If you want to find a Provenge provider, you should first make sure that this form of immunotherapy for prostate cancer is appropriate for you and that you have carefully considered all of your options. The next step is to talk to your doctor. If you and your doctor decide that Provenge therapy is for you, you can ask if he or she is a Provenge provider. If not, your doctor may help you find a Provenge provider.
Not all doctors have the infrastructure or the capability to provide Provenge for their patients, however, most doctors are willing to refer you to a doctor or center that can provide the treatment. The following link to the Provenge website can help you locate doctors in your area that administer Provenge.
Questions to ask about Provenge treatment
There are number of questions you need to think about discussing with your doctor when considering the Provenge vaccine. For example:
- Why do you think the vaccine is for me?
- What are the advantages of the Provenge vaccine?
- What are the side effects of the Provenge vaccine?
- Can you explain how the Provenge treatment works?
- How much does Provenge cost?
- Can I get the Provenge vaccine in your office? If not, can you refer me to a center or physician who can prescribe the Provenge vaccine?
In general, Provenge treatment is appropriate for men with advanced prostate cancer that has metastasized, or spread, to other parts of the body outside of the prostate. Patients have usually failed or had more significant disease recurrence following hormone therapy. Finally, the advanced disease cannot be so significant that it requires narcotics for pain.
You want to make sure that Provenge treatment is right for you by talking with your doctor. If you decide to proceed, you want to make ensure that the center where you will be treated has the appropriate staff and infrastructure to both collect your immune cells initially and give you the Provenge infusion when ready.
Read more in our Prostate Cancer Health Center.
Reference
Kantoff PW et al. Sipuleucel-T immunotherapy for castration-resistant prostate cancer. N Engl J Med 2010; 363:411-22.