NEWLY DIAGNOSED PROSTATE CANCER GUIDE
An exciting advancement in hormone therapy is a recently approved oral ADT option. While many forms of ADT are given by injection, oral ADT may provide patients with more flexibility in scheduling appointments and perhaps even reduced side effects. Ask your doctor which option is best for you. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is a type of prostate cancer treatment that is used to kill cancer cells throughout the body. They are given intravenously (through the veins) or orally (as a pill), depending on the drug. Because chemotherapy also attacks other cells in the body, this treatment can cause significant side effects. Chemotherapy may be used when a patient’s prostate cancer has metastasized (spread) and is often given in combination with ADT or after hormone therapy stops working. Immunotherapy Immunotherapy, also called biologic therapy, treats the whole body by attempting to activate a person’s immune system so that it will recognize and destroy prostate cancer cells. It uses materials either made by the body or in a lab to improve, target, or restore immune function. Different types of immunotherapies include vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and non-specific immunotherapy. Radiopharmaceuticals Radiopharmaceuticals are medications that deliver radiation, typically given through a vein to men with metastatic prostate cancer that has spread widely to the bone. Targeted Therapy Targeted therapy uses drugs that are designed to find and attack cancer cells. The goal is to interfere with the specific molecules that drive the growth of the tumor. A targeted therapy approach is a form of personalized cancer treatment, also known as precision medicine, and is often associated with fewer side effects than other treatments. Targeted therapies may be used by themselves or in combination with other therapies. PARP Inhibitors – A type of targeted therapy that affects how DNA is repaired in cancer cells. They target certain gene mutations (such as BRCA1 and BRCA2) and therefore are only used in patients who are known to have these mutations found through genetic testing. Several oral PARP inhibitor medications are approved by the FDA for treatment of certain types of advanced prostate cancer. Previously, PARP inhibitors were approved to treat certain breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers.
PSMA Targeted Therapies – The FDA has approved treatments for PSMA-positive prostate cancer. Learn more about PSMA and PSMA targeted therapies in the next section of this guide.
Clinical Trials A clinical trial is a research study investigating experimental treatment to see if it is safe to use and effective in fighting a disease. Learn more about clinical trials later in this guide.
A PATIENT EDUCATION SERIES |
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