Chemo for Prostate Cancer

leecm78

Is this an option, and has anyone heard the success rates. I'm trying to gather info for a relative who has had his prostate removed, but during the process found metastisis to the lymph nodes and bladder. I've heard of various treatments if the cancer is localized, but what other options (of cure) are there if it has spread?

bitaday

Chemotherapy has been shown to reduce the severity and duration of pain and improve overall well-being of patients with hormone-refractory prostate cancer. When treatment with chemotherapy was directly compared to no chemotherapy, the men treated with chemotherapy experienced less severe pain and this improvement lasted 43 weeks, or just over twice as long as patients who did not receive the chemotherapy treatment. Unfortunately, patients who received chemotherapy did not live any longer than those who did not receive chemotherapy.

Taxotere (docetaxel): A newer chemotherapy drug, Taxotere, has been shown to further improve outcomes over Novantrone chemotherapy. In a direct comparison of treatment with Taxotere/prednisone to the historical standard treatment of mitoxantrone/prednisone, patients treated with Taxotere lived longer. On average, the patients treated with Taxotere survived more than a year and a half (19 months) compared to 16.5 months for patients treated with mitoxantrone. More than a third (35%) of the patients treated with Taxotere experienced reduced pain compared to less than one quarter (22%) of patients treated with mitoxantrone.

There also appears to be a similar improvement in survival when Taxotere is combined with the chemotherapy drug estramustine.

stuart

You didn't say what treatment your relative had...Usually prior to chemo if the cancer has spread the hormone option is tried...The names of the medications are Luprone, Zolodex and Casodex...These meds can slow the cancer growth...They have side effects but not as severe as chemo...Your relatives urologist shoud be familiar with this type protocol...