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Euvon & Janet on the Power of Support

Watch Euvon, a real XTANDI patient, and his wife, Janet, discuss the importance of support, community, and having a game plan when living with advanced prostate cancer.

EUVON: I know, I know, my man on the drums been playing forever. I know you have man.

I grew up with a little toy guitar in my hand. I always just loved music. Music is what the heart sounds like. And I didn't realize where it would take me. Once I got to high school, I became a part of a cover band and we toured up and down the East Coast. There would be times I would be on stage and have these out-of-body experiences. It was such a blast.

But the number one thing that music brought me is my lovely, beautiful wife.

My name is Euvon.

JANET: I'm Janet. I'm Euvon's wife.

EUVON: Very thankful for meeting Janet, having kids.

EUVON: Our lives were great.

But when I turned 59 years old, I was in a swimming pool. I had this young boy and we raced three times. The first time I beat him, the second time he beat me. And the third time I became like a shark. And I wiped him off almost the face of the earth.

Well, that Monday, I couldn't get out of bed. I had so much pain in my body. I couldn't. I couldn't even. I couldn't even walk.

I didn't know where that pain was coming from, and so after one thing led to another, I got diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, which had a PSA that was very high.

The experience of having prostate cancer is that you realize that you are in a club that you never signed up for.

My dad never died from prostate cancer, but he had it. My uncle had it. I was so afraid. I didn't know who to talk to, what to talk about it...

BANDMATE #1: ...because we don't open up all that easily.

EUVON: Men don't like to talk about themselves and they hate talking about prostate cancer. I didn't know if I was being proud or if I was being honest.

There's a lot to be said about the demographics of prostate cancer, and there's a lot of information around Black men getting prostate cancer at higher rates.

BANDMATE #2: You're young. You never think about how you're going to develop things as you get older. Prostate cancer has taken a lot of men out because they are afraid to go get examined.

EUVON: We're not going to doctors enough. And also, there are trust issues, but you know what? I sure trust doctors now.

As a man, after you receive that diagnosis, you have to own it and then you have to study it. The other thing you have to do is to be open to accepting help.

JANET: One of the most important things that I wanted to do was to get him to continue to communicate. I told my husband, "This is not your disease. This is not your battle. This is our battle. And we're going to fight this formidable foe." So I became a student of his diagnosis.

EUVON: My oncologist and I worked together. She told me about XTANDI, also known as enzalutamide, and we got to work.

ANNOUNCER: You're about to hear some information about XTANDI. Stay tuned for the rest of Euvon's story.

What is XTANDI?

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.

Please listen to the safety information about XTANDI during this video and see additional safety information and Full Prescribing Information on the XTANDI website.

EUVON: My oncologist and I worked together to choose XTANDI because of its clinical trials.

It helped some patients delay the progression of their cancer and also live longer.

We also talked about key safety information and possibility of some side effects, including back pain and even feeling more tired than usual.

ANNOUNCER: Important Safety Information

Talk to your doctor or go to the emergency room right away if you experience any of these serious side effects while on XTANDI, including:

  • Seizure or Sudden Loss of Consciousness. Avoid activities where loss of consciousness could cause serious harm to yourself or others.
  • Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES), a brain condition, may develop. Includes seizure or quickly worsening symptoms such as headache, decreased alertness, confusion, reduced eyesight, blurred vision or other visual problems. Your doctor will check for PRES.
  • Allergic Reactions. Stop taking XTANDI if you develop swelling of the face, tongue, lip or throat.
  • Ischemic Heart Disease, the blockage of arteries in the heart that can lead to death. Symptoms include: chest pain, discomfort at rest or with activity, and shortness of breath. Your doctor will monitor you for signs of this disease during your treatment.
  • Increased Risk of Falls and Bone Fractures. Falls were not caused by loss of consciousness (fainting) or seizures.
  • Swallowing Problems or Choking. Life-threatening problems or death can happen in people during treatment because of the size of the XTANDI capsules and tablets. Swallow each capsule or tablet whole with enough water to make sure that you can swallow all of the medicine successfully.

Your doctor will monitor your risks and stop XTANDI if you have serious side effects. Additional safety information can be found later in this video.

EUVON: These are all the people that are trying to keep me healthy. When you have prostate cancer support is such a powerful thing. The relationship we have had with my oncologist has gone from doctor to more of a family member.

From being open with her we have developed a high level of trust.

JANET: We turned his diagnosis into a battle of triumph. And it even strengthened our marriage, strengthened our relationship with our family and our friends.

EUVON: Community is important because you don't even realize until you open up. You're not alone.

BANDMATE #1: We've made music together more times since this cancer journey of yours than in the 10 years before.

JANET: Throughout this entire experience, our children have been a godsend.

EUVON: They all came together to be our army for many of the treatments I received.

JANET: They were very strong and they were encouraging and they lifted me up. They helped get me out of my darkness. And so that encouraged me. And in turn, it encouraged him.

EUVON: Once you get over the shock of diagnosis and you start to make your game plan, realize that for however long that you're here, you've got something to do. It's not only about you. I think we can be a lot better if we were truly honest with our families and our doctors. Prostate cancer will challenge you. And intimacy is a part of that. But my oncologist said something to me that stuck with me forever, she said, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." And I said, "Doctor, you are so right about that."

XTANDI has many other helpful resources. They put XTANDI patients in contact with the people in charge of financial assistance. XTANDI also has many other helpful resources, such as a doctor's discussion guide. To get it, all you have to do is go to XTANDI.com. So get involved in your own health.

You're not alone. Fighting cancer is a team effort. Learn from my experience. Don't wait to talk to your doctor. Talk early. You're not alone.

ANNOUNCER: What is XTANDI?

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

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 read the 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

Hear from Euvon’s wife, Janet

Janet reflects on becoming a student of Euvon’s diagnosis, making decisions as a team, and drawing strength from their shared love of music.

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