Update and Continued Gratitude --- and Question about Zytiga

My husband is tolerating the Taxotere really well. 4th of 6th infusions coming up next week. We feel so lucky that his only real side effects have been a little neuropathy for a few days after one infusion and fatigue, which he says he can certainly tolerate, given what others experience on Taxotere. He stays very busy with work and continues to walk at least 10,000 steps a day.

The numbers in my signature tell a positive story. Scans are scheduled for next week too, so we'll have an even better idea of where things stand after that. We met with the doctor yesterday, and he mentioned starting Zytiga fairly soon after chemotherapy is finished. Any thoughts or personal experience on this course of treatment?

THANKS again to all who give of their time and share their experiences.

Zytiga + Prednisone sort of works like Casodex only it's MUCH more effective...As you must know at this point there is no cure...All the drugs and treatments at this point are aimed at making him comfortable and extending his life as long as possible and that could be for a good long time...Many years in fact...But most Onco's like to let one course of treatment start to fail before they start the next one..If his currant treatment has reduced his PSA to 0.48 (that's great !) then there is no reason or benefit to start the next course of treatment...Save the Zytiga until he needs it...Having said that, there are clinical trials going on right now that seem to suggest that combining the chemo with Zytiga produces a longer remission then would be possible otherwise using the two treatments separately..So do your homework and talk it over with your Onco and see what he thinks.....With prostate cancer the "Standard of Treatment" is changing everyday...Also, see if you can get them to zap (radiation) the two mets they found..It's always good advise to "find it and kill it"..Getting your insurance to agree can be difficult..Talk to a good radiation oncologist about it...Where there is a will there is a way...

Thanks to everyone for the insights and encouragement!

"If his current treatment has reduced his PSA to 0.48 (that's great !) then there is no reason or benefit to start the next course of treatment...Save the Zytiga until he needs it." That would have been my inclination too, but both the surgeon and oncologist seem to want to be very aggressive and hit it with everything available, like Celebrate suggested.

Celebrate, there has been quite a bit of discussion of debulking, via RP and radiation. I guess we'll have more discussions about all options after the scans and before the last cycle of Taxotere. Thanks for the kind wishes!

Wings, it occurred to me earlier to search out more info from ISU Cyclone, but I forgot once I logged in. Thanks for the suggestion.

Happy 4th of July to one and all!

Hello 57Partnership,

It's good to hear from you --- your current sequence of treatments is really helping you already --- that's SO encouraging and inspiring.

It sounds like your TAXOTERE chemotherapy infusions are working their magic ... make sure to check out the thread entitled "TAXOTERE SIDE EFFECTS" --- simply type that thread title into the search box at the top of your computer screen and that thread will instantly appear. It will help you navigate through your remaining chemo treatments ---

In time, please consider adding YOUR experiences to that TAXOTERE thread --- it was put together to help others navigate through a series of chemo treatments --- and it's filled with tips, strategies, and suggestions for helping to mitigate side effects from chemotherapy. Sounds like you're doing well ! I'm thankful for that !


It looks like you've already explored the relatively new ZYTIGA thread that we're putting together, in the interest of helping others. ZYTIGA is helping lots of fellows --- it's been helping me and other friends of mine.

In my case, I started on the ADT hormone shots to start "starving and strangling" my cancer, upon diagnosis.
Those initial shots reduced my PSA from over 100 at diagnosis, down to much lower levels.

From there, then I was in the first wave of fellows in this country who jumped aboard what became known as the "early chemo plan" --- this was three years ago. The chemo treatments helped knock my PSA down even lower, with the ADT hormone shots continuing to do their work simultaneously.

Each subsequent chemo treatment knocked my PSA down lower and lower, each time. It took patience --- but I felt it was beneficial. Because I watched the chemo treatments knock the PSA down lower than the ADT shots did by themselves, I consider myself an advocate for the importance of considering chemo treatments for fellows with complex cases of prostate cancer.

A few months after my chemo treatments were finished up, my oncologist strongly suggested we add ZYTIGA to my sequence of treatments.

My PSA dropped down to an ALL-TIME low after adding ZYTIGA --- down to undetectable levels.

I just received my 24th monthly bottle of ZYTIGA ... it has helped me for two solid years. I'm a school teacher ... I've been teaching for over 25 years and my treatments have carried me through the last four years, while continuing to teach school full-time.

For some reason, I saved the first empty ZYTIGA bottle at the end of that first month. One thing led to another, and I started saving all the empty bottles ... just as a way to mark my progress on ZYTIGA ... so now I have 24 ZYTIGA bottles, all lined up in a row on my shelf ... I really wanted to see how far this newer breakthrough medication could carry me, you see ... I'm still on ZYTIGA.

I'm really thankful to read how well you are doing on your treatments --- you have my loyalty and support, as your treatments continue 57Partnership.

Check back with us often --- let us know how you're faring --- we'll leave the front porch light on for you!

Handshake, from across the miles,
Iowa State University "Cyclone"