Testing for epigenetic changes

It’s actually jarring me quite a bit that it’s taken 8 years (6 if we take into consideration the fact that the study was only filled in 2015) for the Baylor paper on epigenetic changes to be compiled, and we’re still waiting.

Surely, there are some means of attaining epigenetic testing in the meanwhile (if this study ever comes out) in order to prove/ disprove the epigenetics hypothesis of PFS.

5 Likes

I don’t mean to be a negative prick but whenever I read things like this it just makes me believe Merck is pulling fuckary and putting the kibosh on the whole thing from coming out
Conspiracy theorist in me

I know this post doesn’t help but just venting my frustration
Fuckin ridiculous at this point already

1 Like

The rest of the study is supposedly up to the university of Utah to finish. I think we should be hounding them to release it.

I saw a YouTube comment left on one of the pro fin/anti PFS videos and there was a guy claiming he was a scientist that was reviewing the study at Utah and found DNA damage so take it for a grain of salt at what we are potentially looking at. I wish I took a screenshot I haven’t been able to find that persons account again.

There’s definitely some entity with power that isn’t allowing this information to be released.

5 Likes

Blockquote There’s definitely some entity with power that isn’t allowing this information to be released.

And they should burn in Fuckin hell for having done so and everything else they’ve done

4 Likes

Maybe, but at the same time, what I can’t understand is how no one else has picked this up themselves. Issues we have bare many similarities to genetic disorders like androgen insensitivity syndrome, and AIS is relatively easy to get diagnosed through testing, so why is it not the same for this?

At this point, Merck’s patent on the drug has expired so I’m not sure how much they stand to lose realistically if it gets pulled from market.

I’m more upset because of the thousands who will want to seek conclusive proof of these persistent side effects before beginning treatment, and won’t find anything because the study isn’t out.

Those people will be as much victims of this than us.

3 Likes

Absolutely nobody should be hounding them to do anything. Members of the PFS community have been incessantly pestering with email after email for several years now and it’s made 0 difference to the timeframe. All you’re doing by hounding them is winding them up, it’ll be out when it’s out.

The reality is that the vast majority of members on this forum contributed nothing to this study and aren’t owed anything from anyone, constant badgering makes us look entitled.

Even worse is that it could dissuade other scientists from working with us in the future if we forge out a negative reputation for ourselves and word gets around. What scientist wants to be constantly harassed while they’re doing their work? Let’s not do that to ourselves.

9 Likes

Agreed

1 Like

Hey @Crazycalypso,

Would you mind completing our survey? We’re approaching the deadline before the results are to be hopefully outsourced and published. This will be a major step in the progression of our cause and it’s a prospect we’re very excited about.

It’ll take an hour of your time and is one of the most effective ways you can contribute to the community. We’d all be very grateful!

3 Likes

Even worse is that it could dissuade other scientists from working with us in the future if we forge out a negative reputation for ourselves and word gets around. What scientist wants to be constantly harassed while they’re doing their work? Let’s not do that to ourselves.

This is a point that is all too often missed. I understand that this condition is acutely painful, and therefore frustration builds quickly, but the way elements of our community have attempted to engage with Dr Khera over the years is frankly embarrassing.

How can we expect any scientist, let alone those who are preeminent in their fields, to investigate our condition, if we behave like this?

3 Likes

Hey SkinDiesel, I don’t have a particularly bad case of PFS, and on top of that I have a history of anxiety, and catastrophizing things (something I appreciated greatly as I undertook CBT) which leads me to believe this is likely no exception.
On top of that my bloods are all quite good apart from cortisol (slightly elevated, but easily due to stress from this entire ordeal).
Because of all this, I’m afraid I don’t feel I’ll be much help when adding to, and potentially spoiling, the adverse reactions survey. My interest in the studies pertain to wanting to know whether or not I do have minor PFS or nocebo.

While I agree with this, there should be more transparency between researchers and the foundation, which can then be passed on to members of the forum. A bi-annual update would reduce the amount of unnecessary heckling from certain individuals here.

That’s not how scientific studies work.

They complete, peer review and publish.

They don’t reveal what they’ve found out half way.

2 Likes

Judging by the amount of rumours being spread, and supposed whistleblowers in the research team, it’s certainly possible this isnt happening this time around.

Something to set these rumours straight should be done, since it does nothing but cause unnecessary worry, which then leads to an even greater inflow of emails to these researchers.

1 Like

Also, I fear most of you have missed the point of this thread. It wasn’t to go after Baylor but rather ask "why hasn’t anyone taken it upon themselves to test for androgen insensitivity or epigenetic changes?

Granted you would need connections to a research institute but are we really going to pretend that no one has at least some sort of connection they could exploit?

One can only rely on himself at the end of the day.

2 Likes

Can you prove that or back that up. Maybe if the emails and the hounding never happened we wouldn’t be as far as we our now or the Study would never come out or a lawsuit would have never been filed ??

I don’t think the emails made a difference either way. If anything it won’t force them to work harder, but write us down for mentally ill patients first and foremost.

Use common sense man. Barrages of emails from patients who have no power, influence or authority whatsoever aren’t going to frighten anyone into releasing anything.

As previously mentioned, pretty much nobody on this forum contributed anything to the study and nobody’s owed anything. What consequences could angry PFS patients inflict on Baylor because the study is taking longer than they’d like? None is the answer.

5 Likes

And worth mentioning that even if you had personally funded it wholly, without a demand that the results are published within a certain timeframe being in some sort of contract, you’d have no power there either.

2 Likes

My guess is that the community has for a long time focused on “someone should” not “I can” when it comes to progress.

If you look back to Awor’s posts over ten years ago, you can see him outlining what is still most likely the best course of investigation and a decade later the forum is still talking about treatments that have failed repeatedly.

2 Likes