Weighing the cancer risk reduction & quality-of-life cost of ADT?

@jimgaudette In preparation for PCa intervention, I changed over to OM + Medigap. It should save me about $6,000.

Thank you for such a beautifully written and honest post. I am 76 years old; have Stage 4 prostate cancer (Gleason Score 9) that has spread to my lymph nodes; and am being treated with ADT. I have been on ADT for 18 months and have 6 months lefr. After that I will be on a "treatment holiday". I have found the effects of the ADT debilitating, I used to be full of energy and positive ideas and now everything in my life takes a tremendous amount of mental and physical effort. Staying alive for a few extra years sometimes seems too much to bear and not to make very much sense. I have many wonderful people in my life whom I love dearly, but I honestly don't know if my trying to stay alive for a few extra years would really help them in the long run.

@joesandfort
While it would seem counterproductive exercise actually can resolve some of the fatigue problems you get from ADT.

I’ve been on ADT for eight years And I’m 78. I used to walk on the track at least a mile twice every day, Now I run on the track 1 mile twice a day, Started taking electrolytes and that really made a difference in being able to run, Once I replaced my left knee. I also go to the gym three days a week and spend an hour really working on my legs and arms. Try to build up the muscles. not easy when you don’t have any testosterone, but I used to not be able to get off the floor without pulling myself up on something and now I can Get up on my own.

I don’t have any fatigue from ADT.

If you are also on Zytiga, there is another solution.

@jeff Marchi
Hello Jeff,
How long did it take you to be able to get up off the floor on your own?
Thanks,
Jake

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment, Jeff. I find that exercise has helped me as well. I usually take three to four walks per day and go to the gym thee times a week. Spending time with my friends and family has been a big help as well. Nevertheless, I still struggle with the pros and cons of ADT in my case. Thank you again for your thoughts

@jakedduck1
4 months at the gym, working on arms and legs 1 hour 3 times a week.

I am 74, in my fourteenth month of hopefully eighteen of ADT. I work out weekdays to offset part of the fatigue that especially affects my afternoons. I have radiation proctitis from the 44 treatments last spring to prostate and pelvis. I still think I would choose radiation over ADT, if I were given the opportunity. If my primary goal is to survive prostate cancer to age 80, I’m probably doing too much. Blessings on your journey!

@ikep

Several new studies are now indicating that ADT treatment may not be nearly as helpful as claimed for the last 20 years. It seems to me that these studies are indicating that only certain types of prostate cancer benefit from ADT. Duke Health's study indicates that high testosterone may actually be better for aggressive prostate cancer. It will probably take 10 years to sort this out and at my age it is already too late.

Here’s a link to a treatment opinion and overall great resource: https://youtu.be/cyY0nHXvzGc

@grandpun Did you take any ADT "optimizers" with your Lupron shots? Like Zytiga, Nubeqa, or old school Casodex?