3 survey opportunities have come our way for you …… and AnCan receives a donation for each approved respondent:
…… if you are taking or have taken and stopped relugolix (Orgovyx), you can earn upto $200 for 80 min of your time, mostly a one-on-one interview. Or, upto $350 if you interview together with your caregiver. Please reach out to us via info@ancan.org and we’ll connect you.
……. if you experience a cough or shortness of breath and are in any type of active treatment, including for urinary issues, there is an opportunity to earn $100 for 60 minutes of time from your home computer. The cough or shortness of breath does not have to be related to your diagnosis or treatment. If interested, please go to https://gigs.savvy.coop/stcancer/?r=a…
…… if you have experienced mouth swelling and sores (stomatitis) as a result of past or current treatment, there is another opportunity to earn $100 for 60 minutes of time from your home computer. If interested, please go to https://gigs.savvy.coop/cancer-stomat…
Editor’s Pick: Loads of cutting edge this week – cytokine storms from pembro or just an infection??? Two men fare diferently with Lu177 PSMA. And heed the warning – don’t pussyfoot when PCa first recurs – it may return.(rd)
Topics Discussed
Caregiver discusses 50+ husband’s metastatic disease; slow moving recurrence requires RT a SECOND time; exercise via a PT???; cytokine storm or just an infection – be sure before more pembro; two experiences from different Lu177 trials; is Pylarify Medciare approved?; agonist ADT resumed after 12-mo holiday with no buffer; low testosterone/metastasis are formula to get Covid booster
Chat Log
Bruce Bocian : 3:21 PM: Berger is our friends Urologist
Jake Hannam : 3:30 PM: Provenge since PSA is low right now?
Stephen Saft (to Everyone): 3:54 PM: Didn’t someone say they have been tolerating 20 Docetaxel treatments because of physical exercise
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 3:55 PM: That would be Iron Man Ken Anderson
Herb Geller (to Everyone): 3:56 PM: Exercise Preserves Physical Function in Prostate Cancer Patients with Bone Metastases. Galvão DA, Taaffe DR, Spry N, Cormie P, Joseph D, Chambers SK, Chee R, Peddle-McIntyre CJ, Hart NH, Baumann FT, Denham J, Baker M, Newton RU. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2018 Mar;50(3):393-399. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001454.
Richard G. (to Everyone): 3:58 PM: Is the value of exercise more for the cardio (running)or for the strength (weights)? Probably both but does one win out over the other? rg
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 3:59 PM: Both are very important/
Richard G. (to Everyone): 3:59 PM: Was John’s recurrence after 10 years after RP caught by having PSA test every 3 months for the 10 years? rg
Maria Anderzunas (to Everyone): 4:00 PM: I wonder that same thing as Richard G with the exercise, cardio or streghth , which is best, both would be optimal I’m sure.
John Vandenberg (to Everyone): 4:02 PM: yes, PSA test every 6 months for 10 years before recurrence; must leave – shared computer – thanks very much I’ll be calling in – John
Richard G. (to Everyone): 4:04 PM: tks Richard G. (to Everyone): 4:19 PM: what is the trial name? what is the term sidocan storm?
John Antonucci (to Everyone): 4:20 PM: cytokine
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 4:20 PM: cytokine storm
Richard G. (to Everyone): 4:20 PM: tks
Herb Geller (to Everyone): 4:21 PM: Cytokine storm is a result of a massive reaction of the immune system to an insult. Cytokines are hormones released from immune cells that signal to other immune cells, but also affect other cells.
John Antonucci (to Everyone): 4:22 PM: I don’t think it can account for the destrution of the platelets???
Peter Kafka (to Everyone): 4:28 PM: The Keytruda test: IMUDX swab test The resuts came from Soomi Fabian-Aguilar. Indicated I was “Low Risk” for Keytruda. Ordered by Dr. Mark Scholz of Prostate Oncology Specialists. ImuDX Testing – MiraDxhttps://miradx.com › imudx-testing This test predicts the risk of developing immune related adverse events in response to anti-PD1 or anti-PDL1 treatment. Already performing ImuDx Testing? ImuDx …
Stephen Saft (to Everyone): 4:32 PM: is there a possibility that Lu 617 will be approved soon?
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 4:33 PM: John Antonucci: Hematological Side Effects of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: The Example of Immune-Related Thrombocytopenia https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2019.00454/full
Herb Geller (to Everyone): 4:33 PM: All the information we have says that early next year.
Alan Moskowitz (to Everyone): 4:33 PM: Do we know when Medicare will cover Pylarify? (DCF-Pyl – Psma scan)
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 4:35 PM: Alan, I don’t think that is known.
John Antonucci (to Everyone): 4:35 PM: thanks Len got the article
Alan Moskowitz (to Everyone): 4:36 PM: Len – I had heard that possibly it could be covered now, in a private radiology setting vs in a hospital. But have not been able to confirm.
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 4:37 PM: Hmm, that’s seems odd, Alan. You’d think it would be the opposite.
Alan Moskowitz (to Everyone): 4:38 PM: Len – something about ‘pass through’ status is required for hospitals to bill it. I had talked to a rep from the company that makes it, Lantheus, and there was some vague comments that the company was possibly reimbursing radiology centers for the difference in cost for pylarify vs generic tracer. Again – not so clear.
Richard G. (to Everyone): 4:44 PM: Why not a psma pet scan for Alan M?What is the other name for PSMA petscan? “pilarafy”?
Len Sierra (to Everyone): 4:50 PM: 18F-DCFPyL
Alan Moskowitz (to Everyone): 4:53 PM: Richard G – I have also searched for clinical trials for psma scan – but having been in 2 of these already , i have not found any that is relevant.
ALFRED LATIMER (Private): 4:55 PM: I need to leave. See you next time. Thanks again for all your and groups help
AnCan – rick (to ALFRED LATIMER): 4:55 PM: pleasure – stay in touch
We received this great email from AnCan community member Allen, with tips from a patient’s perspective on to best manage your medical team, as inspired by our webinar “Managing Your Medical Team“.
From Allen himself…
First, I live in Auburn, Alabama, which is a smaller college town with a population of about 68,000 residents, including about 30,000 students. Until recently, we only had 1 urologist for the entire county with 175,000 residents. I was diagnosed with PCa a year ago and started looking outside my community for more options.
I landed at Emory University last November, but was disappointed with the level of service and attention to detail. After they made several mistakes this spring, I fired my team at Emory in July and went with a private practice Urologist in Atlanta and Dr. John Sylvester, a prominent Radiation Oncologist in Sarasota, FL.
I am much happier with the team I have now, but I have found it a little challenging managing a team of doctors in 3 different states and various distances from my home. Following are some things I have learned:
1. Referrals are not as important as they used to be. Many doctors will accept new patients without a referral.
2. Choose the Doctor, not the Institution, to get a doctor you are comfortable with.
3. Insurance – make sure the doctor is in your insurance network and ask your insurer if procedures are covered so you are not blindsided.
4. Telehealth calls – ask if the Doctor can do them, especially across state lines.
5. Keep good notes! I found a notebook system has been a great help in organizing my notes, phone calls, and appointments.
6. HIPAA – If you are comfortable with emailing your records and questions, that is your decision. I would rather get my info into the right hands quickly than to worry about a lot of red tape. Doctors may be more restricted by HIPAA rules.
7. Patient Portals – Use them if you can. It is an excellent and secure way to access your health records.
8. List your questions for the Doctor prior to visits to make sure you cover your concerns. Be concise. (and always hand the doc a copy of your questions at the start of your consult – that way everything gets answered: AnCan)
9. Coordinate your Medical Team – Secure office and FAX numbers and other contact info and have that info available to other members of your team if needed. This can save a lot of time and prevent delays.
10. Insist on getting good Diagnostics Tests.
Thanks, Allen! And as we say here at AnCan…Be your OWN best advocate!
On August 31st, we had the utmost pleasure having an all-star line up of wonderful health care members of all different specialties to come together and discuss being part of a team, including how patients and care partners can work together!
On our panel we had Ladybird Morgan, RN, MSW (Mettle Health, executive director and co-founder Humane Prison Hospice Project), Dr. Aaron Boster (Neurologist, MS expert, The Boster Center for Multiple Sclerosis), Dr. Pamela Munster (Oncologist, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center), and Karen Schanche, LCSW (psychotherapist).
You’ll hear open and honest dialogue, and great answers to questions from our audience.
Watch this amazing webinar here:
Special thanks to Myovant Sciences – Pfizer and Foundation Medicine for sponsoring this webinar.
For information on our peer-led video chat VIRTUAL SUPPORT GROUPS, click here.
To SIGN UP for the Group or any other of our AnCan Virtual Support groups, visit our Contact Us page.
Here’s our latest proposal for AnCan supporters to raise a few bucks on our behalf ……. follow Brit Paul Taylor’s lead and raise money for us with a US Version Rude Names fundraiser . And to heck with a moped … we have a few bigger bikes in this Group.
A very interesting but challenging and thought provoking article came to AnCan’s attention last week published by ASCO’s Journal of Clincial Oncology. The AnCan prostate cancer moderators thought carefully about whether we should reblog it Ultimately we decided it was worthwile for all our prostate cancer community, and maybe others too.
Please let us know your thoughts via info@ancan.org – we will add them to this page. Your editor has already taken the liberty of including some moderator responses:
Just one editorial comment on A Dozen Eggs, especially with men in mind using estrogen patches. AnCan is not aware of any clinical evidence that increased levels of estrogen promote prostate cancer progression.
…. it is an excellent and thought provoking article. If presented in the right context and sensitivity it could be quite instructive and inspirational.
It is really a great piece.
I think it’s fine, although I’m a little concerned about the oncologist telling Evelyn that estrogen might make her prostate cancer worse. I’m not aware of evidence supporting that concern
Quite interesting and not something I even thought about. I’d say the majority of our “customers” are squarely in the heterosexual male category but I wouldn’t doubt that many of them may know someone similar to Evelyn. I have a work association with a transgender woman that I’ve known for 15+ years, well before the transition. I know from past conversations that she has not had reassignment surgery. It might be something she faces in the future. Now you have me wondering if they take the prostate out for reassignment surgery.
I have attended workshops discussing transgender issues in the medical world. The system mistreats and misunderstands transgender patients. Medical staffs humiliate them and ask for their birth names and to show their driver’s licenses.
If these patients undergo transformative surgery, they retain their prostates. So ironically, as much as they wish to change their identities, they need to undergo digital rectal exams and PSAs as part of routine care.
Change is coming slowly to accept these people in medicine and in the larger society.
