Chemotherapy is sometimes used if prostate cancer has spread outside of the prostate gland and hormone therapy isn't working. It is not recommended as a treatment if you have early prostate cancer.
Chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs injected into a vein or given by mouth. These drugs enter the bloodstream and reach throughout the body, making this treatment potentially useful for cancers that have spread (metastasized) to distant organs.
Some of the chemotherapy drugs used to treat prostate cancer include:
- doxorubicin
- estramustine
- etoposide
- mitoxantrone
- vinblastine
- paclitaxel
- docetaxel
- carboplatin
- prednisone
Like hormone therapy, chemotherapy is unlikely to result in a cure. This treatment is not expected to destroy all the cancer cells, but it may slow the cancer's growth and reduce symptoms, resulting in a better quality of life. Recent reports indicate that chemotherapy, particularly with regimens that include the drug docetaxel (Taxotere), can also prolong life in prostate cancer patients by several months.
