Prostate Cancer Health Center
Treating Advanced Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer occurs when a tumor develops in the prostate gland, which makes the liquid portion of semen. Cancer that spreads outside the prostate gland to the lymph nodes, bones, or other areas is called metastatic prostate cancer. Currently, no treatments can cure advanced prostate cancer. But doctors do have ways to help control its spread and related symptoms.
Treatments that slow the spread of advanced prostate cancer and relieve symptoms, however, often cause Some patients, often those who are older, decide that the risk of side effects outweighs the benefits of treatment. These patients may choose not to treat their advanced prostate cancer.
It's important to remember that researchers are always searching for new and better treatments that will cause fewer side effects, better disease control, and longer survival rates.
Hormonal Therapy and Prostate Cancer
Male hormones such as testosterone fuel the growth of prostate cancer. By reducing the amount and activity of these hormones, doctors can slow the growth of advanced prostate cancer. Hormone therapy is still the main treatment for advanced prostate cancer and is the first treatment usually offered if the cancer has spread.
In many patients, hormone therapy provides temporary relief of symptoms of advanced prostate cancer. It also reduces tumor size and levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in most men. PSA is a substance produced by the prostate gland that, in excess amounts, signals the presence of prostate cancer.
But hormone therapy is not without risks. Some of the more serious side effects include loss of sex drive, impotence, weakened bones (osteoporosis), and heart problems.
Eventually most patients with advanced prostate cancer stop responding to hormone therapy. Doctors call this hormone refractory prostate cancer.
Chemotherapy for Prostate Cancer
Patients who no longer respond to hormone therapy have another option.
The chemotherapy drug Taxotere, taken with prednisone (a steroid), for the treatment of patients who no longer respond to hormone therapy. Taxotere works by preventing cancer cells from dividing and growing. Patients receive Taxotere, along with prednisone, through an injection. Side effects of Taxotere are similar to most chemotherapy drugs and include nausea, possible hair loss, and bone marrow suppression (the decline or halt of blood cell formation). Patients may also experience neuropathy (nerve damage causing tingling, numbness, or pain in the fingers or toes) and fluid retention.
Taxotere, when used with prednisone, is the first chemotherapy drug therapy proven to help some patients with advanced prostate cancer live longer. The average person prolonged life by about 2.5 months but some men gained several years, according to studies. Researchers say it's an important breakthrough in care.
Jevtana is another chemotherapy drug used in combination with the steroid prednisone to treat men with prostate cancer. Jevtana is used in men with advanced prostate cancer that is not responding to hormone therapy and that has worsened during or after treatment with Taxotere.
WebMD Medical Reference
Prostate Cancer Guide
