prostate drugs treatment



Chemotherapy

Doctors will try different medications before referring you to a medical oncologist. That would mean that your prostate cancer has reached an advanced stage. They would then be speaking about Chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy is a treatment that destroys the cancer cells by interfering with their growth and reproduction. It uses anti-cancer drugs injected into a vein or given by mouth. These medications enter the bloodstream and go all over the body, making this treatment fight cancer cells that have spread (metastasized) outside of prostate gland

Most doctors recommend chemotherapy for advanced prostate cancers that do not respond to hormonal treatment. Sometimes they will advice you to undergo a surgical operation and then will prescribe some medication to be taken. prostate drugs

Chemotherapy drugs used to treat prostate cancer

Chemotherapy is not expected to destroy all the prostate cancer cells, but it may slow the cancer's growth. There are many drugs to be used. When compared with other chemotherapy drug options, most doctors consider that combining docetaxel (Taxotere) with the steroid drug prednisone is the best way to reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life in patients with advanced prostate cancer. Other drugs used in prostate cancer chemotherapy are:
  • mitoxantrone (Novantrone)
  • estramustine (Emcyt)
  • doxorubicin (Adriamycin)
  • etoposide (VP-16)
  • inblastine (Velban)
  • paclitaxel (Taxol)
  • carboplatin (Paraplatin)
  • vinorelbine (Navelbine)

Possible side effects

Chemotherapy drugs are recommended to treat advanced prostate cancer and they work against tumours by attacking body cells that are dividing quickly. But aside cancer cells, there are other cells in the body (hair follicles, bone marrow) that also divide quickly, which are also likely to be affected by chemotherapy. This situation can lead to side effects such as:
  • hair loss
  • mouth sores
  • loss of appetite
  • nausea and vomiting
  • lowered resistance to infection (due to low white blood cell counts)
  • easy bruising or bleeding (due to low blood platelets)
  • fatigue (due to low red blood cells)

Advantages and disadvantages of prostate cancer chemotherapy

Advantages
  • This therapy is a non invasive treatment.
  • It is used when prostate cancer has reached an advanced stage and do not respond to hormonal treatment.

    Disadvantages
  • Chemotherapy do not destroy all the prostate cancer cells, but it may slow the cancer's growth.
  • Chemotherpy drugs cannot discriminate cancer cells from healthy cells.
  • As a result of this behavior, chemotherapy drugs affect and normal development of healthy cells causing some undesirable side effects.

    Latest News

  • Most cancer survivors say chemo fears unfounded
    Although most cancer survivors polled in a recent survey said they had been fearful of undergoing chemotherapy, most also said the treatments were much less trying than they had expected.
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    NOTE: Issues on this site regarding men's health and their concerns, are provided for information only, and are not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or other medical professional. Prostate-Report.org does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment.





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