What Are My Treatment Options?
Options for treating metastatic prostate cancer may include:
- Radiation therapy
- Hormone therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted drug therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Surgery
Typically, the first treatment is hormone therapy with a combination of two drugs: one that blocks your body’s production of testosterone (a hormone that helps prostate cancer grow) and another that stops testosterone from getting into the cancer cells to fuel their growth, says Efstathiou.
Which treatment or combination of treatments you get will depend on the cancer’s location and staging.
If your cancer cells have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, you might get a targeted drug called a PARP inhibitor. This medication makes it harder for the cancer cells to repair their own DNA, which speeds up their death.
If your doctor doesn’t suggest genetic testing, ask for it, Efstathiou suggests. Genetic testing can give your doctor more insight into the specific prostate cancer you have and can inform treatment decisions.
Your overall health is another consideration. If you have another serious medical condition like heart disease or diabetes, your doctor might recommend a treatment different than one given to someone without those conditions.
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