NIH has sent me info on TWO New Trials that fit me and maybe some of you

The folks at NIH have just sent me information on two other Diagnostic Trials that they are running. I qualify for both and will be studying them before I go back in four months for my next set of scans. Either or both would give me more valuable information on which to make future decisions.

I am posting the info on both of these; because I think that there are others of you that might want to look into these for your own prognostic value going forward.

Study of Ferumoxytol Enhanced MRI for Detecting Lymph Node Metastases in Prostate, Bladder, and Kidney Cancers

/clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02141490

“The first study involves the imaging agent Ferumoxytol (Feraheme). It is an Iron Replacement Therapy Agent that is approved by the FDA for patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. The agent is experimental for our clinic because it is being used for imaging instead of replacement therapy. There is no radiation involved in the study. The purpose of this study is to help researchers determine how well Ferumoxytol can detect lymph node metastases in patients with prostate, bladder, or kidney cancer. “

This study uses a contrast agent that is the same one used by Sand Lake Imaging here in Orlando. However Sand Lake is using it off label and you have to pay for the contrast agent. This is where Dr. Myers sends his patients for scanning. Sand Lake also has close ties with the Dattolli Cancer Institute located in Tampa.

I did a very thorough study of this and reported it here on HW, there was lots of good info contributed by others in this thread.

www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=2113874

Gadoxetate Enhanced Imaging Study to Detect Prostate Cancer

/clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01867424

“The second study involves the investigational agent, Eovist (Gadoxetate). It is an FDA approved imaging agent that is used to ID liver disease on MRI. There is the possibility that it may identify Prostate Cancer biomarkers. It has not been used for this purpose, so this is what makes it experimental. The MRI scan will be correlated with lab work and tissue samples that will need to be collected from a biopsy ( if you have not had a recent one). The biopsy will be obtained from the specific area identified by the radiologist and will be performed by Interventional Radiology here at NIH. This can be done with local/ conscious sedation or monitored/general anesthesia. The biopsy, labwork and MRI will be correlated to identify the specific OATPB13. This biomarker indicates that hormone therapy would not be the best option of treatment for these patients.”


I will be doing research on both of these and one or both may be in my future planning, especially if I go off Lupron on my next visit with my Onco.

I hope that this info may be of value to someone,

Sonny

Sonny, you make it sound like it is not either/or.

So I presume both MRI's can be done as long as enough time is given for the half life of the first to wear off before doing the second.

Thanks for sharing.

Since I had 3 micro LN's on the pelvic area pre SBRT, it might work for me to test whether it is all gone since last treatment on 10-20-14. I was planning on waiting until current PSA of 0.01 rose to 1.0 rather than waiting for the traditiional nadir +2 rule of thumb since PSA has never been a very reliable indicator for me.

Keep us posted now that yuu have some leisure time post your son in law's wedding.

edit - this phrase in second one seems to exclude you since you have already had prostate surgery - "Participants will be having surgery to either remove the prostate or take tumor tissue samples."

It may exclude me also as the reason I did SBRT was to avoid the side effects of surgery.

LupronJim

Jim, I heard back from Onco today. I called his office and ask that he read up on the Eovist trial and tell me his thoughts. The NIH sent me an email telling me there were only two spots left in the enrollment for the trial.

My Onco said that he thought it was a good trial for me so I emailed them right away to lock into one of the spots.

I plan to do both of the trials, especially if I go off Lupron when I meet with my Onco on the 13th.

Those two scans in combination with a repeat of the other two scans will give me lots of info to monitor my status while I am on the HT break. Coupled with PSA tests every 30 days I should be able to move quickly if something develops.

See you in DC,

Sonny

Marie, the Marriott on Pooks Hill Road is where I stayed. If you give them a letter that you are a patient at the NIH they have a discounted rate. They gave me a King suite that was normally about $180 for $109 per nite. And it included the upgraded hi speed internet and local and long distance at no charge.

I called Yolanda and she had a letter emailed to me the next day. I printed it out and took it with me.

The hotel also has a shuttle that runs to the NIH every 30 minutes. Also will take you to downtown Bethesda about every 45 minutes. I used both of the shuttles while I was there and it was convenient and very punctual.

When I was on the NIH shuttle from BWI they asked me what hotel I was staying at and they dropped me off on the way in.

Sonny

Thanks. Sonny.

I have been dealing with Yolanda and Juanita by email and snail mail of scans (maybe I should have forked out the $$ for overnight:} if I had read this before I mailed it. May be time to talk person to person about trying to snag that last slot.