Introduction to Prostate Cancer and clinical trials

Hello,
I am an Agent Orange prostate cancer victim. This means I was in Vietnam during the spraying of the herbicide which contained dioxin. This chemical is thought to cause aggressive cancer. I have been involved in several prostate cancer clinical trials and many other medical trials.

I am a volunteer in the SELECT prostate cancer clinical trial. This 10 year trial is run by the SWOG (Southwest Oncology Group). It showed that vitamin "E" and Selenium failed to prevent prostate cancer. It was because of this trial that I found out that I had a higher then normal PSA (Prostate Serum Antigen) reading (5.5). The "normal" PSA is less then 4.0 which still indicates cancer but is assumed to be safe.

In 2008-9, I was a volunteer in an Onyvax cancer vaccine trial at NIH (National Institute of Health) in Bethesda, MD. This is the headquarters of the WORLDS LARGEST clinical trial center. Onyvax, which is based in England, went bankrupt and the trial was closed. My PSA level went down during the androgen depletion therapy (ADT), also known as (aka) castrate therapy, portion of the trial but went back up after the ADT, which lasts about 5 months, wore off.

Cancer, in general, is lethal when it metastasizes especially to the liver and lungs. Prostate cancer is activated by testosterone (androgen). This was discovered in the 1940's. The 1966 Noble prize in medicine was awarded to the discoverers of this hormone driven mechanism.

The first treatment for prostate cancer with the intent to cure is removal of the prostate, seminal vessels and prostate bed lymph nodes. If you have a high Gleason score (a reading of a prostate biopsy with a score of 1-5 with 5 being the worst) on one side of the gland then the nerves will be removed from that side. These nerves control erections and urine flow.

If the PSA goes to undetectable AND STAYS THERE (it may take years for the cancer to return) then you are cured. This means that the survivor must still have a PSA test probably yearly for the rest of his life.

This cancer becomes lethal when it evolves into AI (androgen independent) aka, castrate resistant, mode and grows in the bones and organs. Many cancer trials are directed toward these patients. Normally, Pca AI patients have between 18-24 months to live. It is unfortunate that too many patients wait to fight this disease until they are told that they are in immediate danger of dying from it.