Does Provenge Promote Prostate Cancer ?

Provenge is an immunotherapy treatment for prostate cancer that is solely available in the United States. What is the evidence that Provenge works and does it even lower PSA levels. The evidence for its efficacy comes from a Phase 3 clinical study on mildly asymptomatic prostate cancer patients who had not received chemotherapy. Thos receiving Provenge lived for an average time of 25.9 monthst whilst the control arm receiving the provenge placebo injections lived for 21.4 months. In the recent Zytiga trial the median survival time for the drug treated arm was greater than 30 months and the placebo control arm had a survival of 27.2 months. Taken together these result suggest a. increase of over 4 months survival taking Zytiga compared to Provenge.

Provenge is great in theory - get the body to fight the cancer cells using the immune system - but what about the clinical reality of using this approach. In reality many men undergoing Provenge treatment experience a rise in PSA levels and measurable spread of the prostate cancer to the bones. Could this treatment be actually stimulating tumour progression and metastatic spread ? Certainly this is a new approach which has only recently become available as a treatment for prostate cancer so the outcome of treatment has not been thoroughly studied. Early indications are that stimulating the immune system in the way that Provenge works could actually promote the mobilisation of tumour cells around the body and promote metastatic spread of the cancer to the bones.

Here are some recent review from patients who have tried Provenge

I was initially excited about the Provenge treatment and the concept of teaching my own immune system to destroy the cancer cells but the reality is very different. After the treatment I rapidly became disappointed as the cancer was spreading and destroying my bones causing a great deal of pain. I than was put on Zytiga Aberration and within two days my pain was all gone and my PSA went from 39 to 7. I am still here alive walking and talking. Jimmy

I am taking Zytiga and have not had chemo as required by FDA approval. I have already had Provenge which did not work. Zytiga has been a miracle, pain has been gone, PSA went from 39 to 7. I am sad to report that now my PSA is climbing. Just 1 point per month and is now at 9. Don't know. I am in a wait and see mode! I am going to hang on on to feeling good as long as I can. No side effects from Zytiga. I wish you the very best in whatever you do! Jimmy

I have been through the Provenge treatment. I was part of a study trying to determine if less than the approved dose was sufficient. I am not aware of which group(25%, 50%, or 100%) of the dose I received. The process is relatively straight forward--you go to a center where they use a machine to separate the white blood cells to send to Dendreon Labs(this was the most trying part of the treatment, as you have to sit without moving your arms for the entire process). Three days later the cells are returned to the infusion center to be administered. I felt no significant side effects. Thank goodness my wife attended the process, as it was amazing how often my nose would itch, and she would have to scratch it for me. I am not sure how effective it was, but in the months following the treatment my PSA rose considerably--they said it would rise some, but it rose from the teens to near 50 in two months. Also, when we did a bone scan, there was an increase in tumors. My oncologist started me on taxotere. After 7 cycles, the PSA began to rise, and I was adversely reacting to the treatment, so we stopped the taxotere and moved on to Zytiga. Zytiga has been easy and effective compared to the others--four pills each morning, no measurable side effects, and my energy has continued to improve. I am now at the eighth month of using Zytiga and the PSA readings dropped from 29 to 2+ the first month, and have gone down to just below 1 over the term. I am nervous, as the study suggested that around the 8th cycle is when the cancer finds a way around this treatment--we will see in two weeks when I have my next labs.
I hope this is of interest!!
Hudco

Ok so after reading these posts I am wondering if Provenge is causing the cancer to worsen or is it just normal progression. My husband has been approved by his Dr. now waiting to hear from insurance. At this time he is doing pretty well thanks to a new super food supplement we found called salvestrol platinum. I guess I am wondering if doing the Provenge will cause his cancer to become more active again. He has extensive bone mets and lymph node involvement.

No, I bowed out of trying for the Prostvac trials last summer, and opted for Provenge instead. I was able to get a "grant" to get Provenge virtually for free. I am convinced that the Provenge failed (subsequent tumors and bone mets--clear before Provenge-- don't give me much confidence the Provenge did anything worthwhile).

I am now on Taxotere chemotherapy in a last-ditch effort.