Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of powerful drugs to attack cancer cells. The drugs circulate throughout the body in the bloodstream and kill any rapidly growing cells.

Chemotherapy drugs are carefully controlled in both dosage and frequency so that cancer cells are destroyed while minimizing the risk to healthy cells.

There are many different chemotherapy drugs, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Often the drugs are used in combination. While some are injected directly into a vein or a muscle, others may be taken by mouth. Some of the drugs must be given in the doctor’s office or clinic; others can be administered while the patient is at home.

Hospitalization may be needed for certain types of chemotherapy that require special monitoring of both the treatment and its possible side effects. Chemotherapy is generally reserved for patients with advanced stage prostate cancer that no longer responds to hormonal therapy and/or that has spread outside the prostate gland.

Advantages:

Although it has limited success as a treatment for prostate cancer, chemotherapy provides an additional means of relieving the symptoms of advanced prostate cancer. It can reduce pain and may slow tumor growth.

Disadvantages:

Because the drugs circulate throughout the whole body, they can affect both healthy and cancerous cells. This can lead to many side effects. The specific side effects will depend upon which drugs and regimens are used.

The most common adverse reactions include:

  • hair loss
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • lowered blood counts
  • reduced ability of the blood to clot
  • increased risk of infection

Some of these side effects occur only temporarily or are more noticeable when treatment is first started. Most of the side effects disappear when the drugs are stopped.