UNDERSTANDING
Advanced prostate cancer Things to consider • Chemotherapy is given by an intravenous drip (into the vein). •Y ou will have regular hospital appointments for safety checks and to have the treatment given. What does chemotherapy involve? Chemotherapy is usually given through a drip into a vein in your arm (intravenously). This allows the treatment to go into your bloodstream and to move through your body to attack any cancer cells wherever they are. Your chemotherapy treatment will be managed by a medical oncologist and by an oncology nurse. They will talk to you about the different chemotherapy drugs that are available, which drug is best for you, your treatment plan, and how to manage side effects. There are two types of chemotherapy drugs commonly used: docetaxel and cabazitaxel. You may also be given corticosteroid drugs to help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. More information on medications used in chemotherapy can be found on the eviQ website at: www.eviq.org.au/medical-oncology/urogenital/prostate What to expect Chemotherapy is usually given as an outpatient treatment in a hospital or cancer centre, which means you don’t have to stay overnight. It is likely that you will need to attend the hospital or cancer centre every 3 weeks for each cycle of treatment, although this may change depending on how you are managing with the treatments. The number of chemotherapy cycles varies from person to person and it is hard to predict how many you will need. Usually, chemotherapy is continued as long as you are managing it well in terms of side effects, and if the treatment is having the desired effect (controlling the cancer and keeping you well). Most men receive between 4 and 8 cycles of chemotherapy. Men who are newly diagnosed, fit and in good health may be given fewer cycles of chemotherapy in combination with hormone therapy. Sometimes the treatment is stopped because you have already achieved as much benefit as can be expected. In that situation you might be observed, and in many cases the cancer might not grow again for some time. Your medical oncologist will discuss all of this with you before and during your treatment. Before you have each chemotherapy treatment, you will need to have a blood test to check that the levels of the different types of blood cell (red cells, white cells) are at 18