AnCan thanks the following sponsors for making this recording possible: Novartis, Telix, Blue Earth Diagnostics and Foundation Medicine.
Views expressed in this Recording are solely the opinion of AnCan Foundation, our Moderators and Participants.
AnCan does not accept sponsored promotion. Any drugs, protocols or devices discussed are based solely on anecdotal peer experience or clinical evidence.
AnCan cannot and does not provide medical advice. We encourage you to discuss anything you hear in our sessions with your own medical team.
AnCan reminds all Participants that Adverse Events experienced from prescribed drugs or protocols should be reported to the pharmaceutical manufacturer or the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). To do so call 1-800-332-1066 or download interactive FDA Form 3500 https://www.fda.gov/media/76299/download
All AnCan’s groups are free and drop-in … join us in person sometime! You can find out more about our 12 monthly prostate cancer meetings at https://ancan.org/prostate-cancer/ Sign up to receive a weekly Reminder/Newsletter for this Group or others at https://ancan.org/contact-us/
Join our other free and drop in groups:
Men (Only) Speaking Freely…1st & 3rd Thursdays @ 8.00 pm Eastern https://ancan.org/men-speaking-freely/
Veterans Healthcare Navigation… 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 8.00 pm Eastern Schmier Room https://ancan.org/veterans/
Veterans Speaking freely… 4th Tuesday @ @ 8.00 pm Eastern Schmier Room
Editor’s Pick: AnCan’r considering AMG509 STEAP T-Cell engager; does IDC-P make you high risk?
Topics Discussed
Newbie needs GU MO and doublet; ADT and heart issues; BRCA2 germline Gent progresses after P; no evidence for doublet; long-timer needs to switch treatment; moving from Pluvicto to xaluritamig/ AMG509/ STEAP trial; supplemental E2 discussed by peer – insurance issues, gui9dance on E2 blood levels; IDC-P man on RT asks how much HT; with BCR, doubling time may be more significant guide to BCR than actual PSA level
Chat
Jim Marshall, Vet Support Grp. Moderator sent: 6:33 PM
Joining from the air. No mic available. I just blogged the Estradiol conversation.
AnCan – Rick sent: 7:36 PM
Kishan would say 6 months per his recent meta study
Show Tran the Kishan paper
Jeff Marchi – San Francisco sent: 7:37 PM
has he had genetic testing? it can frequently be associated with genetic issues
AnCan – Rick sent: 7:37 PM
12 months if you’re more aggressive.
Is Spratt the final author
Steve Schuler (Seattle) sent: 7:40 PM
I just wrapped it up a month ago. Now I’m on nothing, no ADT either. I was on Lupron for 2 years, abiraterone also for 2 years, but started a year after the Lupron started (there’s a story there, but later), and then on Estradiol for most of the time I was on abiraterone. But now on nothing. For most of the E2, it was .05mg (50 microgram) patches 2 per week. So a box of 8 lasts you 4 weeks. With GoodRX, those were $13/box
A word about the dose level of the patches: that’s the estimated dose delivery of a patch per day. The amount of E2 in the patch itself is higher, something like 600 microgram is what I remember, but then it releases slowly at an ESTIMATED rate of 50. But that release rate is highly dependent on the amount of fat under the skin, etc. So your milage will vary
Mark N sent: 7:44 PM
Thanks for the feed back!
dan-s alexandria sent: 7:48 PM
thanks Jimmy
Pierre D., Olean, NY sent: 7:52 PM
Thank you all for your input.
Jeffrey G sent: 7:53 PM
We were in the 90s today. Ugh, warmest AZ winter i’ve ever been in. Still, gotta be grateful for warm weather and for a psa of 0.02…Adios
Learn from AnCan’s Emperors of Estradiol… video chat and discussion
AnCan would bet no other prostate cancer support group has the experience and knowledge around using estradiol.
For those unfamiliar, estradiol is a female hormone that is found in men in small part; just like women carry a low level of testosterone (T). In large levels, estradiol (E2) can suppress T and effectively do the work of androgen deprivation, without many of the side effects of ADT. It is cheap and effective and has been around many years. So cheap that many pharmaceutical companies are concerned it can replace a primary, far more profitable ADT agent… like Lupron, Eligard, Firmagon or Orgovyx. Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor, makes the argument better than I can.
It offers a much higher Quality of Life, and the recent PATCH trial has shown its efficacy and non inferiority. The major disadvantages are 1) getting a doctor to prescribe it since it is not FDA approved and must be prescribed off label. And 2) gynecomastia (breast enlargement) that can be painful and socially embarrassing, although it has remedies.
Two of the most outspoken and well recognized advocates for E2 are peer users associated with AnCan. Dr. Paul Schellhammer, a former President of the American Urological Association, is on our Brains Trust. Dr. Richard Wassersug is on AnCan’s Advisory Board. Both have used E2 for more than 20 years, while AnCan member Al Latimer outlasts them both – but not together.
Listen to this outstanding discussion… yet again AnCan’s information is PRICELESS!
AnCan’s ambitious CEO and Founder, Rick Davis, recently sat down with Rarity Life, the magazine published by Same But Different Creative, to share the deeply personal journey that led to the creation of AnCan.
In the interview, Rick reflects on his early days navigating a prostate cancer diagnosis — a moment that reshaped his life & his understanding of what true support should look like. Like so many survivors and thrivers, he quickly discovered that information alone isn’t enough. What people often need most is connection — the chance to speak openly with others who truly understand the lived experience of cancer.
That realization became the foundation of AnCan.
Rick shares how traditional support models don’t always meet people where they are. Geographic limitations, physical health challenges, financial strain, rare diagnoses, and even the emotional weight of walking into an in-person group can all create barriers. For many, simply showing up can feel overwhelming.
AnCan was built to remove as many of those barriers as possible.
Rick’s full interview in Rarity Life offers an inspiring look at leadership shaped by lived experience, and a reminder that meaningful change often begins with one person asking: How can we do this better?
AnCan thanks the following sponsors for making this recording possible: Novartis, Telix, Blue Earth Diagnostics and Foundation Medicine.
Views expressed in this Recording are solely the opinion of AnCan Foundation, our Moderators and Participants.
AnCan does not accept sponsored promotion. Any drugs, protocols or devices discussed are based solely on anecdotal peer experience or clinical evidence.
AnCan cannot and does not provide medical advice. We encourage you to discuss anything you hear in our sessions with your own medical team.
AnCan reminds all Participants that Adverse Events experienced from prescribed drugs or protocols should be reported to the pharmaceutical manufacturer or the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). To do so call 1-800-332-1066 or download interactive FDA Form 3500 https://www.fda.gov/media/76299/download
All AnCan’s groups are free and drop-in … join us in person sometime! You can find out more about our 12 monthly prostate cancer meetings at https://ancan.org/prostate-cancer/ Sign up to receive a weekly Reminder/Newsletter for this Group or others at https://ancan.org/contact-us/
Join our other free and drop in groups:
Men (Only) Speaking Freely…1st & 3rd Thursdays @ 8.00 pm Eastern https://ancan.org/men-speaking-freely/
Veterans Healthcare Navigation… 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 8.00 pm Eastern Schmier Room https://ancan.org/veterans/
Veterans Speaking freely… 4th Tuesday @ @ 8.00 pm Eastern Schmier Room
Editor’s Pick: Switching hormone therapy drugs and for how long is the flavor of the day.
Topics Discussed
AnCan’s poster at GU ASCO26 https://ancan.org/ancan-gu-asco26-survivorship-poster/; doing well on HT, but for how much longer; real world evidence (RWE) lawsuit between Bayer and JnJ ARSI drugs; appointment set with GU MO at Fox Chase; confusion over NCI trial eligibility; stable after 24 months of HT – should he change it up?; triplet to doublet – can he switch HT drugs; abi and cost; HCP decisions to switch drugs; best Sibley GU MO for BRCA2; Siemens Quadrant may give better PSMA images at bladder neck; NEWBIE – climbing PSA on recurrence but nothing seen
Rick – do you have a verifiable mail or phone address for Dr. Epstein so I can request a second opinion of a Fox Chase biopsy? I’ve failed on three attempts.
2. NIH 2nd Opinion MRI (no fees)
Choyke, Peter (NIH/NCI) Radiologist (pchoyke@mail.nih.gov)
3. Second opinion of MRI from Johns Hopkins
Images and Reports for Providers | Johns Hopkins Radiology (hopkinsmedicine.org)
Email: eradiologycenter@jhmi.edu
Phone: 443-287-7378
Fax: 443-769-1210
AnCan GU ASCO26 survivorship poster: participants strongly endorse our Groups
For release on Monday, Feb 23, 2026
AnCan Foundation strongly believes we run the best support groups available!! We can now release the first results of our 2024 AnCan Participant Survey that confirms that our participants think so too. This first batch of results is taken from almost 300 prostate cancer responses at all levels of disease.
99% of respondents would recommend AnCan Groups
66% improved Quality of Life – 83% noted reduced stress; 62% improved nutrition; 56% increased exercise
88% advocated better for themselves and AnCan influenced over half (54%) the treatment paths
47% made new friendships – AnCan’s personal favorite since this extends support well beyond our Groups
If you’re attending GU ASCO26 , please stop by our poster on Friday, Feb 27 to meet Dr. John Antonucci, discuss these astonishing results and the AnCan method, and pick up a flyer of the poster.
Evaluating the impact of virtual peer-led support groups on prostate cancer survivorship: the AnCan experience.
John Antonucci*, Boykin B. Jordan, Anita Oppong, Richard Davis
Abstract Number: 265
Poster Board Number: A23
Session Title: Poster Session B: Prostate Cancer and Urothelial Carcinoma
Date and Time: February 27, 2026, 11:30 AM-12:45 PM; 4:45 PM-5:45 PM (PST)
Background: Comprehensive prostate cancer (PCa) survivorship requires more than just clinical care, including education, psychosocial support, self-advocacy, and lifestyle guidance—needs often unmet by traditional oncology visits. Virtual peer-led support groups, such as those offered by the AnCan Foundation, offer accessible, real-time platforms for patients to share experiences, receive guidance, and foster community, regardless of geography. This study evaluates the impact of AnCan participation on factors known to be associated with a better quality of life (QOL) among PCa survivors.
Methods: A web-based survey was administered in 2024 to PCa survivors who attended or expressed interest in AnCan meetings. Respondents (N=294) provided demographic information and rated AnCan’s impact on QOL, peer support, self-advocacy, and satisfaction. Data were analyzed to assess the subjective influence of AnCan’s virtual support model on survivorship.
Results: (2021 results are in brackets for comparison.) Most respondents were in their 60s–70s (75%), highly educated (82%), and 55% had incomes over $100,000. Eighty-three percent had someone in their lives they could rely on and with whom they maintained regular contact.
Nearly all (97%) found AnCan meetings helpful for disease understanding, learning options, and well-being. Sixty-six percent reported improved QOL; 83% [50%] noted reduced stress; 62% [38%] improved nutrition; and 56% [58%] increased exercise. Satisfaction was high, with 99% recommending AnCan.
AnCan involvement enhanced self-advocacy (88%), improved patient-provider communication, and improved decision-making. Seventy percent brought information from AnCan to their providers, 49% added new providers, and 40% changed their lead provider. Over half (54%) reported that AnCan influenced their treatment path.
Socially, 55% [43%] connected with peers outside meetings, and 47% made new friendships.
Conclusions: Survey responses indicate that the AnCan virtual peer-led model, to be described in the poster, meaningfully increases patient knowledge, empowers self-advocacy, reduces stress, and fosters healthy behaviors, improving quality of life for PCa survivors. We advocate for integrating such peer support into NCCN, AUA, and ASCO survivorship guidelines.
