Chemotherapy for prostate cancer

Chemotherapy may be recommended to treat prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body - called metastatic prostate cancer - and that has not responded to hormone treatment.

It is not usually recommended for earlier stages of prostate cancer.

Chemotherapy drugs are usually given through an IV drip into the vein without an overnight stay in hospital.

Chemotherapy is designed to kill cancer cells around the whole body.

It cannot completely cure prostate cancer, but it can shrink tumours and help stop their growth. It can also reduce symptoms, including pain.

Liver, kidney and other tests may be done to check whether someone is a suitable candidate for prostate cancer chemotherapy. These may be repeated before each treatment session.

The type of chemotherapy drug used will depend on individual circumstances and whether a rare type of the cancer has been diagnosed. Typical drugs used are docetaxel, cabazitaxel and more rarely, mitoxantrone.

Other medication may be given alongside chemotherapy, including steroids, to make the treatment more effective.

Monitoring will be arranged to check how well a man is responding to the treatment.

Health checks will be carried out after each session before leaving the hospital or clinic.

Side-effects of chemotherapy for prostate cancer

Chemotherapy affects both cancer cells and some healthy ones - and this, along with the steroid drugs, can cause side-effects.

These include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sore mouth
• Lost appetite
• Hair loss
• Nail changes
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Breathlessness
• Bruising due to blood platelets being affected
• Fluid retention
• Eyes watering
• Infections due to bone marrow being affected

Ask your doctor or specialist nurse for advice about specific side-effects you can expect from your chemotherapy drugs. Also discuss any troubling or unmanageable side effects with your doctor or specialist nurse. If the side effects cannot be tolerated, chemotherapy may be stopped.

Side-effects should ease after chemotherapy treatment is completed or stopped.