Prostate cancer pharmacotherapy

New prostate cancer drugs are effective and well tolerated

Pharmacotherapy is most commonly administered for metastasised prostate cancer, but it’s also used as an additional therapy for localised high risk cancer. Many new, effective drugs intended for the treatment of metastasised cancer have entered the market – they are all available at Docrates.

The new drugs are also often suitable for the elderly, patients with multiple illnesses, and combination therapy. The new prostate cancer drugs are often both more effective and better tolerated than previous drugs, and may even work after prior medication has lost its effectiveness. The new medicines can be used to alleviate symptoms, slow down disease progression in the bones in particular, and increase lifetime – the aim is for the patient to be able to continue leading as normal a life as possible.

There are three main types of new prostate cancer drugs:

1) Targeted hormonal therapy in the form of pills (secondary hormonal therapy)

• For example, abiraterone and enzalutamide

2) Cytostatic drugs

• For example, intravenously administered cabazitaxel

3) Radionuclide therapies intended for the treatment of metastases

• Intravenously administered Radium‑223 targets bone metastases
• Still an experimental radioactive drug Lu-PSMA  effectively treats metastases both in soft tissues and in the bone