Hello and help!

Hi everyone

It has been some time since I last visited this site, hope everyone is keeping well.

I just wondered if anyone could offer any help or advice with regard to my husband's situation.

After somewhat of a honeymoon period (if there is such a thing!) of reasonable response to zolodex, My husband's psa has bounced from 10 to 23 to 34 in three months.

We knew chemo was going to be the next step and he is due to get first treatment early in the new year.

His consultant seemed to be of the opinion that the chemo would give him a further 3 - 4 months symptom free (he has no symptoms atm, no pain, weight loss or anything) so the reason for starting the treatment now is that he is in good health and will be better equipped to withstand the treatment.

We were fairly gutted to hear that the chemo had such a short effect. Is there anything after chemo? The consultant seemed to think not (other than Aberitone or whatever it's called which probably wont be licensed til later next year)

The guy doesn't like us asking questions. Keeps saying 'one step at a time' easy when it's someone else's life your talking about.

Does anyone know what we might expect over the next 12 months? I know this is an impossible question, unanswerable other than in the most general of terms, but we are soo in the dark it's driving us mad!

Sorry to put this one out there but I'm sure some will have an idea what the possibilities are

Thanks in advance

Julia

Hey, thanks for the response Danielle

We haven't heard of ketocanazole, we're in the UK so wonder if it's only available in the US. Either way, it would be very much worth mentioning next time we see the consultant - two years is great!

My husband has bone mets in five places but there has been little change on his CT scan and, like I say, he has no pain.

Taxotere is the chemo he will be getting too - he's a bit worried about the side effects, understandably of course, so good to hear that your man settled down fairly quickly.

Thanks again, wishing you both the best

Julia

Hi julia,i am based in the uk and i understand what your saying about the worries when doctors state that you will get 3-4 months extra relief from chemo.I have bone and lymph node mets and have been on zoladex for only 2 months.Every thing you read on pc is always average statistics but if you look deeper many men do much much better than the published statistics.I was reading a thread from a man on this site called Will ( u will see it if you scroll the first couple of pages),and he as lived with metastatic desease for 16 yrs.I believe that second line hormone therapy can get results and combined therapy also brings things back under control.I personally dont fancy the chemo as a second alternative when my desease becomes refractory so i know how your husband is feeling.Albireterone is looking very promising though as a treatment for refractory pc and i believe nice have given it licence in Europe so hopefully that could be an option in the near future.I wish you both all the very best just keep on smiling.