Xtandi Xperiences

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Henry Faces His Journey “One Piece at a Time”

Watch Henry, a real XTANDI patient, share his story of living with prostate cancer. From recognizing the early signs, to searching for answers, to breaking it down like a scientist—step by step—Henry's story highlights the importance of perseverance and support.

HENRY: For me, everything starts with an idea. I like inventing because I went to school to be a scientist.

I ended up becoming a material scientist and there's so many options out there for, you know, applying my trade, applying my knowledge, applying my skills.

I like creating things, not just for the sake of creating things, I'm the guy who realizes that when I come up with a new idea, it means jobs for people. That's what, like, drives me.

When I got my diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer, I knew I needed to get through this... one piece at a time.

One day after going on an extended run, I woke up the next morning with severe lower back pain. Initially I was just chalking it up to another ache and pain of old age, but it didn't subside. And after about three or four days, I called my primary care physician. So, he prescribed 20 sessions with a physical therapist. And that didn't solve the problem either.

Then I was noticing some problems with my urination. I was hardly able to pee at all.

Then I took these symptoms back to my doctor, and he referred me to a urologist. My urologist did some blood work and came back with some tough news. My prostate-specific antigen, or PSA levels, was the highest that he had ever seen. He let me know that high PSA levels can be a sign of prostate cancer. So, we moved quickly to schedule a biopsy and CT scans.

When the results came back, I was diagnosed with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer or mCSPC. That means that the prostate cancer has spread to other parts of the body and responds to hormone therapy or surgical treatment to lower testosterone.

I was devastated.

I've lived a good life, but those first two months were the worst two months of my life. I worried about how much of my life I was going to miss—my daughters' two weddings, how to care for my wife in my absence. Like, I didn't know if I had three months, six months, nine months, three years, three decades.

I really had some crazy thoughts going on in my head.

My life as I knew it just went out the window, and my wife Catherine really helped pull me out of my depressive state. We decided together that we weren't going to just roll over and let this diagnosis dictate our lives.

We were going to search for answers one piece at a time.

We were very open about my diagnosis with our family and friends. The outpouring from my support community was incredible. Well, when you get this response from your support network, you realize that there's a lot of people that love you and a lot of people that depend on you. So, it's not just about you anymore.

I was going to fight hard anyway, but now I've got a thousand reasons to fight even harder.

Just like in my career as a material scientist, this meant breaking the problem down and approaching it one step at a time. I turn to social media prostate cancer support groups to learn as much as I can about treatment for prostate cancer. Yeah, it was great not only to find a community that understood where I was, but they empathized with where I was.

I switched my care to a leading cancer treatment center. My new doctor treated Katherine and I as partners in coming up with a treatment plan that would work for me, which included XTANDI, also known as enzalutamide, a treatment that has shown outcomes for men like me in clinical studies, and it's been prescribed to over 300,000 patients with advanced prostate cancer.

ANNOUNCER: XTANDI (enzalutamide) is a prescription medicine used to treat men with prostate cancer that:

  • no longer responds to a hormone therapy or surgical treatment to lower testosterone

OR

  • has spread to other parts of the body and responds to a hormone therapy or surgical treatment to lower testosterone

OR

  • has not spread to other parts of the body and responds to a hormone therapy or surgical treatment to lower testosterone, and who are at high risk of cancer spreading to other parts of the body

It is not known if XTANDI is safe and effective in females or children.

Important Safety Information

XTANDI may cause serious side effects, including seizure, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), allergic reactions, heart disease, falls and bone fractures, and swallowing problems or choking.

You will learn more about these and other side effects later in the video.

HENRY: My doctor talked to us about the most common side effects of XTANDI, including muscle and joint pain, feeling more tired than usual, hot flashes, and constipation. After going over the risks and benefits of XTANDI, we decided to give it a try. XTANDI is a tablet, so it'd fit into my daily routine. I was excited about my treatment and what it could mean for our future. I do experience side effects such as fatigue and joint pain. But I work with my doctor to help manage them.

ANNOUNCER: What are the possible side effects of XTANDI?

XTANDI may cause serious side effects including:

  • Seizure. If you take XTANDI, you may be at risk of having a seizure. Avoid activities where a sudden loss of consciousness could cause serious harm to yourself or others. Tell your doctor right away if you lose consciousness or have a seizure.
  • Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES). If you take XTANDI you may be at risk of developing a condition involving the brain called PRES. Tell your doctor right away if you have a seizure or quickly worsening symptoms such as headache, decreased alertness, confusion, reduced eyesight, blurred vision or other visual problems. Your doctor will do a test to check for PRES.
  • Allergic Reactions. Allergic reactions have happened in people who take XTANDI. Stop taking XTANDI and get medical help right away if you develop swelling of the face, tongue, lip or throat.
  • Heart Disease. Blockage of the arteries in the heart (ischemic heart disease) that can lead to death has happened in some people during treatment with XTANDI. Your doctor will monitor you for signs and symptoms of heart problems during your treatment. Call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away if you get chest pain or discomfort at rest or with activity or shortness of breath during your treatment with XTANDI.
  • Falls and Bone Fractures. XTANDI treatment may increase your risk for falls and bone fractures. Falls were not caused by loss of consciousness or seizures. Your doctor will monitor your risks for falls and bone fractures during treatment with XTANDI.
  • Swallowing Problems or Choking. Severe swallowing problems or choking, including life-threatening problems or death can happen in people during treatment with XTANDI, because of the size of the XTANDI capsules and tablets. Swallow each XTANDI capsule or tablet whole with enough water to make sure that you can swallow all of the medicine successfully.

Your doctor will stop treatment with XTANDI if you have serious side effects.

Additional safety information can be found later in this video.

HENRY: My doctor and I have been pleased with the results of XTANDI.

Seeing where I've come from to where I am now has really put life into perspective. I savor every moment. I've seen both of my daughters get married, and I'm looking forward to whatever's next. None of that would have been possible without the support that I got from my community, my doctors, and most importantly, Katherine. I don't think I would have made it this far without her standing next to me every step of the way. I'm thankful for where I am today and excited to be with the people I love.

ANNOUNCER: Important Safety Information

What should I tell my doctor before taking XTANDI?

Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you:

  • Have a history of seizures, brain injury, stroke, or brain tumors.
  • Have a history of heart disease, have high blood pressure, or have abnormal amounts of fat or cholesterol in your blood (dyslipidemia).
  • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. XTANDI can cause harm to your unborn baby and loss of pregnancy (miscarriage).
  • Have a partner who is pregnant or may become pregnant.
    • Males who have female partners who are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with XTANDI and for 3 months after the last dose.
    • Males must use a condom during sex with a pregnant female.
  • Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if XTANDI passes into your breast milk.
  • Take other medicines. XTANDI may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how XTANDI works. These include prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Do not start or stop any medicine without talking to your doctor.

How should I take XTANDI?

  • Take XTANDI exactly as your doctor tells you. Take your prescribed dose once a day, at the same time each day. XTANDI can be taken with or without food. Swallow XTANDI capsules or tablets whole with enough water to make sure that you can swallow all of the medicine successfully. Do not chew, dissolve, or open the capsules. Do not cut, crush or chew the tablets. Your doctor may change your dose if needed. Your doctor may also change your pill size or stop treatment if you have swallowing problems.
  • Do not change or stop taking your prescribed dose of XTANDI without talking with your doctor first.
  • If you are receiving gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) therapy, you should continue with this treatment while taking XTANDI unless you have had surgery to lower the amount of testosterone in your body (surgical castration).
  • If you miss a dose of XTANDI: Take your prescribed dose as soon as you remember that day. If you miss your daily dose, take your prescribed dose at your regular time the next day. Do not take more than your prescribed dose of XTANDI each day.
  • If you take too much XTANDI: Call your doctor or go to the nearest emergency room right away. You may have an increased risk of seizure if you take too much XTANDI.

What are the possible side effects of XTANDI?

XTANDI may cause serious side effects including:

  • Seizure. If you take XTANDI, you may be at risk of having a seizure. Avoid activities where a sudden loss of consciousness could cause serious harm to yourself or others. Tell your doctor right away if you lose consciousness or have a seizure.
  • Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES). If you take XTANDI you may be at risk of developing a condition involving the brain called PRES. Tell your doctor right away if you have a seizure or quickly worsening symptoms such as headache, decreased alertness, confusion, reduced eyesight, blurred vision or other visual problems. Your doctor will do a test to check for PRES.
  • Allergic Reactions. Allergic reactions have happened in people who take XTANDI. Stop taking XTANDI and get medical help right away if you develop swelling of the face, tongue, lip or throat.
  • Heart Disease. Blockage of the arteries in the heart (ischemic heart disease) that can lead to death has happened in some people during treatment with XTANDI. Your doctor will monitor you for signs and symptoms of heart problems during your treatment. Call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away if you get chest pain or discomfort at rest or with activity or shortness of breath during your treatment with XTANDI.
  • Falls and Bone Fractures. XTANDI treatment may increase your risk for falls and bone fractures. Falls were not caused by loss of consciousness or seizures. Your doctor will monitor your risks for falls and bone fractures during treatment with XTANDI.
  • Swallowing Problems or Choking. Severe swallowing problems or choking, including life-threatening problems or death can happen in people during treatment with XTANDI, because of the size of the XTANDI capsules and tablets. Swallow each XTANDI capsule or tablet whole with enough water to make sure that you can swallow all of the medicine successfully.

Your doctor will stop treatment with XTANDI if you have serious side effects.

The most common side effects of XTANDI include:

  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Feeling more tired than usual
  • Hot flashes
  • Constipation
  • Decreased appetite
  • Diarrhea
  • High blood pressure
  • Bleeding problems
  • Falls
  • Bone fractures
  • Headache

XTANDI may cause fertility problems in males, which may affect the ability to father children. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about fertility.

These are not all the possible side effects of XTANDI. For more information, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

For further information, please talk to your doctor and click here for Patient Information and Full Prescribing Information for XTANDI.

Chapters in this video:

The patients featured in these videos are taking or have taken XTANDI®. Astellas and Pfizer compensated these patients to share their stories. Their experiences were accurate at the time of publication and may have since changed.

Select Safety Information

The most common side effects of XTANDI include: muscle and joint pain, feeling more tired than usual, hot flashes, constipation, decreased appetite, diarrhea, high blood pressure, bleeding problems, falls, bone fractures, and headache. Learn more

Learn more about XTANDI

A different patient perspective

Jim shares his journey of returning prostate cancer, his experience with XTANDI, maintaining a positive attitude, and staying proactive with his health.

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