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/
Editor’s Pick: Is AnCan onto yet another largely unreported side effect – Pluvicto & myopathy (muscle wasting)? And 20% of mHSPC men show progression w/o PSA rise (ARCHES trial)!! (rd)
Topics Discussed
Brainstorming hot flashes – from acupuncture to Megace; pain management; Pluvicto and myopathy; Pluvicto availability poses tx dilemma; more pain management re. Pluvicto; logistics of a Pluvicto session; urine stream and advanced PCa; upcoming Sholz webinar; better evidence from testicular PCa Mx could offer next tx guidance; sleep apnea; Payer attitude to repeat PSMA scans; what sequencing, PSMA and pathology offer; 20% of men on LHRH don’t show PSA rise with radiographic progression (see Len’s Chat post below); next step – BAT
Chat Log
Jim B · 8:17 PM Hi Bob, I am feeling pretty good all around. Finally I am in FL and getting settled in. On my first day here I was able to get a lot more exercise than up in the cold weather. How’s your WBC coming along?
AnCan – rick · 10:06 PM @JeffW .. from Telix – “Medicare typically reimburses one scan for suspected metastases prior to definitive treatment, and scans after definitive treatment (biochemical recurrence) are not limited to a number, but all must meet medical necessity. Commercial payors typically have similar policies, but there are so many different plans that the answer can vary. Almost all commercial payors require prior authorizations so the patient should know if the scan will be reimbursed before arriving for the test.” Hope this helps.
Len Sierra · 10:08 PM Armstrong recommends imaging every 3 months in mHSPC. From the ASCO 2022 Annual Meeting: See yellow highlights below. https://dailynews.ascopubs.org/do/10.1200/ADN.22.200934/full/?cid=DM10522&bid=171588107 ARCHES Analysis Underscores Importance of Regular Imaging to Detect Progression in Patients With mHSPC Receiving Potent AR Inhibitors May 26, 2022 Dr. Andrew J. Armstrong Key Points: • Post hoc analysis of the ARCHES trial identified frequent discordance between radiographic progression and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression among patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) receiving enzalutamide. • The results suggest that regular radiographic imaging, rather than serial PSA testing, is the preferred method for monitoring disease progression in patients with mHSPC receiving a potent androgen receptor inhibitor.
Some of our Blog readers, have attended AnCan’s Speaking Freely virtual group. That’s our men-only meeting that talks about everything and anything EXCEPT treatment. It’s open to all men living with a chronic condition and provides a great opportunity twice a month to get things off your chest and to air issues where another perspective may help. Like all our meetings, it’s free and drop in on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month starting at 8.00 pm Eastern in our AnCan Barniskis Room.
December’s second meeting of the month hosted a newbie to Speaking Freely but not to our AnCan Groups. Alan Babcock has been attending our prostate cancer groups for a while; he was finally able to vacate his schedule to make a Speaking Freely group. Alan recently retired from a hugely meaningful and rewarding career where he supervised Disability Services for students at Penn State – Go Nittany Lions!! Over the years, his team enabled thousands of disabled students to graduate .
In the course of the SF group conversation, we spoke about how cancer has impacted our lives – positively and negatively. When Alan mentioned he’d be keeping track of all the gifts received from his prostate cancer experience, we immediately asked for a copy – and here it is.Thanks for sharing your vulnerabilities, Alan and for allowing others to learn and benefit! (Editor: We’ve chosen to put Prostate in parenthesis, because for the large part, we think this applies to most all cancers!! )
Gifts of (Prostate) Cancer
1. I experienced a flood of love and good wishes from family, friends, and colleagues.
2. I returned to therapy, and I deepened my self-understanding.
3. I had the opportunity to confront my mortality, which taught me to think about decisions I make day-to-day.
4. I saw my wife do battle with the medical establishment on my behalf and win.
5. My love for my wife deepened as we confronted a life crisis.
6. I watch myself travel from despair to acceptance. Once again, demonstrating my resilience to myself.
7. I was given the opportunity to learn how to love my wife in new ways.
8. For about the hundreth time, I saw my wife was a tower of strength, and I learned once again that she would always be there for me.
9. I felt my wife’s unconditional love as she held me while I cried for all of my losses.
10. I experienced what it was like to have somebody pray for me.
11. I took control of my well-being by firing my first urologist and finding better care elsewhere, which was empowering.
12. I talked to other men who had prostatectomies about highly personal subjects.
13. I started to learn how to engage in Mindfulness rather than just talking about it.
14. I experienced a high school friend showing how much he cared by not only investigating where I received treatment, but also the physician who was going to perform the prostatectomy.
15. My brother-in-law showed how much he cared by arranging a consultation with a physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Center.
16. A professor, who I did not know well, gave me her telephone number, and told me to call any time day or night.
17. I learned what was helpful and what was unhelpful when someone was facing a life crisis.
18. I joined a support group, in which I learn much about prostate cancer and in which I receive support.
19. I am learning to accept my limitations.
20. I have helped other men, which has been rewarding
Stressed? In pain? Take a break with us while we paint a relaxing winter scene with your peers who “get it”. While this is our last art class of 2022, we are coming back strong in 2023! (In fact, you can register here)
Supplies:
Acrylic paints: Blue / Purple / Yellow / White / Brown / Black / Red (or your choice bird color)
Brushes: Flat 3/4in OR similar size; Round size #8 or smaller
Good news to fans of our art class! We’ll be painting a classic acrylic painting this December 15th at 8pm ET
If you’re able to or interested in signing up, then here’s all the info you need
It’s another BYOAS class – Bring Your Own Art Supplies
Please sign up here if you’d like to join us! All ability levels are welcome! I’ll be instructing everyone step-by-step on how to paint this. As always, feel free to add your own flair of creativity – different trees, different arrangement of trees, more birds, more branches, different colors, anything to make you love it even more 🙂
Acrylic paints: Blue / Purple / Yellow / White / Brown / Black / Red (or your choice bird color)
Brushes: Flat 3/4in OR similar size; Round size #8 or smaller
Canvas: 9in x 12in (or whatever size you want!)
Water / napkins / paper plate or palette
We’ll be using a whole lot of white paint, so make sure you have plenty of that.
As for brushes, sizes are approximate. If you have something smaller, it may take a little longer (maybe!) and if you have a size a little larger, it may take a shorter amount of time (again, maybe!).
If you have family coming in for the holidays, they’re absolutely welcome to have fun with us!!
I will send out the link to class a day or so beforehand 🙂
As always, please let me (Hannah@AnCan.org) or Alexa (Alexa@AnCan.org) know if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Hopefully you can join us!
Don’t forget to sign up at the link above. Looking forward to seeing you next week!
Now here’s an uplifting pancreatic cancer story for you.
Jay Sandler of Canopy Cancer Collective celebrates almost a decade as a pancreatic cancer survivor. He later went on to be our moderator for our support group.
Read his story at the Hirshberg Foundation about what must have felt like a never-ending treatment journey.
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month is over, but there’s still plenty of reason to celebrate stories and celebrate survivors. If you or a loved one happens to also be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, drop into one of our group meetings. We meet on the 4th Thursday of each month at 8 pm ET / 7 pm CT / 6 pm MT / 5 pm PT in the AnCan Schmier Room.
December’s second meeting of the month hosted a newbie to Speaking Freely but not to our AnCan Groups. Alan Babcock has been attending our prostate cancer groups for a while; he was finally able to vacate his schedule to make a Speaking Freely group. Alan recently retired from a hugely meaningful and rewarding career where he supervised Disability Services for students at Penn State – Go Nittany Lions!! Over the years, his team enabled thousands of disabled students to graduate .
