New Chemo

User

Posted 23 May 2020 at 08:28

My husband had 4 cycles of Docetaxel last year, it was stopped because his PSA continued to rise. He is on Abiraterone but this is not controlling the PSA. They are going to change the steroid it is paired with and give it 6 weeks. If his PSA continues to rise they will try a different chemo. My question is if the first chemo wasn't effective what are the chances of a second chemo being effective? Thanks

User

Posted 23 May 2020 at 09:54

They tried this on me in France. Docetaxyl failed so they suggested a weaker chemical. In all honesty, none of them have a bloody clue. It’s either cut, burn or poison and if a doesn’t work, move to b as it is is on the script. Don’t wreck his body with more energy sapping chemicals when QOL is far more important. There comes a time when chemo just doesn’t achieve anything

good luck sister

bazza

User

Posted 23 May 2020 at 11:09

I am assuming that the onco is referring to cabazitaxel. In a data review a couple of years ago, it was shown to double the survival time for a large proportion of men whose docetaxel and abi / enzo failed.

Cabazitaxel isn't a weaker drug than docetaxel so Bazza may have had something else.

Definitely worth giving it a go. If cabz doesn't work, you could ask about trying stilboestrol - it is an old fashioned oestrogen but we have had a handful of members here who had real success with it when other treatments were ineffective.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 23 May 2020 at 11:36

Dear spaull, I also had a rising psa after 7 cycles of docetaxel. So we had a brief break, then went on cabazitaxel which caused the psa to fall again, currently down nearly 40%. So I would go for it!

User

Posted 23 May 2020 at 12:51

Thank you for your replies, they have given us some hope.

User

Posted 23 May 2020 at 13:22

If you do go on cabazitaxel don’t get alarmed if psa bounces around a bit, as long as overall trend is down. Keep an eye on alkaline phosphatase too, you want this going down if OH’s got bone mets. Good luck! PS also I have found side effects minimal. Still got most of the hair I started with!

User

Posted 24 May 2020 at 07:48

Fewer side effects would be good! Thanks for the advice.

User

Posted 27 May 2020 at 06:31

Another question, if I may. Neil is currently coming towards the end of standard treatment options. His oncologist said if the Abiraterone change and chemo doesn't work he will need to go to the Royal Marsden to look at trials. Before the last bout of chemo he was feeling reasonably fit and healthy (he still works full time). Six months after the last chemo session he is only really just getting back to normal, although he is not as fit as he was and he only had four cycles. Our worry is that even if he gets through 10 cycles and it knocks the cancer back for an extra year it will take him that extra year to get over the chemo. Is it worth it? I know Bazza's opinion but I would be interested to hear from others. We are torn between wanting to fight on and hoping for something to come around the corner and wanting to enjoy the now as much as possible.

Thanks

User

Posted 27 May 2020 at 14:19

My husband was told last year Cabazitaxel would be the last main stream treatment and we looked at trials first. He is fit and healthy but rising PSA and even more bone mets we should find out in a couple of days how much it has gone up with only HT over the last couple of months. He did one trial the begining of this year but PSA continued to rise. He is at Marsden now (I'm not allowed) to talk about further trials. He would prefer something other than Chemo or as he feels so healthy no treatment would be great but don't feel this is an option.

User

Posted 27 May 2020 at 20:05

Thank you for your reply to a tricky question. This really helps. I don't know why we didn't think of trials before chemo but we didn't. While Neil is feeling healthy this may be a good choice.

User

Posted 01 Jun 2020 at 05:02

Hi Spaulding,

I finished 10 rounds of docataxal last year, after being on enzolumide which had kept things low for while. I knew the docataxelmwasnt working before I finished the treatment and after a chat with the consultant we agreed that I would try there the cabazitaxel which was the chemo xl. I found the SE a bit harder but manageable, even got to do a canal boat break in oct. I did have the stop it after 6 rounds as this too, did not seem to work. Was it worth is, I am not 100%!sure but at that stage I was willing to try anything.

Dark warrior is right about keeping an eye on the alkaline phosphatase for bone mets. This is the last bullet in my gun and currently being treated with radium 223, a treatment to not treat the source but to douse the flames for a while.

Good luck

Steven

User

Posted 23 Jul 2020 at 08:27

Just reading through some threads re chemo. My oh has just had second round of docetaxel and is on 3 monthly HT injections. His psa has just come back at 0.6 (from 28) which we thought was great. I am slightly concerned as other chats seem to think this is a highish level but maybe that’s related to other treatment? Is 0.6 good/bad or somewhere in the middle?

User

Posted 23 Jul 2020 at 09:16

0.6 is great for a man who still has a prostate. There isn't a range that men on HT should stay within so 0.6 or 6.0 could both be a great result; it's the direction of travel that matters.

When you see major debates about PSA below 0.1 or 0.03 or whatever, these are the men who had surgery.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 23 Jul 2020 at 09:27

Great thank you LynEyre!

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