A blog about cancer, spirituality, death, and guitars
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So when I had chemotherapy pretty much all my hair fell out, including my beard which I’d had for 30+ years. Now I’ve finished chemotherapy (Taxotere) and started another drug, Enzalutamide, my hair is growing like crazy! I’m thinking I look like Einstein, but of course one of my kids says “Einstein, yeah right Dad, more like one of the 3 Stooges!” (Do people still remember them?)
There is an ongoing debate amongst some academics, politicians and doctors as to whether routine screening for prostate cancer using the simple PSA blood test is necessary. Their argument is based on numerous clinical studies (some inconclusive or contradictory) that supposedly show that there is no significant statistical survival benefit for men getting regular prostate cancer screening with a PSA compared to those men who did not have a PSA screening.
I remember when I first requested a PSA test in a health checkup from my general practitioner (that ultimately diagnosed my cancer), that he tried to talk me out of it. “If you have prostate cancer do you really want to know?” he ask me. “Why wouldn’t I want to know?” I asked?
Continue reading “PSA – To test, or not to test for Prostate Cancer?”
So after 19 treatments of the chemotherapy drug Taxotere over almost 2 years, it was ceasing to be effective, not to mention the terrible side effects.
So about 12 months ago I commenced Enzalutamide (marketed as Xtandi and formerly known as MDV3100) which has been developed by the pharmaceutical company Medivation for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. It has been available now since about 2013.
Continue reading “ENZALUTAMIDE (XTANDI) – The Wonder Drug (for me)”