When would you start chemo

living with Pca

Regular Member

Joined : Aug 2014

Posts : 80

Posted 8/22/2014 4:33 PM (GMT 0)

Hi everyone. This is my first post and I want your opinion. When would you start chemo? My new psa 74, 2009 intial was 311. In april first bone mets showed up 5 ribs. This week test show 6 new in vertibrat and one in pelvis. I have tried everything and cancer is still progessing. I feel fine. I work every day with out pain. My oncologist says start chemo, but I am thinking should I wait till I feel bad or start chemo now and suffer all the effects of chemo now. Would you start chemo when you feel good? Keep on "living with Pca"

John T

Veteran Member

Joined : Nov 2008

Posts : 4315

Posted 8/22/2014 7:22 PM (GMT 0)

Living,

The CHAARTED Trial that used Docetaxel as a first line treatment with Hormone therapy was so successful it was stopped early because the benefits were so apparent.

http://advancedpcatalk.freeforums.net/board/7/pcaf-patient-best-practices-library

You can view the presentation on the above link at the PCAF website. It is a compelling case for early Chemo for advanced cancer patients. Your situation may be a bit late to get the same results as the trial patients, but it does show the significant benefits of early rather than late chemo.

Tall Allen

Elite Member

Joined : Jul 2012

Posts : 10645

Posted 8/22/2014 7:37 PM (GMT 0)

You get more survival benefit by starting Taxotere sooner rather than later. By putting it off until your status deteriorates, the side effects will be harder to take, and the survival benefit goes down. Far from being the "last ditch effort" that many people think of because of their experience with other chemos with other cancers, it is one of the best early medicines to try with metastatic prostate cancer.

See recent posts by "adjust" who is on a clinical trial of Taxotere combined with an investigational agent called cabozantinib. There are also radiotherapies and immunotherapies you can try.

- Allen

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