News on BAT therapy

[EdF]

I recently attended a seminar by a researcher from Johns Hopkins involved in bipolar androgen therapy (BAT) for prostate cancer. There was some new information that has not yet been published but which people should know about.

First, the researchers have stopped using the chemotherapy agent etoposide along with high T. One patient died from etoposide side effects, and when they discontinued its use they saw no significant difference in the effectiveness of this treatment.

In the original paper, they only talked about 4 patients, 2 of which had very positive responses (> 50% reduction in PSA). There were 14 patients presented at the seminar, 7 of which exhibited PSA drop (around 4 with > 50%) and the other 7 exhibited PSA increase, some of which indicated that T actually increased PSA. The fact that ~50% of men don't respond well to high T makes me wonder if this corresponds to the ~50% of men with PCa that are known to have gene-fusions. Gene-fusions combine some ER-alpha genes to AR, so that now AR might be able to promote PCa growth, just like ER-alpha does initially.

After a few cycles, those men who showed PSA decline with high T were kept on high T instead of being cycled. The longest time so far with stable PSA is something like 245 days.

The researchers want to expand and do more, but are having trouble getting funded.

Ed Friedman

[Patrick OShea]

Very interesting Ed.

Are you including TMPRSS2-ERG in your gene fusion group idea?

Thanks, -Patrick

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Prostate cancer is an exceptionally heterogenous disease. What is good for one man may not be so kind on the next. Be sure to research and test any new supplement or treatment before adopting it - and in any case run it past a medically qualified person for a second opinion.
 
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[EdF]

Patrick,

I suspect that the TMPRSS2-ERG may be involved, but that is pure speculation on my part. I'd love to see the Johns Hopkins researchers do more extensive genetic testing on those cancers that are not responding positively to high T.

Ed