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Chemotherapy uses medicines to kill fast-growing cells (like cancer cells) or to keep them from dividing (which is how cancers grow). It is a systemic treatment which means the medicines will travel throughout your body and destroy cancer cells wherever they may be.
Your medical oncologist prescribes chemotherapy and other medicine-based treatments, like hormone therapy. They also set your treatment schedule.
Prostate Cancer Care Tailored to You
You and your family are our top priority. At Fred Hutch Cancer Center, we offer comprehensive and compassionate care — personalized to you. You'll have access to the latest treatment options, clinical trials and supportive care services.
How Chemotherapy Can Treat Prostate Cancer
Chemotherapy does not cure prostate cancer. This is one reason physicians don’t use chemotherapy to treat localized prostate cancer the first time it occurs.
Your care team at Fred Hutch Cancer Center may recommend chemotherapy to extend your life or improve your quality of life if:
- You have been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer
- Your cancer has returned after treatment
Why Choose Fred Hutch for Chemotherapy for Prostate Cancer
At Fred Hutch, you get medical oncology care from leading physicians who specialize in prostate cancer. They are experts in their field. We often have clinical trials testing new drugs or new combinations of drugs for prostate cancer. So, we can offer you therapies that aren’t offered everywhere.
Your Fred Hutch medical oncologist partners with the rest of your care team. They work closely with your urologic oncologist, radiation oncologist and pathologist. They design a treatment plan for you to target your tumor and have the least impact on healthy tissue. Your medical oncologist also works closely with you to manage any chemotherapy side effects. Your whole team helps you take the best possible care of yourself during treatment.
Common chemotherapy drugs for prostate cancer include:
- Docetaxel
- Cabazitaxel
- Mitoxantrone
- Carboplatin
Your Fred Hutch care team will talk with you about the specific drugs we recommend for you and how you’ll receive them.
Common chemotherapy side effects include:
- Fatigue
- Mouth sores
- Skin reactions
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
- Increased risk of infections
- Easy bruising or bleeding
If your Fred Hutch care team recommends chemotherapy, we’ll explain what to expect based on the medicine you’re getting.
Your care team at Fred Hutch is here to help you prevent or prepare for side effects and to relieve any side effects you have. The most important step you can take is to let your team know what you’re feeling or experiencing. We’ve helped many patients and families through this process and know ways to ease your experience.
Often, there are medicines to help, like anti-nausea drugs. Based on the side effect, there may be a range of other helpful options too, like diet changes, physical therapy and emotional and practical support. We also offer integrative medicine, including acupuncture. Fred Hutch researchers continue to look for the best ways to keep side effects at bay.
Your care team at Fred Hutch will explain your treatment schedule. Chemotherapy is given in cycles. You’ll get a dose and then have a rest period, often about three weeks, before the next treatment.