Nuclear Man

I guess that’s what you could call me now, after six treatments of LU-177, then six more Pluvicto treatments under my belt. And now, with a rapidly rising PSA, I’m applying for an Actinium trial here in SoCal. While I won’t give all the specifics from my prior LU-177 and Pluvicto posts, I’ll provide a summary of my particular roller coaster rides.

After 4 years of doing Lupron, Zytiga, Taxotere, Xtandi, xGeva (for bone mets) and Provenge, I started LU-177 in August 2021, when PSA was at 65. Three months after my 6th LU-177 treatment, (June, 2022) PSA was 0.65. From there it went up to as high as 300 when I did my first Pluvicto treatment in May 2023. A month after my sixth Pluvicto treatment in December 2023, PSA was 5.91. Now, in April, it’s 32.87.

While I restarted Zytiga last month to see if that would help, so far it has not. If PSA continues to rise the next couple months, I’m told that I could qualify for an Actinium trial, aka, 225Ac-PSMA. The great news is that my “nuclear doc” here in SoCal is heading one of the trial sites which should begin as early as next month.
So the journey continues. For those who may be eligible for Pluvicto, please see my previous posts. I remember reading the results of the LU-177 trials, that stated that the treatment extended life by 5 months for those in the trial. That is very deceiving; for me—and everyone’s different—when I did my first LU-177 treatment, PSA was 65. That was June, 2022. Twelve treatments later, I’m at a PSA of 32. So, 22 months later, PSA still isn’t as high as when I started LU-177/Pluvicto.

I don’t know of anyone who’s done 12 of these treatments. But it IS possible, depending on overall health, blood work, etc. So hang in there, brothers. Keep the faith and God bless you all.
Steve

Steve, you sure have been through a lot. My best wishes going forward and that your next endeavor proves fruitful.
Jack

Thanks Steve for your continuing updates. Wishing well in your next step.

Wow, I am truly humbled by your journey. Your posts are very informative and inspiring. Keep the faith, my fellow traveler.

Thanks everyone, for your kind replies and unwavering support. Will keep you posted.
Steve

Jack,
Side effects during LU-177 and Pluvicto were minimal, certainly nothing like taxotere. There was constipation for several days after treatment, but “treatable” with laxatives or prune juice. There was a day or two of laying around, not exercising or any long walks—but nothing drastic. There was a little dry mouth—though not as bad as many others have experienced. Dry mouth is probably the most prominent side effect and my doc was a bit surprised that it didn’t hit me very hard.

Fatigue is another matter, but that’s difficult to measure. With no testosterone these past 7 years, fatigue has been a fact of life. Do I have more fatigue after 12 nuclear treatments? Probably, but it’s hard to tell. Maybe its 15% more fatigue now—but I’m also 68, not 61 when I boarded this train.

Bloodwork has kept fairly steady, though all key counts (WBC, RBC, Platelets, Hgb) are lower than when I began LU-177, but almost always “in range.” Today, WBC is 3.8; RBC is 3.82 (L); Platelets are 146 and Hgb is 13.4. My docs have all been pretty impressed with these results.

While everyone has different PCa, different bodies, etc, I would like to think that part of my tolerance could be attributed to diet, exercise, and attitude. As for diet, I only eat plant-based organic foods—no meat, fish, dairy (except for a bit of real cheese now and then), and no alcohol or tobacco. As for exercise, I’m at the gym 3-4 days a week and 3-mile walks a couple time a week. When I’ve had a rare cold and have to stay in for a week or so, I can really feel the difference in energy level.

As for attitude, I’ve been blessed in so many ways and if this beast gets me tomorrow, I will have lived a great 68 years. I also have support from wife, family and friends. I retired last year and no longer have any excuse for not hitting the gym, the walks or getting 8-9 hours of sleep. I am also thankful for all of you on this forum.

If I get into the new Actinium trial as mentioned, I’ll do all this nuclear stuff again. Probably can’t do it forever, but as the coach says, “keep running that same play till they stop you.”

Blessings to all and thanks for the support. -Steve