Prostate cancer

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to control cancer's growth or relieve pain. Often the drugs are given through a needle in your vein, and your blood vessels carry the drugs through your body. Sometimes the drugs are available as pills you can swallow. Sometimes they are given through a shot, or injection.

Chemotherapy usually involves two or more drugs given together. This is done to lower the chances that the cancer cells will become resistant to the drugs. It is most often used when prostate cancer is hormone-resistant.

Pain-relief and appetite-stimulant drugs:
Pain-relief and appetite stimulant drugs may be used when prostate cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Steroids, such as hydrocortisone or prednisone, control pain and improve appetite. Radioactive drugs such as strontium-89 and samarium-153 are called radionuclides. They are absorbed near the area of bone pain. Then the radiation that is released helps relieve the pain caused by tumors that have spread to the bone. Bisphosphonate drugs such as zoledronic acid (Zometa) and pamidronate disodium (Aredia) may help relieve bone pain and prevent osteoporosis, which is sometimes caused by long-term hormone therapy.