Managing metastatic prostate cancer with innovative care
Vashon Island resident Timothy Taylor, 68, enjoys fishing and gardening. Four years ago, however, a sudden health issue forced him to temporarily set those activities aside.
“It all started when I couldn’t pee,” he recalls. “I went to the ER, they put in a catheter and referred me to a urologist.”
Following his visit to the emergency department, Taylor went to MultiCare Urology Northwest, where his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was checked.
Taylor’s PSA was 1,614 — more than 20 is considered high risk for prostate cancer. He proceeded to have a biopsy and PET scan. His biopsy came back positive, and his PET scan showed the cancer had metastasized to his bones.
Faced with the news, Taylor’s thoughts turned to his family’s history with cancer.
“I thought, my father had lung cancer, my brother had throat cancer, one of my sisters had lung cancer, the other sister had breast cancer — I have it now, what do we do?” he says.
What he did was begin a comprehensive and aggressive treatment plan after meeting with Jennifer Slim, DO, a medical oncologist with MultiCare Cancer Institute. Over the next four years, he underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy, supplemented with receiving androgen deprivation therapy (an antihormonal treatment) every three months.
“Dr. Slim is wonderful,” Taylor says. “In fact, all the doctors and nurses I’ve encountered at MultiCare have been very informative and helpful.”
After several years, the chemotherapy started to become less effective and the cancer began to progress again, which is a common challenge with prostate cancer.
“Prostate cancer typically responds very well to treatment, but then eventually the cancer outsmarts the treatments we’re using, and then you have to switch course,” says Taylor’s radiation oncologist Susan Guo, MD.
New treatment effectively targets cancer cells
Taylor’s care team turned to a newer treatment specifically used to treat metastatic prostate cancer called Pluvicto.
Pluvicto, a radioligand therapy, has been shown to improve survival rates and delay cancer progression. The treatment is delivered through IV injections once every six weeks for six cycles, directly targeting cancer cells. This minimizes damage to surrounding healthy tissue, which reduces common side effects seen with traditional chemotherapy or external radiation.
The impact of Pluvicto on Taylor’s cancer was immediate and significant.
“Mr. Taylor has had two treatments so far, and already has had very promising results,” Dr. Guo explains. “Before his first treatment, his PSA was 50. After the first treatment, it went down to 11. And after the second, it went to 2.”
Dr. Slim, who continues to oversee Taylor’s care, agrees.
“The Pluvicto treatment doubled his response rate compared to previous standards of care,” she adds. “That’s pretty powerful.”
Once Taylor completes the full Pluvicto regimen, he’ll continue follow-up visits every few months with Dr. Guo and Dr. Slim. They’ll monitor his PSA levels and watch for any sign of progression on imaging. He will also remain on androgen deprivation therapy as part of his ongoing care plan.
“When prostate cancer is metastatic, it’s treated as a chronic disease,” Dr. Guo explains.
“Mr. Taylor has had such a good response, there is some suggestion his cancer won’t progress for a while, and he can enjoy good quality of life without too many side effects.”
For Taylor, who has been battling this disease for years, the new treatment represents more than just medical progress — it gives him a chance to better enjoy the things he likes to do.
“For a patient like Mr. Taylor, who has been fighting cancer with grace for a long time, getting a new opportunity that gives him options other than chemo and a break from those side effects is a wonderful thing,” Dr. Slim says. “His strength and stamina during treatment have been inspiring to me as his provider.”
