This article describes you about some prostate cancer drugs that are used in general. If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the next stage could be very confusing. Your oncologist might begin you on hormone therapy, either before or after surgery or radiotherapy - or as your only treatment. There are a number of kinds of hormonal therapy, in addition to other drugs that you will hear mentioned in the course of treatment.
The proper treatment for prostate cancer is not obvious. Treatment alternatives are at variance based on the stage of the tumor. In the early stages, consult to your doctor concerning some alternatives including surgery, radiation therapy, or, in older patients, monitoring the cancer with no active treatment.
In addition, your treatment alternatives depend on some factors, like how fast your cancer is growing, how much it has spread, your overall health, and also the benefits and the likely side effects of the treatment.
Prostate cancer that has spread might be treated with drugs to decrease testosterone levels, surgery to remove the testes, or chemotherapy. Surgery, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy could interfere with sexual desire or performance on either a temporary or permanent basis. Make a discussion of your concerns with your health care provider.
Chemotherapy is frequently utilized to treat cancers of prostate that are resistant to hormonal treatments. An oncology specialist will typically advise a single drug or a combination of drugs. Chemotherapy medications that could be applied to treat prostate cancer include: Adriamycin, Docetaxel, Estramustine, Mitoxantrone, Paclitaxel and Prednisone.
After the first round of chemotherapy, the majority men get further doses on an outpatient basis at a clinic or physician's office. Side effects rely on the drug, how frequently you take it, and for how long.
A number of the side effects for the most generally used prostate cancer chemotherapy drugs include: blood clots, bruising, dry skin, fatigue; fluid retention; hair loss; lowering of your white cells, red cells, or platelets; mouth sores; nausea; tingling or numbness in hands and feet; upset stomach; and weight gain.
As concerns prostate cancer drugs, chemotherapy makes use of drugs to kill quickly growing cells, including cancer cells. Chemotherapy could be administered by means of a vein in your arm, in pill form or both. It may be a treatment choice for men with the cancer that has extended to distant parts of their bodies.
Chemotherapy might also be an alternative for cancers that don't respond to hormone therapy. Doctors are studying whether chemotherapy is supportive when combined with surgery or radiation therapy.
