Arlington Man Thrives For Decades Despite Prostate Cancer

Men with prostate cancer often survive 15 years or longer after learning they have the disease, but prostate cancer remains one of the five most common cancers and the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death among men.^¹'² Today, fewer people are being screened for the disease, and many are unaware of new treatment approaches that can extend life.

In 2012, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) made a controversial recommendation to abandon routine screening for all men using a blood test that measures levels of a protein called prostate specific antigen, or PSA. Despite a reversal of this recommendation in 2018, a disturbing trend has emerged – more men are being diagnosed with prostate cancer after the disease has progressed into the more dangerous advanced stage, and the once-declining prostate cancer death rate has stalled.^³

As the standard of care for prostate cancer has evolved in the past decade, a number of new treatment options have become available for men with advanced prostate cancer – those whose cancer recurs after radiation or surgery.^⁴

The first line of treatments aims to suppress production of the hormone testosterone, which contributes to prostate cancer growth.^⁵ However, hormone therapy's effectiveness diminishes over time, and the treatment eventually fails in more than 60 percent of men,^⁶ indicating the disease may be progressing. It is at this transition point where the newest treatments can make a difference.

"There have been so many advancements" since he was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1989, says Harold Mulkey, 92, of Arlington. "It's changed so much since then."

Mulkey says he has been diligent about following doctor's orders, and that has helped him live without limitations. Over the past three decades, he has had radiation therapy and a series of other treatments. A few months ago, his urologist treated him with one of the newest treatment options for men with advanced prostate cancer, immunotherapy.

For Dr. Clif Vestal, an advanced prostate cancer specialist at the USMD Prostate Cancer Center in Fort Worth, new treatments such as immunotherapy have changed everything for his patients: "There is hope now, where there was nothing earlier."

Newer Treatment Options For Advanced Prostate Cancer Offer Hope

The introduction of advanced treatment options for prostate cancer required a shift in thinking for physicians. In the past, doctors rarely ordered bone scans or other tests to pinpoint the cancer when it became more serious, because there were few options besides pain management and chemotherapy to offer. Some physicians chose to not even tell patients that their cancer had progressed.

Things are very different today. In the past three decades, physicians have had an array of new therapies available to treat men in the advanced stages of the disease, including anti-androgen therapy, radiopharmaceuticals, chemotherapy and immunotherapy.^⁷

Among these, immunotherapy is one of the most exciting categories of cancer treatments to emerge in the past decade and works differently than other cancer treatments. This is truly "personalized" medicine using a patient's own cells to stimulate the body's immune system to target and attack the prostate cancer cells.

The availability of such new, more effective treatment options is a good thing for patients, but it demands careful disease management. There are important questions about when to give each of these therapies and what sequence provides the greatest positive impact on survival.

However, if men don't know their options or don't have access to prostate cancer specialists who can best guide them, they may miss the opportunity for these newer treatments.^⁸ The right treatments at the right times may help patients live better and longer.

Close Monitoring Takes On New Importance

Diligent monitoring is crucial, especially for immunotherapy. Studies show that treatment with immunotherapy may extend life.^⁹ However, to have the best chance of successfully boosting the patient's own immune system, immunotherapy treatment should be administered before the cancer has done too much damage to the immune system. This is because treatment works best when the immune system is not overly damaged.¹⁰ This typically is before a patient has any pain or other symptoms, so a combination of blood tests and bone scans are essential.

Regular blood tests to measure PSA help spot when the prostate cancer becomes more aggressive. High or steady increases in PSA levels are signs of active prostate cancer. However, catching the disease when it spreads requires additional methods such as imaging with CT-scans or other advanced imaging technologies, which help doctors spot prostate cancer that may have spread to the bones or other organs.^¹¹

Now, urologists want men with prostate cancer to understand if they get their PSA tests and bone scans on the schedule their doctor recommends, there may be treatments that can boost the body's own cancer-fighting power and help them live longer.

Specialized Clinics Optimize Treatment

To support the changing treatment landscape, a growing number of specialized urology care clinics have emerged, where patients can get a full range of services provided by nurses, doctors and other professionals who focus only on advanced prostate cancer.

With an emphasis on improved quality of life, Vestal and many other urologists at these clinics have expert staff who help patients navigate the treatment journey. Just helping sort out the treatment options or financial issues can make a difference.

"Each and every one of the treatments has its own risks and benefits, and we go through those," says Vestal. "I'm really preferring immunotherapy because it's using your own body to fight the cancer, and it's well received by a majority of my patients."

Information Keeps People Living

Vestal says that "men come in here scared and leave with a little bit of hope because we tell them, if one (treatment) doesn't work, we have another that probably will."

One of his first conversations usually is to help patients understand that treatments for prostate cancer today are entirely different from what his patients' parents or grandparents may have experienced. Mulkey confirms that he has seen a transformation of prostate cancer treatment in his nearly 30 years living with the disease.

"You have to be your own judge on what you think is best," says Mulkey, adding that he's "doing just fine. I am feeling good and doing everything I want to."

The contents and information in this Dendreon-provided and sponsored article are for informational purposes only and not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. If you think you may have a medical emergency, dial 9-1-1 or contact your doctor immediately.

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