Posted 7/3/2012 7:47 AM (GMT 0)
Folks I am in the Prevail clinical trial for MDV3100. I am in the 7th month so it is still early days. My PSA was 250 when diagnosed 2 years ago at age 66, gleeson score was 4+4 with some 4+5, my PC had metastized to my lymph nodes and bones. My initial treatment was Cosudex and then Zoladex. This dropped my PSA down to 3.3 over 8 months, then my PSA sesawed up and down for the next 8 months. CT and bone scans in 2010 showed the evidence of my PC in my bones and lymph nodes. Repeat scans in November 2011 showed evidence of increased PC in those areas. When I commenced the trial in December 2011 my PSA was 4.9, my PSA continued to rise, peaking at 6.6 in May 2012 and dropping back to 5.9 in June 2012.Whilst this fall is only small it is still very encouraging. However, the exciting news is my CT and bone scan reports read "stable sketatel metastized disease and now measurable, nil but evidence of non-measurable metastic disease present".
Again it is early days, but these early indicators are fantastic, and are almost a miracle and gives me hope that MDV3100 will provide me with some years of survival and QOL. It also gives me hope for my fellow suffers of PC that they will also gain the benefit of this drug in the future.
The side effects are very tolerable, in my case my fatigue is a bit worse, I now suffer from some headaches, some bouts of diarrhea and my blood pressure has increased. We are still working on dropping my BP, but it is taking some time to find the best combination of medication for this. I still have the usual side effects from Zoladex (depression, mood swings, ED, some incontinence, weight gain, lack of motivation, broken sleep, frustration, short term memory loss etc).
Overall the last month has probably been the best month I have had since I was diagnosed, I am so gratefull for being eligable to partake in this trial and give me some benefits. Whilst my PSA has not shown the reduction that many of the participants in the other trials of MDV3100 demonstrated, however, I think it is a bit academic because of my scan evidence.
This turn around hopefully will prolong the need for me to have to go on chemo. When approved the main problem is going to be the cost, understandably the research and development costs are huge, but the market is also huge and the financial returns will be there for the developers.
I pray that this insight into MDV3100 will give some hope to you fellow sufferers and careers.
I have no connection whatsoever with the researchers/developers of MDV3100, just an unlucky but perhaps now a lucky sufferer.
I have also posted this in another thread about MDV3100.
Good luck to all.