Just as a refresher, Xofigo is a Radium isotope that just loves calcium. Once injected, off the now happy isotope goes in search of calcium fields. You may remember, or not, your oncologist telling you that bone mets, lesions or whatever confusing word he/she chose, generate shitstorms of calcium. As the Effing Evil Empire gnaws away the good guys are delivering calcium as fast as their little whats its can deliver.
RA-223, Xofigo goes to this calcium and lets go with the radiation beating up any Effing Evil Empire thugs in the neighborhood.
The application of Xofigo is just a simple infusion. However it is done in the Nuclear Medicine department and is still fairly new so you will probably find yourself going to a Cancer Center for the infusion.
Once past the waiting interminably long room the process goes very quickly. They hook something similar to this and your done in ten minutes or so, no fuss no muss. Different techs use different set ups. Some of the set ups, tubes valves and such, would rival the best still set up in Kentucky.
Once it is in you are free to go and don't have to come back for another month. Which is no biggy cuz' if you are thinking of doing Xofigo you are probably visiting the hospital once a month anyway.
Was it effective? Damn straight it was. Effective enough that upon completion of the regimen I applied for a trial to see if additional doses were effective.
Side affects, for me none. Not a one. This is fairly amusing as when you read your med data sheets and see the line "less than 1% experienced....." I'm consistently in that less than 1%. So you might want to take my no side affects comment with a dose of whatever you have.
Seven or so months later the mets that had hurt the worst aren't extremely painful except when I move certain ways. That sounds worse than it is. I'm recently in a wheel chair so "move certain ways" has taken on a new meaning.
This stuff is such an amazing pain killer alone that I'd willing become the Xofigo poster child. Actually I believe the only place in the world the drug is produced is in Norway. I'd have to telecommute I think.
So, even seven months later, if you have serious bone pain caused by the Effing Evil Empire Xofigo is the ticket to reduced pain.
