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Side Effects from Eligard-Erleada Therapy as a Function of Time
I started Eligard six weeks ago and Erleada yesterday. To date no side effects but short time interval for certain.
I would appreciate the experience of those who have taken the Eligard-Erleada combo for longer periods of time. Did the side effects continually increase with time, increase and then level-off or miraculously increase, then level-off and then decrease with time?
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Side-effects from the Eligard should have occurred already. Are you tracking your testosterone levels?
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1 Reaction@brianjarvis
Yes Brian. Thanks for the intel.
Testosterone:
2024-04-25 Free 10.2ng/dL Total 517ng/dL Day before initiating Eligard Therapy
2024-05-17 Free 0.36ng/dL Total 57ng/dL After 22 days of Eligard
So Eligard is reducing testosterone levels. Since side effects have not occurred, there is some joy in Mudville after months of bad but not worse news.
The target is to get testosterone below the threshold of 50 ng/dL. The target for PSA is to be (nearly) undetectable, after the target T level is reached. What is your PSA now?
My T level went as low as 3.0 ng/dL; my PSA down to < 0.008 ng/mL.
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1 Reaction@brianjarvis
Sorry, should have included PSA.
PSA:
2023-08-21 17.5ng/mL
2023-09-25 18.5ng/mL
2024-03-28 37.3ng/mL (Three days before biopsy)
2024-05-17 25.0ng/mL (After 22 days of Eligard)
So PSA and testosterone both going in right direction. However, Mayo PHX cancelled Proton Therapy saying tumor volume was too large and tumors too close to vital organs. Therefore COT (Course of Treatment) became Eligard + Erleade for 4 to 6 months hoping tumor volume and size will have decreased sufficiently to allow Proton Therapy. I am not entirely comfortable with that COT given my stage, cT3bN1M0, and two Gleason 4+5 tumors, one large, in my prostate. Doing research to find volume of tumor reduction as a function of time with Eligard and Erleade Therapy.
Good news is two days of E+E and no side effects.
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1 ReactionI have been on Lupron, so I don’t know if this will relate. I was started on Lupron as my first stage of treatment 2 1/2 years ago. Still on it. The doctor would like to keep me on it another two years. However, my muscles seem to be getting weaker and I am beginning to have hip pain, so I am considering going off of it.
I should add that I was stage four when diagnosed. I had a Gleeson score of 10. I had a 4 cm lesion on my prostate, and it was too large to do surgery since it had spread to my seminal tissue and lymph nodes. I moved my care from a big 10 university hospital to mayo Rochester under Dr. Eugene Kwon. I have been clear for a year and a half. My treatment consisted of Lupron ADT, chemotherapy with Docetaxel, and external beam radiation. I am highly pleased with my care since I switched to Mayo/Dr. Kwon. I should also note that my chemo was through Minnesota Oncology/Dr. Vladimir Hujec who has partnered with Mayo.
These physicians are brilliant and their teams/staff are great.
Hope this helps you on your journey. Prayers for your recovery.
I should have added:
PSA was at 17 when I started on Lupron. It is now < 0.1.
Testosterone has gone to < 6 and stayed there as I continue Lupron treatment.