Is Chemotherapy Necessary for Prostate Cancer?
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen. Most commonly, chemotherapy acts by killing cells that divide rapidly, one of the main properties of most cancer cells. This means that it also harms cells that divide rapidly under normal circumstances: cells in the bone marrow, digestive tract and hair follicles. There are many kind of chemotherapies such as liver, lung, skin, leukemia, prostate, Breast Cancer Chemotherapy, etc. However, chemotherapy is not commonly used to treat prostate cancer. There are two specific sets of circumstances, however, where chemotherapy may be the best choice to treat your prostate cancer.
When Is Chemotherapy Needed
Chemotherapy is not used often to treat prostate cancer. There are two specific sets of circumstances where it is employed. First is for “hormone-refractory” prostate cancer. Prostate cancer that has stopped responding to hormone therapy is said to be “hormone-refractory.” Once this point has been reached, hormone therapies will have only minimal benefit in controlling the growth of the cancer. Therefore, systemic therapies such as chemotherapy are used. The second is for advanced prostate cancer that has metastasized (spread) to areas of the body distant from the prostate. Prostate cancer that has spread far from the prostate has reached an advanced stage that is not easily curable with surgery, radiation, or other standard treatments. In order to treat the cancer wherever it has spread in the body, a systemic treatment such as chemotherapy is needed.
Chemotherapy is sometimes used to treat prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. Types of Chemotherapy Drugs may be used, including Docetaxel, Mitozantrone, Epirubicin, Paclitaxel, and Estramustine. Docetaxel is the most commonly used drug. It is licensed in the UK for prostate cancer that has not responded to hormone treatment, or the hormone treatment is no longer working. But it is only used for people who the doctors think are fit enough to have this chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy Medications may be toxic and their toxicity is greater in older as compared with younger patients. Younger patients are far more resistant to the side-effects of chemotherapy treatment than the elderly. For this reason, chemotherapy was not really given to patients with prostate cancer in the 1970s and 1980s. When it was, the side-effects were, the chemotherapy treatment was often worse than the disease itself.
Side Effects of Prostate Cancer Chemotherapy
The side effects of prostate cancer chemotherapy are usually milder than those of other cancers, and the Chemotherapy Side Effects are typically not permanent. From the treatment, many people experience some hair loss, and nausea or vomiting. Your doctor will monitor your white blood cell count to make sure it does not go too low. You may also experience fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, and/or loss of appetite. Patients on chemotherapy must be careful to not be around people with contagious diseases like colds or flu, because the immune system is suppressed during chemotherapy. It is important to tell your doctor and nursing staff if you are having side effects. Many side effects can be managed well with medications or complementary therapies. Other side effects help your doctor to know how your body is handling the treatment.
