Benefits of staying on hormone treatment past recommended 24 months
I was diagnosed eighteen months ago with locally advanced prostate cancer that metastasized to one regional lymph node. My cancer is considered highly aggressive, Gleason 9 with a decipher score of 1. I have also tested positive for Braca 2. My oncologist recommended radiation with twenty four months of hormone treatment. I’m taking Orgyvx and Abiraterone with prednisone and finished my radiation treatments approximately a year ago. My side effects from hormone treatment have been frequent hot flashes and fatigue. I’m scheduled to complete my hormone therapy in January/2026. I know standard of care for my stage of cancer, 4a, is considered to be twenty four months of hormone therapy, but I’m wondering if I could realize any additional benefit by staying on it longer that what’s recommended. I’ve asked my oncologist and he said there aren’t any studies that have been done on additional benefits of hormone treatment past twenty four months. My understanding is hormone treatment is supposed to kill micro metastatic disease and my concern is if I get off too soon I might leave cancer cells behind that could have otherwise been killed if I stayed on longer. My oncologist told me I have a possibility of a cure and I want to be as aggressive as possible. Has anyone stayed on longer and what has been your experience/outcome?
Tom
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Thanks! I'll look it up. I'm 73, and my much younger radiation oncologist was far more focused on complete cure than my QoL. Now past radiation and in my sixth month of ADT, I think he understands my position better. I plan to endure Orgovyx for 12 months rather than 24 and then add or switch to Nubeqa for 6 months while continuing to monitor PSA.