The Great Prostate Cancer Challenge

It's been about two years since we started this blog, and I guess we are in a pretty good place considering where we were then. Saturday, September 8th, Dad completed his 3rd Great Prostate Cancer Challenge 5K. I ran with him (went last year, but couldn't join because of wisdom teeth surgery!). It was a nasty rainy day that became a beauitful one just in time for the race. Sort of fitting for the last couple of months of news for him. He found out in May that his last round of hormone therapy was not as lasting as we had hoped, and he would have to have another round. This is a treatment with a lot of uncomfortable side effects for him, especially to suffer through all summer. So we are all thrilled that his latest visit to the oncologist in August (the day before his birthday) brought the news that his PSA levels remained undetectable, indicating the last treatment had at least lasted 3 months. We are hoping that each round will last as long as possible, so the news we hope for is that at his next 3 month visit, he will get the same news. The first few rounds of treatment lasted him over a

year, so we are hoping for improved duraiton for the next few.

Dad and I at the Urology Group's 5K in Norwood.
Dad won an Oscar Robertson signed basketball!

This is all a lesson in being an advocate for your own treatment. In the last month, two new prostate cancer drugs were rushed to the forefront for FDA approval due to their tremendous success in clinical trials. One of these could be the next treatment strategy for Dad, though fingers crossed the treatment he is on now will last years and years. In the last month, several studies have also emerged claiming that the intermittent therapy Dad has been on is not as successful as the continuous treaetment with hormone therapy. Unfortunately, the side effects of the therapy make this a difficult treatment decision. He opted to go off of the treatment for the next few months, while the doctors wait for more research to confirm or dispute the current evidence. Keeping abreast of these issues is obviously very important, and the doctors don't always bring these up first, so doing your own research is always a tremendous aid!

So for now, Dad is enjoying the diminishment of the side effects of his last round, Mom is enjoying her current health (though battling some small, continuing issues from her treatments) as well as Dad's lack of hot flashes, tiredness, lack of sleep, etc. And everyone (including me) is trying to exercise and eat themselves into their wedding clothes for my November wedding, where I will feel like the most blessed daughter in the world to have both my parents there.