Is BC really ahead of PC??

Just a thought. I have been reading a lot on how BC (Breast Cancer) is so far ahead of PC.

I agree that in terms of public relations (hence, probably, fund raising) that is correct. One need only look at the sea of pink at major sporting events to realize the support garnered to fight BC.

But, what about in terms of tx. options?

I have known a few people now with incurable BC. In general, they first had surgery, and then a type of HT and radiation. But in the cases I am aware of, the next step was chemo. That's quite a miserable step. In PC, it seems we are getting more and more drugs and most start out in trials as a post-chemo adjunct, but then after other trials they are used before chemo. In short, chemo is moving down the line as a tx. Seems to me that is a positive for us, and it is ahead of the situation with BC.

Am I missing something?

Mel

I note that HIV gets a larger slice of the resource pie than a disease like HCV despite the fact that HCV kills many more people. I assume that is because the folks with HIV are better organized. Maybe BC is more organized?

This is what I understand about early and later stage treatments Mel. The condition can be treated or in permanent remission with surgery. My 80 year old mother-in-law is in this category after a mastectomy last year. Most however then go immediately to an oral hormone therapy which is recommended for 5 years. This decreases the oestrogen which may cause reoccurrence. The hormone is different depending on if the woman is pre or post menopause but effects similar to the guys in HT. my mother-in law has had few side effects although some. Ie. muscular aches, fatigue, increased emotional lability. But she addresses these by keeping active. Hopefully this combination will keep her clear.

Any spot lesions appearing elsewhere can be treated with radiation. Again, like the Pca guys, this can have side effects but people with ongoing difficulties can treat with radiation sometimes. But yes, chemo is often the next step and occurs more so than in guys with various stages of Pca.

My mother in law's cell grade did not require chemo (this is rare but lucky for her) but at the support groups I attended with her (she has two sons), there were many ladies who did follow their surgery with regimes of chemo. These had often been successful and for some, continued. I think therefore the overall treatment trajectory is similar for early stage one treatment Pca like surgery or brachytherapy alone, with the exception of then having the 5 year hormone to prevent recurrences which the great majority of ladies do end up doing. I met one lady who did not go with the post surgery Bca hormone treatment but that was her choice and she sought out other alternative therapies to assist her remission. For later stage Bca Mel which is followed by chemo, I think the treatment may be of a much longer duration but I don't really know.

My knowledge of Bca is limited to layperson knowledge, but overall it's a similar trajectory which I think is more visible and impacts a woman's sense of self and identity which she then has to adjust to. That was my mother in laws experience. But she did adjust. The problem with my hubby's Pca side effects even though he too has recovered, is that few people, even today, and even including his mum who had Bca, know or recognise what he went through in the same sort of things in terms of adjustment and identity. Few people acknowledge that his battle with Pca although easy compared to most here, was the most traumatic thing of his life too. Probably because Pca is less visible not to mention the debates around the treatment etc.

Interesting questions though. I think both diseases stink personally.
In Australia the rates for men and women are equal. Bca is the 5th of the leading 10 issues for women, and Pca is the 5th of the top 10 issues for men. Heart disease is number 1 for both men and women here, but as for rates of Pca and Bca as of 2009 (last stats) they were equal in terms of prevalence.

I agree with your point Mel. I think for breast cancer once spread that chemo is the option however that is when guys with Pca can perhaps step by step it as you have done over time. It may not be black and white. I endeavour to support both, but often find myself educating women with breast cancer if they are fundraising because for every donation I give to breast cancer, I then follow it up by giving the equivalent to the prostate cancer foundation and tell them both when I do so. It often leads to a good conversation about both conditions (although keeps me poor!).

Overall I think there is much less knowledge out there about prostate cancer and this annoys me. Well ..... That was my long post for this year. Cheers. If I am " babbling" forgive me. My country is on fire at the moment ..... Lana (PS. We are safe)

Thanks for the responses. Very interesting. I am not convinced that we know more about BC, although that seems to be the common opinion. We seem to have more nostrums to try against PC and, as I said, many before chemo.

Incidentally, when any disease has a large number of treatments, it means we are not too good at a cure!

Mel

Jerry:

Thanks very much -- that graph is very telling and does seem to indicate that we have made great strides in PC.

Mel

Random:

Is that true? Jerry L's graph seems to indicate equal mortality.

Mel