| Doctors will try different medications before | | | | to the bones. As explained before, the cancer |
| referring you to a medical oncologist. If you | | | | will not totally disappear nor will you live |
| are referred to one that would imply that | | | | longer. |
| your prostate cancer has reached an advanced | | | | |
| stage. They would then be speaking about | | | | Let us examine some other medications that |
| Chemotherapy. | | | | are used and how they function: |
| | | | |
| Chemotherapy will destroy the cancer cells by | | | | Doxorubicin is an anti-tumor antibiotic which |
| interfering with their growth and | | | | works by damaging the nuclei of cells. |
| reproduction. Chemotherapy can be performed | | | | |
| either by administering drugs or by | | | | Paclitaxel is a member of the Taxane group |
| performing surgical operations. In some | | | | which functions by fastening the microtubules |
| cases, it could be a combination of these | | | | of cells and thus causing the cells to |
| two. Chemotherapy can in some cases be very | | | | crumble during division. |
| effective the prostate cancer but will not | | | | |
| cure it. | | | | Etoposide functions by slowing down the |
| | | | process of mitosis in cancerous cells. |
| The known side-effects are chemotherapy are | | | | |
| nausea, hair losses and mouth sores. A new | | | | Vinblastine is an antineoplastic which breaks |
| technique called fractionated dose will | | | | apart cell division and is derived from the |
| diminish those side-effects. | | | | Madagascar periwinkle. |
| | | | |
| Two common chemotherapy drugs are | | | | The use of chemotherapy in prostate cancer is |
| Mitoxantrone as well as Corticosteroids. The | | | | still being studied and men who do have |
| other drugs that are used for chemotherapy | | | | recourse to chemotherapy are strongly |
| are rednisone, Paclitaxel and Docetaxel. The | | | | encouraged to discuss with their doctors |
| final brand which is becoming more and more | | | | about experimental trials. |
| popular is Estramustine. | | | | |
| | | | Your oncologist will inform you of the |
| Doctors will usually advice you to undergo a | | | | benefits and drawbacks to of the different |
| surgical operation. You will then be given | | | | drugs described above. So do seek medical |
| some medications to take. Many studies have | | | | advice too and you would be in a better |
| shown that this combination reduces the pains | | | | position to decide according to your own |
| experienced by men to a great extent | | | | health and your personal values. |
| especially if the prostate cancer has spread | | | | |