AA

Abiraterone Acetate [AA]

Have you ever heard of this medication? I bet not, until May 2019 when I was told about it.

That is when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

I went to the hospital because of a constant pain in the center of my back, spinal column to be exact. After many tests, x-rays, mri, CT scan, blood and eventually biopsy of where the pain was.

The conclusion was prostate cancer. The doctor told me my psa reading exceeded reading above 2000, something he had never seen.

Since the biopsy showed cancer in my spine I went through 10 days of radiation all the while I was given a prescription of 5 mg oxycodone pills [300] that I ate like candy 2/3 day after the radiation ended so did the pain and I have been pained free ever since.

When I was finished with the radiation treatments he started me on the AA pills, a gift from Johnson and Johnson because at the time they were $2300.00 a month. I took 4- 250mg daily. After the first month my psa registered 97.3 and my doctor said he had never seen a large drop ever, he was almost giddy telling me. After a year the reading was 4 or 5. After one more year it was reading less than one. He reduced my consumption of AA to one pill a day. I have been that way ever since because my psa is non-detectable. This has been the case for 2 years or maybe longer.

He considers me his miracle patient and will not stop my use of the AA because he believes the cancer will reappear. Fine with me.

After the first 3 years of getting AA from Johnson and Johnson it ended. My doctor found the pharmacy in the hospital could now get it for me since I had to pay for it, for $71.00 a month and now 6 months later it is $30.00 a month.

I am telling you about my experience with this drop in price and it should happen with many others.

As for me I still have my prostrate and I asked the doctor about 2 years into my treatment why he didn’t remove it. He told me once the cancer showed up in my spine it was too late to remove it. So I got lucky. I recently had a bone scan; I am cancer free in my bones.

Not every prostrate cancer patient can be prescribed the AA drug as far as I know.

My doctor has told me I am the longest cancer survivor patient he has. I am grateful to have such a knowledgeable doctor, he told me at the beginning I would live a long time, to continue to make sleeping bags, so that is what I do!!!