Interesting discovery about COVID vaccine and immunotherapy !

@thmssllvn
Lupron and Eligard have the exact same active ingredients so either one is equal to the other one.

It looks like (per ChatGPT) immunotherapy only works for certain genetic variants of PC.

I believe that it works well for some other cancers - a friend had stage 4 melanoma symptoms vanish once he started with it.

@surftohealth88 Makes so much common sense to have immune system boosted to fight Ca, but without posting links or facts, I recall prominent docs saying that immunotherapy hasn’t really been the hoped for treatment for PXa… I will have to dig further into this.

Anecdotally, my hub with the lung only metastasis showing up 17 yrs post RARP had a deep case of Covid about 24 mos prior to the discovery of the Mets - causal? contributory? I believe in my gut that the Covid cytokines storm in the lungs created the environment for any hidden ca stem cells to sprout. Just seems more than consequential after 17 yrs. Maybe all the vaccines have provided a counterweight. So much unknown. So much research to be done. So little foresight from current controllers of the research purse.

anecdotally,

@rotate When we asked Dr. Kwon about immunotherapy for prostate cancer a couple of years ago, he said the results had been very disappointing. Our local medical oncologist has said the same thing. I don't know if there are more recent results that change their assessment.

@lag I've read that it doesn't work or work well with solid tumors, like PC, because they surround themselves with an environment that keeps the immunotherapy from getting to the cancer cells.

@heavyphil I don't think that is a contradiction. The COVID-19 virus itself damages the immune system. The vaccine just ramps up our immune system to watch for the virus, and apparently other things. My question regarding the study is that it only reveals the impact on people who have actually started immunotherapy. I want to find out whether there is any impact on those of us with cancer, or watching for recurrence, but not actually undergoing immunotherapy. In any case, I am a proud vaxxer, so I will simply add this to my list of reasons to get vaccinated.

I got my free covid and flu boosters yesterday. I wish the covid shot actually *did* fight prostate cancer, because it would help make up for how crappy I feel today (like I used to feel after my monthly Firmagon shot before switching to daily Orgovyx pills, except without the abdominal swelling).

No regrets, though. Prostate cancer and spinal damage are more than enough to deal with: no need to add being on a ventilator for a severe covid infection to my bingo card. 😕

@northoftheborder Well, one never stops hoping. News just came out that Shingrix Shingles vaccine may protect against vascular dementia, blood clots and stroke.
It was based on a large number of people across a wide spectrum.
Again, inhibition of inflammation caused by the virus is believed to be the mechanism of action.
Even better, the protection offered is for life.
Phil

@northoftheborder p.s. I feel much better today — it was just one crappy day after the double seasonal vax.

Even if I didn't need the shots for my own sake, I feel good knowing I'm much less likely to infect vulnerable people as an asymptotic carrier this winter.