Predicting Radiation Side Effects – PROSTOX Webinar with interesting updates!
Last year, we presented a webinar on predicting Prostate Cancer Radiation Treatment side effects with PROSTOX before treatment begins. By analyzing your unique genetics, you can make smarter, more informed decisions to avoid side effects and safeguard your quality of life for years to come.
PROSTOX Standard (previously PROSTOX CFRT+) predicts late grade ≥2 toxicity from conventionally fractionated (CFRT) or moderately hypofractionated (MHFRT) radiation therapy for patients with localized prostate cancer. Together with PROSTOX Ultra, which is already available for patients considering stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), the PROSTOX portfolio now provides risk assessment across a broader range of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) types. We’ll discuss the updates and other patient concerns, such as insurance coverage and questions to bring to your doctors.
PCPEP – The Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program: Improve Your Quality of Life
PCPEP – learn how to employ the Science and Practice of an Anti‑Inflammatory Lifestyle – With Dr. Rob Rutledge
AnCan is all about survivorship – improving Quality of Life after diagnosis, with a focus on diet/nutrition, exercise, stress management, and more.
We now welcome PCPEP (Prostate Cancer Patient Empowerment Program), a Canadian-based program at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. https://pcpep.org to our AnCan family.
PCPEP’s goal is to optimize survivorship for prostate cancer patients and others. It does this through daily emails and videos focused on components that contribute to your QoL – exercise, nutrition, stress reduction, and the social connection that makes AnCan a big family.
Watch Co-founder Dr. Rob Rutledge, a GU radiation oncologist, explain the program.
The program is FREE and currently open to ALL men with a prostate cancer diagnosis. Although the presentation was made to Gents in early Active Surveillance, it is open to all levels.
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!
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 has long been perplexed by the prostate cancer category “non-metastatic Castrate Resistant” or even “non-metastatic Hormone Sensitive”. If PSA is rising after primary treatment but prior to hormone treatment, something’s going on, however, ‘micro-metastatic’. It’s like being just a little bit pregnant!!
This paper considers a new category, PSMA Positive Biochemically Recurrent – PSMA+ BCR. We circulated the paper to our Brains Trust and reached out to Dr. Ravi Madan at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) with a couple of questions. Dr Madan offered to meet with us along with his colleague, Dr. Melissa Abel. What resulted was this REMARKABLE video that could present many of our recurrent and advanced AnCan (& non-AnCan) participants with one of the most mind-blowing videos many have seen in a long time,
DO YOU REALLY NEED TREATMENT??
As the venerable and highly respected Dr. Paul Schellhammer said in the meeting, “it’s like listening 15 years ago to the folks who began to promote active surveillance ( in first line treatment)” Dr. Madan and Dr. Abel have collected solid data from around 150 patients that suggests men with slow PSA doubling times can “play the long game” as Dr. Ravi calls it, and defer active treatment when their disease recurs.
PLEASE watch this astonishing presentation, listen to some excellent observations and questions, and consider how it relates to your own situation. And spread the word to others. Dr. Madan’s and Dr. Abel’s NCI clinical trial can be found at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05588128. Don’t immediately assume you’re not eligible before speaking with them… but you’ll have to watch the video to get their contact information.
