Can anyone share their experience with Pluvicto?

Posted by vcash @vcash, Apr 22, 2024

My 85 year old dad has prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones. Zytiga is no longer effective. He is considering Pluvicto. I would appreciate input from those who have used Pluvicto.

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Completed all 6 Pluvicto immediately following 6 rounds of Docetaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy. The entire treatment was completed 8 weeks ago which all occurred in one year. This is a copy and paste from my choline PET scan this week which was 8 weeks after final Pluvicto:

Impression
Complete response to interval therapy. No definitive PSMA avid locally recurrent or metastatic disease.

Will return in 3 months for a PSMA scan.

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Yes it is. I wish you the best of luck on your journey.

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Profile picture for redroadtraveler @redroadtraveler

Everybody makes their own decisions in this area. I choose to be much more conservative than the official guidelines. I came to that conclusion by monitoring my radiation levels on a regular basis and having a strong desire to NOT expose friends, loved ones, caregivers to unnecessary radiation. Driving home is fine, with an acceptable level of radiation exposure, although I do drive myself in order to not subject my wife to even that level of exposure. I just had treatment #5. My personal protocol protocol is to isolate myself for a week (not "three feet" like they say, but real isolation - sleep alone, no physical contact whatsoever), and then allow brief minimal contact (a hug, a handshake, being in the same room but still maintaining the three foot separation) for the second week after treatment. During that two weeks my radiation level continues to decline on a daily basis but I keep measuring it so that I know what my condition really is and how much radiation exposure a person would have from me by being in my proximity. At the end of two weeks my radiation level is minimal and I am back to full contact mode - sleep in same bed, kissing OK, snuggling on the couch watching Netflix, etc. We each make our own decisions in this area.

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Yes and that’s great 🤗

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Profile picture for baxterlee77 @baxterlee77

Russ just got home from his 2 nd pluvicto injection from the mayo today ! They told us no worries u can drive him home ! Sleep in the same bed ! Just no kissing for 3 days ! 😊

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Everybody makes their own decisions in this area. I choose to be much more conservative than the official guidelines. I came to that conclusion by monitoring my radiation levels on a regular basis and having a strong desire to NOT expose friends, loved ones, caregivers to unnecessary radiation. Driving home is fine, with an acceptable level of radiation exposure, although I do drive myself in order to not subject my wife to even that level of exposure. I just had treatment #5. My personal protocol protocol is to isolate myself for a week (not "three feet" like they say, but real isolation - sleep alone, no physical contact whatsoever), and then allow brief minimal contact (a hug, a handshake, being in the same room but still maintaining the three foot separation) for the second week after treatment. During that two weeks my radiation level continues to decline on a daily basis but I keep measuring it so that I know what my condition really is and how much radiation exposure a person would have from me by being in my proximity. At the end of two weeks my radiation level is minimal and I am back to full contact mode - sleep in same bed, kissing OK, snuggling on the couch watching Netflix, etc. We each make our own decisions in this area.

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Russ just got home from his 2 nd pluvicto injection from the mayo today ! They told us no worries u can drive him home ! Sleep in the same bed ! Just no kissing for 3 days ! 😊

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Just got back home from my Pluvicto treatment number 5. I drove myself as I am generally tolerating these infusions reasonably well with my primary side effects being constipation and general tiredness for a week or two.

Today they had to poke me three times before they got the needle installed properly. Ugh. I'm not real good with needles. I'd make a bad drug addict. LOL.

Anyway, I made it home ok after the hour and a half drive, but now I'm weak, worn out, and crashed on the bed in my bedroom where I will basically isolate myself for one week with no contact. The official guidelines are to stay a minimum of three feet away from everyone for three days, but my personal opinion is I should just completely isolate myself for a week as long as I am able to function without help - i.e. have the ability to feed myself and take care of my bathroom needs without assistance. I tend to be extra cautious about exposing anyone else to my radiation.

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To Add to my previous reply to the question about the radiation exposure to the person driving a friend sitting diagonally in the back seat - as I said, you likely are getting about three millirems of radiation each hour, so during a two hour drive you would be getting a out six millirems of exposure. My conclusion that that is something I would not be concerned about is based on the official radiation guidelines which say a person should limit their annual exposure to no more than 100 millirems. So in one drive you would be getting about six percent or so of your annual limit. In my world this would be totally acceptable in order to do this for a friend.

I also agree with the other person's observation about the reality of transportation in Manhattan. The doctors give their theoretical guidelines to stay three feet away from people for three days (not enough in my opinion) but they can do nothing about the reality of any patient who is forced to rely on public transportation.

I am due for my fifth infusion tomorrow. Stay tuned for further developments.

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Profile picture for Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung

@waldipup, I'm sorry that your good deed for your friend is causing you concern.

With you and your friend being separated between the front seat and him diagonally behind you in the back seat, your distance will met or exceeded the required 3 feet and your time together was limited to 2 hours. The recommendation is to LIMIT close contact (less than 1 meter or 3 feet).

This is the same recommendation for men and women. However, extra precautions are suggested for pregnant women and children.

Thank you for your kindness and offering to drive your friend. I'm sure it was a great comfort to him to not have to drive himself. This is a time when he needs friends like you.

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Thank you for your response .
I know him since we were teenagers and want to do all I can to help .
Besides his concern whether he'd been able to drive home himself , I think what you said also applied - he wanted someone there with him to feel more comfortable .

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Profile picture for waldipup @waldipup

I don't put much faith in what the radiation doctors have to say about the radiation issues .
They released him with no warnings regarding a possible cab driver (or in my case , friend driver) , and being in Manhattan , he very likely could have taken a bus or train at rush hour pressed against others for periods of time .

So they're not too focused on that issue . And I don't think they know for sure just where "dangerous" ends and "ok" begins anyway , it's kinda an uncertainty .

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@waldipup, I'm sorry that your good deed for your friend is causing you concern.

With you and your friend being separated between the front seat and him diagonally behind you in the back seat, your distance will met or exceeded the required 3 feet and your time together was limited to 2 hours. The recommendation is to LIMIT close contact (less than 1 meter or 3 feet).

This is the same recommendation for men and women. However, extra precautions are suggested for pregnant women and children.

Thank you for your kindness and offering to drive your friend. I'm sure it was a great comfort to him to not have to drive himself. This is a time when he needs friends like you.

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Profile picture for redroadtraveler @redroadtraveler

First of all, the usual "medical disclaimer". I am not a doctor. This is a question you should pose to the radiation doctor.

Having said that, I can tell you my personal experience.

With you driving and him sitting diagonally in the back seat you are about three feet away from each other. They turn you loose from the Pluvicto administration when your radiation level is around three. Radiation exposure is cumulative so during the two hour drive you are getting about a six - not great but in my opinion nothing to be particularly concerned about.

I live about an hour and a half drive from my treatment center. I too have minimal side effects from the treatment. As such. I drive myself to and from the treatment in order to minimize me exposing anyone else.

After treatment. I completely isolate myself for one week based on my declining radiation levels. They tell you to isolate at least three feet for three days, but I am personally not comfortable that that is sufficient for my tastes. I then restrict my close contact for a second week (no sleeping together, brief hugs or handshakes ok but no prolonged physical contact etc.) After those two weeks my radiation level is negligible so all contact is fair game.

Since your friend also has minimal side effects, is there any reason he couldn't drive himself?

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I don't put much faith in what the radiation doctors have to say about the radiation issues .
They released him with no warnings regarding a possible cab driver (or in my case , friend driver) , and being in Manhattan , he very likely could have taken a bus or train at rush hour pressed against others for periods of time .

So they're not too focused on that issue . And I don't think they know for sure just where "dangerous" ends and "ok" begins anyway , it's kinda an uncertainty .

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