2. There are a number of pharmaceuticals now available for the
treatment of patients with prostate cancer. Chief among those
is prednisone, an immune response suppressor often used in
conjunction with other oncology drugs to treat a wide variety
of cancers. In the case of patients who have prostate cancer
that is resistant to hormone therapy (hormone refractory), the
options narrow considerably.
3. One fairly new treatment is acetone acetate (Zytiga), which
has gained FDA approval for the treatment of patients with
metastasized hormone refractory prostate cancer. When
used with prednisone, acetone acetate has been shown to be
effective in inhibiting an enzyme (17 a-hydroxylase/C17,20-
lyase) necessary for angrogen biosynthesis that is expressed
in prostate cancer cells. Other treatment options for patients
with hormone refractory prostate cancer include
Cabazitaxel, Docetaxel, and Sipuleucel-T. Zytiga was first
developed by Cougar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a
biopharmaceutical company founded by Dr. Lindsay
Rosenwald. Dr. Rosenwald has also been instrumental in
securing FDA approval for the drugs Trisenox and
Milnacipran.
4. Be sure to thoroughly discuss all treatments and possible
side effects with your doctor before deciding which option is
best for you.