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Prostate Cancer Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy involves using powerful drugs to prevent cancer cells from reproducing. Unlike surgery and radiation therapy, chemotherapy acts on all cancer cells throughout the body. However, this therapy was once rarely used in the treatment of prostate cancer; it had not proved effective against the disease or in improving survival. Over time, however, research has shown that chemotherapy may be indicated for the treatment of certain forms of prostate cancer.

After a period of hormone treatment, some patients tend to develop a condition called hormone resistance; chemotherapy becomes therefore necessary. Chemotherapy can also be used in the treatment of prostate cancer when it has evolved with extraprostatic extension (unfavorable prognostic factor in patients with prostate carcinoma) . In this case, the goal of the therapy is used to reduce the pain associated with the cancer or control its symptoms. Many studies have been conducted to develop an effective systemic cytotoxic chemotherapy to fight cancer cells in hormone- resistant prostate cancer. Nowadays, different chemotherapy protocols have been adopted, used alone or in combination.

Initially, association of mitoxantrone (Novantrone) and prednisone (Deltasone) has demonstrated more or less positive effects; these drugs reduce pain related to prostate cancer and provide improved quality of life without, however, improving survival. After which, taxanes and docetaxel (Taxotere®) have shown efficacy in the treatment of prostate cancer unresponsive to hormonal treatment; these drugs improve quality of life, reduce pain and prolong patient survival. Nowadays, other chemotherapeutic drugs are used to fight prostate cancer. Their effects vary from patient to another and depending on the stage of the tumor at diagnosis.

The negative effects of chemotherapy drugs used in prostate cancer treatment vary from patient to another; the most common include:

nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
hair loss
nail changes
constipation
changes in taste
extreme tiredness
muscle, joint, or bone pain
increased eye tearing
sores in the mouth and throat
Redness, dryness, or swelling at the site where the medication was injected.

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