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Chemotherapy for prostate cancer |
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Therapies that lower the level of the male sex hormone testosterone are the mainstay of prostate cancer treatment that has spread from its original site. Once the patient begins hormone therapy the disease can be effectively controlled for a period of time. However, many patients stop responding to these hormonal therapies after some time. In such cases new ways of treating this condition must be found and applied. One of these ways - less commonly used treatments to prostate cancer is chemotherapy. It is sometimes used to treat cancer that has spread and has stopped responding to hormone therapy. A number of chemotherapy regimens may be used including the following:
Docetaxel (taxotere). It is now licensed across Europe as a treatment for prostate cancer that has not or is no longer responding to more common hormone therapy. As every treatment has its potential side effects it is not always suitable for every patient. The possible side effects have to be balanced with the potential benefit you are likely to get from the treatment. You should always talk this thoroughly through with your cancer specialist. Cancer specialists continue to study different combination of chemotherapy regimens, different doses, different sequences in which they are administered to find more effective ways of treating prostate cancer with chemotherapy. Further general information Your doctors and specialist nurses are in an ideal position to give you relevant information on your disease and treatment as they know your individual circumstances. Cancerbackup has a help line (0808 800 1234) and a prize winning video available in English, Italian, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati & Hindi explaining Radiotherapy & Chemotherapy. Cancernet.co.uk has over 500 pages describing cancer, its management, practical tips and tool which patients, their carers and their doctors have found helpful during the cancer journey. |
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