@shelby29 Private insurers likely love Abiraterone (Zytiga) because it's old enough to be out of patent and there are cheap generics available.

Unfortunately, unlike the newer (and more expensive) -lutamides, Abiraterone requires you to take a steroid with it. I wonder how much the steroid increases heart-health risk.

I was on a steroid in hospital for a few weeks in 2021 to try to bring down the post-surgical swelling in my spine: it didn't affect my heart, but it did induce diabetes, and I ended up needing regular insulin injections. When we stopped the steroid, my blood sugar quickly renormalised.

Steroids can be nasty for some of us — it's good to avoid them if you safely can. 🙁