to drop to 0.64 in late June 2022 before it began to rise again. It continued to rise, when in February 2023 it hit 65 again. That’s 18 months between my first LU-177 treatment with a PSA of 65 and the month it returned to a PSA of 65. 18 months.

It took me several months before I was approved for a second round of what is now Pluvicto. With a PSA of around 295 in May, I began the second regimen of treatments on May 15. An even more dramatic drop in PSA began again: on 5/23 = 193; on 6/23 = 147; on 7/21 = 55.5. So, I’m now under my initial PSA of 65 again, when I began LU-177—24 months ago—and PSA is dropping as I prepare for treatments 3-6.

I have been blessed beyond measure. At any point in my journey, this magical treatment could have stopped working. But even if it stops working tomorrow, I will still have been blessed, attaining far more success than anyone could have imagined. Thank you all on Healing Well for the unwavering support, and for giving me lots of hope and positivity. Stay tuned.
Steve

Thank you Steve for continuing to share your experience as an Lu-177 / Pluvicto pioneer. It wasn't that long ago that Zytiga and Xtandi were in trials. Now they are standard of care for most advanced PCa patients because they work so well. You are showing us patients and the medical professionals that this should now be another treatment in the growing PCa care arsenal.

PMA= Positive Mental Attitude. It has helped many. Keep up the good results.

Dr. Kwon at Mayo Clinic has co-managed my case, since I first met him in the fall of 2015.

I have never met anyone like him.

He is brilliant and a maverick, in terms of pushing the boundaries of routine treatment.

The day I met him, he took the time to call my local oncologist and they formed a bond, in regard to my treatment plan.

He once stated to me, "If we just keep doing the same things, we will just keep getting the same results."

When I first met him, I felt he was like "lightning in a bottle."

Patients fly in from all over the globe to see him. The role he has played in my treatment plan has been paramount.

I feel one can gain insight into his treatment approach, by watching Dr. Kwon's online presentations.

With my best ~
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

Thanks Steve, for a great, positive, inspiring comment.

As our beloved Sonny always said, every day is a bonus. We all know that as we hope for many more days months and years.