So Chemo is Good for You Again?

You men with incurable prostate cancer have probably heard at least some of this. In recent years men with advanced prostate cancer were usually given chemotherapy only when everything else failed. When your Dr. said, “Let’s try Chemo,” you (or at least me) figured you were almost dead. In a world where cancer drugs showing ‘significant survival benefit’ keep you alive 3.7 extra months, it’s easy to be skeptical of new claims. 

But wait, things are changing…

A recent article published by Medscape reports changes in the use of chemotherapy. Several recent studies have shown that adding chemo BEFORE the hormone blockers (such as abiraterone and enzalutamide) have failed can lead to ‘significant survival benefit’ for many men—in the 17 to 22

month range (on average). That’s good. Docetaxel, a plant based chemotherapy agent, was used in the studies. It has been around nearly 20 years but just recently used earlier in the prostate cancer treatment cycle. 

Men using hormone blockers and who also have metastatic prostate cancer have been treated with docetaxel infusions while the hormone blockers have still been effective. Those men lived significantly longer than men who did not start chemo treatment until the hormone blockers became much less effective.

But there can be side effects…

Side effects are common. Most cancer meds come with some unpleasant side effects. Docetaxel (like other chemotherapies) has side effects that can be serious enough that some men can’t tolerate it. 

Side effects can include:

•         Being allergic to docetaxel
•         Increased risk of infection, red and white cell blood counts low
•         Nausea 
•         Diarrhea 
•         Mouth sores 
•         Weight gain
•         Hair loss (for those who still have hair)
•         ….and more

So when your doctor brings up the subject of chemo—don’t panic, it just might be worth your while (and a few extra months) to consider the possibilities.

axman

All Those Other Diseases of Old Age

This BLOG has almost always been about prostate cancer, things related to prostate cancer, or coping with prostate cancer. I have written about diagnosis, surgery, no surgery, radiation therapy, clinical trials, hormones, chemo, psychological factors, support groups, family, stages, and more. 

But to put life and diseases into some sort of perspective there are a lot of things other than prostate cancer, that can make old men sick. Really. Prostate cancer has long been the center of my world, but it is not the major cause of illness and death in old men. It’s not even the most dangerous cancer!

Heart disease is the most dangerous condition for older people, both men and women. About 25% of older men die from heart disease. So take care of your heart!

Cancer in general is the second leading cause of death in older men—23%. A majority of those deaths are from lung cancer with prostate cancer and colorectal cancer trailing behind.

After those two major categories there is a long list of life threatening things that can happen. The list includes injuries, COPD, stroke, diabetes, suicide, pneumonia, Alzheimer’s, and liver disease. None of those conditions account for more than 6% of all deaths, but we all know somebody who has had to cope with them. 

I’m not trying to preach doom and gloom; just the opposite. Most of us are living long lives and managing all those diseases and conditions pretty well. Nobody lives forever, but ‘almost forever’ is probably good enough. And having prostate cancer doesn’t mean you can ignore all those other things that could go wrong. We all need to pay attention, take care of ourselves, and have lots of fun.

axman